Radio program changing, expanding

By Jill Aho

The radio station at Mt. Hood Community College is undergoing some behind the scenes changes.

While the students and faculty anxiously await an announcement of who will take over the full-time faculty position, X-58 is working to solidify their new format and make the switch to KMHC, with their new tag line: independent music for independent minds.

Money that was appropriated last year for the station to begin broadcast is in the process of being reevaluated. A proposal written by Paul Sosso, the radio program adviser, has been handed over to Marci Husby, the ASG director of finance, to determine how the alotted $15,000 will be spent. “The proposal is in the baby stages,” Husby said. Sosso will need to speak with several people and do a lot of legwork before the ASG Executive Cabinet will hear the proposal, Husby said.

Sosso said he is working to “advance [his] vision of the long term health of the program.” One of the ways he hopes to do this is by increasing how many people can stream the radio broadcasts online. Current technology and bandwidth provided by the school limits the number of streaming listeners to around 20 people. “What’s interesting,” Sosso said, “is there is always somebody listening.” Sosso said students have told him the phone rings in the station when they are least expecting it.

Casey Kelly, program director for KMHC, said the radio program has been hit hard this year, and the core staff of KMHC experienced a loss of many second-year students. “A lot dropped out or already got jobs in the industry.” Coupled with the lack of a full-time adviser, Kelly said, “We do the best we can with the staff we have.”

Sosso said he can’t predict at this time whether access to the radio station will be expanded to non-majors. Because many students are in class together, that often leaves the station to run on auto.
Automation has been very helpful to Kelly and the rest of the KMHC staff because there is always content on the air, and Sosso is proud that the station runs smoothly. But Kelly admits, “It sounds better when you have people on the air.”

Sosso said personally, he would like to see the community take some time slots on the air with KHMC. If this were to happen, those people would still need to get some training. This means those interested would be required to take a basic class on how to use the equipment.

Kelly’s concerns center around this requirement. “I am opposed to anybody on the street running the radio station.” He said he would want students to have first crack at time slots and he hopes that the station will always have a core staff of radio students. The restricted entry program admits about 25 students each year.

Husby said she is “really on board with [Sosso]. I think [radio] is an awesome program, and Paul has some awesome ideas.” She added that most of the ASG Executive Cabinet feels the same way.