On a sad note, my campus radio station KTXT 88.1-FM was terminated on December 10th, the last day of the fall semester at the behest of Student Media directors claiming that FM radio is becoming antiquated and that the station itself is not financially viable.
Granted, it’s hard to argue that terrestrial radio (and all old forms of media including television and print) are on the decline, it is, however, difficult to make the leapt from taking this information and completely dismantling organizations that have consistently given opportunities and occupations to so many students. As for the financial excuse, that is incredibly easy to refute: when have academic institutions been concerned about short-term commercial gains? Universities invest in the students – a long-term commitment – by providing them with skills and intellectual advancements so that when they go out into the real world they can give back to the school that has given them so much. Shutting down KTXT has just the opposite desired effect, eliminating opportunities as a way to shave a couple thousand dollars off of next year’s budget.
Regardless, their lack of respect for the students, both current and alumni, who’ve put their blood, sweat, and tears into the station by closing it down without any notification is not only in bad taste but insulting – pouring salt into an already gaping wound.
But that was the past, this is the present. An assortment of former DJs, station managers, and avid listeners have put together a rough mock up of the online direction they would like to take their now defunct terrestrial station, assuming it is not brought back. The Llano Idea is actually an improvement from KTXT’s former (and never-updated) KTXT online site ktxt.net, providing daily musical posts highlighting popular, unknown, and local indie-acts as well as incorporating a live stream looping through their extensive music library.
Although this is the direction that most KTXTers would not like to take, it’s nice that the students are on the ball and setting up a foundation which, assuming Student Media funds the idea, can be transformed into a massive online presence. It’s too early to tell if in the smoldering remnants of KTXT the Llano Experiment will be the phoenix rising from the ashes. Let’s hope it is.
Be active: Join the Resistance and Fight for KTXT!
The Nightwatchman // One Man Revolution
Tags: KTXT, The Llano Idea
[...] recently I talked about the shutdown of KTXT 88.1-FM and the almost immediate online emergence of The Llano Idea. Well the good folks down at LI liked my writing enough to offer me a position for blogging with [...]