Like every other town in this country, the college station is the only way to hear good music on the radio. What's the station for Albuquerque?

Ear to the Ground: KUNM 89.9

KRUX in Las Cruces

Cheers

KUNM... the best source of work hour crazy jazz.

I worked there for a while doing news reporting about a year ago. I dont think its as "college radio" as other places because a lot of the funding comes from the public, and their particular constituents love the jazz and classical shows. In Miami the college radio played crazy stuff non stop.

Anyone know what times the good shows are on, you know, where they play local music?

KUNM is albq's university station but it hasn't had much of anything to do with students as long as i can recall, and i got here in 1977.
there's DJ's who've had the same slot for 20 years which (although some of them are good in their genres) is bullshit.

KRUX in las cruces is fucking cool 'cause students actually dj. sure, they're not 20-year pro's but they have enthusiasm. the music is only as good as their personal collections (some of which are crap) but i always thought the idea of a college station was to expose kids to radio: program managing, DJ, adverts, etc.

http://www.myspace.com/krux

I've always wanted to get a show on KUNM going...hell, even if it's at 4 in the morning and i'm the only one listening.

Is there even a possibility for someone to take the necessary courses and get their foot in the door over there? Or is it years and years of asskissing just to get the worst slot (next to rodney on the roq's of course) in history?
-Zac

quote:

Originally posted by Zac:
I've always wanted to get a show on KUNM going...hell, even if it's at 4 in the morning and i'm the only one listening.

Is there even a possibility for someone to take the necessary courses and get their foot in the door over there? Or is it years and years of asskissing just to get the worst slot (next to rodney on the roq's of course) in history?
-Zac

Is it going to be one of those crank phone call shows? Because those are hilarious! You could call it "Zac Attack with Wacky Zac!!!" And you could have talks with porn stars, and long rambling skits. Sound effects! I volunteer to be sidekick, laughing at your jokes and taking abuse.

No? Ok, how about this:"Zac Attack with Wacky Zac!!!!!" Notice the two extra exclamation points? Yeah, I knew that would sell it.

I always thought it would be cool if they put on some crazy skits or had a show with some humor in it. I am sure there is enough creativity going around at UNM.

Indeed Zac----years of kissing ass and being a last minute substitute for overnight shifts and maybe, just maybe you will get a shot at it. But you and Levi can forget about having any kind of fun there. Especially the kind he was infering to. You see..........

Long ago, KUNM's format was "freeform" all day and night, with the exception of the specialty shows.....Focus On Women, Raices, Home Cookin', etc. The freeform format was the dj or "programer" perusing through tens of thousands of albums, broken down into 24 catagories. I was totally set on getting in, and began dating a girl who had a shift on Sunday's from 4:00a.m--8:00a.m., leading into the Gospel show. It was "a foot in the door". I was young and persistant. Willing to not only take on all the shitty assignments with a smile, but being a White Male, I had an eye opening experience into the close-minded world of hyper-zealous liberals. Mainly over-educated lesbian/feminists and "activists" of many flavors, but in particular Native and Hispanic. The Hispanics were certainly the worse of the ethnic splinter groups as far as intolerence towards those outside their relm.The collected members of the entire volunteer staff were the most sour, ill-humored (shit, no one had a sense of humor) bunch of fuckers ever. Yet all so convinced they were right and helping enlighten the world through the broadcasting of terrible dyke caterwauling and obscure ethnic songs that any member of said ethnic background would tune out in a minute. The one thing the volenteers seemed to agree on was their collective, blind hatred for white males. Which there were about six of at the time. Six out of a couple hundred volenteers and staff.

I should mention that the station is physically on UNM property, and the broadcasting license is held by the Board Of Regents. Yet you will virtually NEVER find a student on-air, except maybe to read the news (i.e. shit job that no one wants). There has never been any programs working with the Journalism Dept. or in conjunction with any sort of Broadcast degree. In fact, KUNM has a long standing history of hating UNM students as much as they dispise "The Establishment."

Anyway, despite the above mentioned obsticles and the fact that shortly after "working" there, I shed my Cosmic Cowboy, Hippie Locks, for one of the first Mohawks anyone had seen back then (1980-81). The programing staff and the managment were either wanna-be faux jazzbos or stuck in the whole '60's folk/ethnic/obscure rock thing. I routinely found what would become classic punk albums in the trash can of the music director. She hated the whole "New Wave" thing that was starting to happen in music, and dismissed it as a fad. The same with early rap albums....another genre that I was the first dj to play. (Street Beat, back then, was horible, and totally ignored what was happening within it's demographic.) Being that I had arguably started the first real hardcore/punk band in this town, I felt an obligation to get that music out there.

Alright, a long story a bit less long.....I hammered, lied and fucked my way to not only a prime free-form slot, Wednesdays from 10:00a.m.--2:00 p.m., where I can say in all modesty I became the best free-form dj ever, (due to my complete stoke over access to all that music, combinded with no personal agenda, other than always throwing in some current punk and some rap during my show) I eventually took over the New Wave show as well. So for nine-ten years, the only place smart folks could hear Black Flag, Gun Club Run-DMC, Circle Jerks, Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five, Dead Kennedys and all the underground music that has shaped most all the current bands today, was on my show---The Underground Connection. I still have people show me their collction of tapes of that show. Now during all that, I was an enigma to the staff and managment. All those assholes were so into judging a book by it's cover and/or sexual preference, that a musically smart and adventerous (white) guy with a penchant for punk rock and rap, yet who was a decent person, threw them for a loop. I finally realized during one of the many "Us vs. Them" meetings that the uber-liberal volunteers would get into with managment, that I had lived out my radio dj fantasy, and was quickly on the road to becoming one of those jerks who acts like the shift they do is their property and stay at it for 20 or more years. And that's exactly what you have today with KUNM. That plus a long standing tradition of ignoring local talent for upper managment positions, and hiring clueless yuppie idiots from either coast to run the place. The kind that blow into New Mexico with their agenda, with no other thought than being able to use us as a stepping stone to higher markets and show on their resumes how they educated us simple, provincial fools, before taking their next job in Pittsburg or Santa Cruz. It only reinforces the tension that the knucklehead volunteers have created with all their in-fighting, xenophobia and absolute intolerence for anyone different. If you think I'm being a dick (and I sorta am) check this out....I got along well with everyone, never crossed or challenged anyone or any policies. I just wanted to get my on-air nut, you know? Anyway, I am about to start my shift, see a group of women, all who I knew and thought I got along with. As I walked by, I said, "Hey, how you guy's doing today?" I was ripped into by three of the five, being told that they are not "guys" and how offensive and insensitive I was. You'd a thought I'd whipped my dick out and farted through it. I was a little shaken up, but went on to do my show. Half way through, the Station Manager and Program Manager told me to see them after my shift. Because of the "threatening and unsafe" atmosphere my comment caused these bitches, I was suspended off the air for a week. Both shifts. I later had a couple of those gals apoligize for blowing (!) things out of perportion, but still thought I should be more sensitive as to what I say to women and "third world people of color". Needless to say, I played as much offensive hardcore punk, Blowfly, sexist rap, David Alan Coe, Zappa and just about any misoginystic music I could find (yeah, I was totally trying to be a dick then).

No, KUNM, like many things New Mexican, has massive potential for greatness on many levels and in many fields. Instead, you will mostly tune into the same old, tired, close minded (socially and musically)Dj's, playing horrible stuff that hardly anyone outside their small circle of sycophants can stand, no real student involvment and a managment that wants to do away with any local programming and run NPR satilite feeds all day and night. I'm stoked over all I got to do and all I learned there. Many great experiences and opportunities happened for me there. But it took a high tolerence for lies, hidden agendas and massive piles of bullshit. There are still some great people there and certainly a few great shows. I used to feel like a quiter, feeling like there was no one else like me to spread the gospel of "good" music. Thank god there are now i-pods and satilite/internet radio, so that us poor provincials out here in the sticks can find some decent music. KUNM is not all that far from being a Citidel/Clear Channel, bullshit clone. And if that happens, you will see that no one cares.........

And that's just a little about my experiences with the inner workings of KUNM. I was there for a decade or so. If you want to do cool stuff on the air, I fear you're only recourse (outside of the interweb) is to start a pirate radio station. And that thread would be the domain of Capt. America. Captain??

That's a bummer.
What am I going to do with all these fart sounds i have lined up?

quote:

Originally posted by Levi Eleven:
That's a bummer.
What am I going to do with all these fart sounds i have lined up?

Go see Black Maria and put them to use......

I've already heard all the stories about the pirate radio station...in fact I even DJed one night. Don't want to deal with that route.

It sucks that there's really 0 possibility to get good music out there.

I emailed KUNM awhile ago about getting involved and got a form letter stating that I'd have to take X-amount of training and then with some luck maybe I'd get something. These people might actually have a decent station if they'd give a few folks a chance. It's amazing what relevant music would do to increase their base of listeners.

Anyways, thanks for smashing my dreams of stealing your title as best radio dj ever.
-Zac

i just happened to stumble into the pirate thing when it was happening here. i kept asking around and it turned out there were a few friends of mine involved but keeping Rebel Radio way on the DL: i knew rainbow and the fun guy but there was pirate willy, racer X, betty crocker, owl bird and others whose pirate names i forget. that's when i took the captain america designation.
i just kept showing up with lots of records until they had no choice but to let me dj regularly. i was like 10-15 years older than everyone but they were totally cool about it. soon i was there every week (it was only 1x week, tuesday 6pm-1am) doing "dirt city" a local music show. since no one ever sent us stuff, it mostly was from my own collection. (gotta give props to rod parker [now of the darlington horns] for sending us the first contributed local music: a cassette tape of 4 track demos. i still have it).
pretty soon i was setting up and tearing down each week (we set up in different locations every week), driving equipment around, climbing trees to hang the antenna, doing minor equip repair, scheduling shows & locations, etc
we got pretty lax, letting anyone come in and dj or rant.
finally in late september 8 years ago, i was sitting on the porch of the infamous stanford house during the broadcast originating there when this guy in a polo shirt strolled up and asked if this was where the station was. we were expecting some green mayoral candidate so i said sure come on in.
d'oh!
it was an agent from the FCC office in denver.
he told us that we were busted and that he was going back outside to check the antenna etc. we kept broadcasting, even informing the audience of what was happening and that we may soon need support, etc.
finally he came back in, shut it off and asked who owned the equipment. we kept replying "no one, its a collective", he kept asking, we kept repeating the same answer.
he couldn't deal with that collective commie concept and finally threatened to call the landlord. at that time sonny was more or the less the official tenant of that long-time punk rock house. after so many years, no one wanted the house to be shut so being the oldest one there i volunteered responsibility.
in a way, it was cool 'cause i got to go hang with the agent in his bronco with all the tracking and triangulation equipment and ask him all kinds of tech questions. he was pretty open about it all.
except when asked him if he really believed in what he was doing (busting us) he wouldn't answer...

long story a tiny bit shorter, all that happened was i got a threatening letter of up to one year in prison and $10,000 fine. the FCC didn't follow up until we went back on the air when they busted us again. for some reason, they gave me another first warning. no one was ever procecuted and most of us passed the equipment on to Ditch radio, a bunch of new kids. that's another story.

anyway the equipment needed is pretty simple:

antenna --ours was a modified J-pole made of copper tubing
transmitter --the most complicated piece of equipment but still not all that outrageous; the stronger it is [higher watts] the further the signal goes. our signal mostly went anywhere from 3-10 miles depending on the night, location, height of antenna, etc. ours was a donation from Free Radio Berkeley but kits are/were available cheap ($300-500?)
compressor/limiter -- to keep signal/sound even
car battery and charger--for power at for remote locations
mixing board-- mixing sound (duh) and going from one playback format to another
turntables, mikes, CD player, tape decks...

if anyone wants to talk about this shit in detail, let me know. i'm no expert or engineer but still have some spec's.

the most difficult part is finding bandwidth wide enough so you're not fucking with any other station's signals (if you do that, you may as well call the FCC yourself and tell 'em to come get you).
you need at least one (better two) channel(s) on either side of you. the airwaves are pretty damn crowded these days. there used to be most space down low, around the community stations ( like UNM's and TVI's)
we had a great engineer who never wanted to be on the air but kept the equipment in top shape. he was ex KUNM by the way.

these days the FCC licenses low-power stations if there's room and you can prove community involvement and have "real" equipment (unlike our pile o' crap). low power licenses are going mostly to churches and civic groups who just waste airspace & air time and have approved content. yuck. the rules say i could never get a license since i got caught twice but i never wanted one anyway.

a pirate station in tucson lasted for years since they had an ingenious system for masking their signal's origin (no i'm not gonna tell ya) but also no one fucked with them because they did almost no politcal stuff. we had people each week telling about locking themselves to logging trucks, encouraging protest and dissent etc etc so i think although we were smaller and reached less people, we were a bigger target.
bah.

and yes i remember when KUNM went from free-form to jazz/classic format to attract people my age who have money to donate. there was lots of protest from the community and from the DJs but to no avail. i even heard a DJ being yanked out of his booth because he was talking shit about management. it happened live ON THE AIR! there was a scuffle for a minute, the station went dead for a few more minutes and then there was instrumental music for over an hour...

ok time for me to shut up now...

Captain & black . . .

Wow. That is some of the best stuff I've read in months. Honestly.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim:
Captain & black . . .

Wow. That is some of the best stuff I've read in months. Honestly.

aw, we're just loudmouth blowhards.
right, black?

That's some damn good stuff Captain and Black. Damn FCC, they keep messing up so much crap! Well, what are you gonna' do?!?

Listen to KFUZ Radio, nothing but static all of the time!!!! That's the only radio station I could broadcast without getting into trouble.

My husband, who's really into this stuff, (ran a college show in Cleveland, built a transmitter and had a pirate station) says that getting yourself an internet station is pretty easy these days and the best way to go. I can ask him about it if anyone's interested.
Marisa

Ask him about it. Maybe between all of the tech savvy people in this scene, we could put something pretty cool together. It would probably also be good for local music out here in general.

quote:

Originally posted by captain america:

quote:

Originally posted by Jim:
Captain & black . . .

Wow. That is some of the best stuff I've read in months. Honestly.

aw, we're just loudmouth blowhards.
right, black?

Speak for yourself, Capt. I prefer to think of myself as a goddamn, lazy ass, no good, stoned out, motherfucking drunken, loud mouth, know-it-all, been there, done that, blowhard, cop hating, one kidney-ed, full of shit, sonofabitch. But at least I still have my FCC Broadcaster's license. Oh yeah, and I play guitar.....

Zac---It was never my intention to smash your dreams with my me! me! me! rant. But come on, aren't you satisfied with being young
, intellegent and attractive? I mean, damn man, you are in like ALL the popular bands, have a bitchin' new record label, and are know all around this fine country as a righteous bro.....
But you are 100%` right about KUNM, and how much more they could actually reach the community. But like the Capt. said, their interests are all about attracting $$ from aging Baby Boomers, who themselves are desperate for some sort of hip identity as they rapidly aproach their golden years. Yeah.....fucking lame.

Jim---thanks for the positive words.

quote:

Oh yeah, and I play guitar.....

well yeah that explains everything!