Valley Star

Issue date: 5/25/05 Section: Valley Life

Media Credit: Dan Villasenor Dan Villasenor / Valley Star THE "MATT"INEE - Broadcasting 22 student Matt Fine gets in the groove for his show from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays on Valley College radio station KVCM. Valley is the only Los Angeles community college with a station on campus.

Since its antenna broke a couple years ago, Valley College's KVCM has been broadcasting over Adelphia's Public Access channel 25, proving that video doesn't kill these radio stars.

As the only on-campus radio station in the Los Angeles Community College District, student-run KVCM covers the greater East San Fernando Valley - a 90,000-person strong market - and airs about 20 regular shows weekly, one for each Broadcasting 22 student. The station that's been at Valley since the 1960s covers everything from sports to Spanish rock.

"As long as we follow the FCC rules, we can do anything we want," said station co-manager Maggie Hasbun. "You get to work hands-on."

According to student and co-manager Denise Mendez, the station's largest obstacle is its lack of funding. With the Broadcasting Club providing more than 50 percent of funds with the help of ASU for the station, the students are still lacking proper equipment for broadcasting.

Replacing the antenna would cost the department thousands of dollars and the hiring of a full-time technician, who would have to monitor and maintain the antenna, which, according to Hasbun, is out of the department's budget. After arrangements fell through with multiple broadcasting companies, the station's current resting spot as a television broadcast on Adelphia provides a home to the students' shows.

Broadcasting Club President Jeff Nakamura, who hosts a Japanese underground rock show Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., said he's deeply involved because "I wanted to get the music out to people."

Nakamura encourages students interested in having their own radio show, learning to operate the switchboard or just having fun to take Radio Broadcasting 10, the prerequisite to Broadcasting 22, Radio/Television Activities.

Mendez said that the Broadcasting 22 students who run the station take their work very seriously: "It takes discipline and work ethic."

Mendez hopes to join the many alumni who have taken skills learned at KVCM into the workforce, including Power 106's Kool-Aid and Jeff Garcia.

Every Broadcasting 22 student is scheduled a one-hour time-slot to host his or her own show and the content is up to them. From talk shows to classic rock and Hip-Hop to Japanese underground rock, every student can find the right show for them, according to Nakamura.

KVCM can be heard on Adelphia's channel 25 live Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools