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Printer-Friendly ModeInternet radio station set for fall launch amidst delays
Student-run Cardinal Broadcasting Association works to secure funding for 'SVSU WorldWide' online radio
April 23, 2007 —
"Expect something that you've never heard before," promises Cardinal Broadcasting Association President and communication senior Charles Moser. He hopes the CBA organization will give SVSU its first on-campus Internet radio station.
The CBA is currently planning to launch its station, SVSUWorldWide, at the beginning of the fall 2007 semester. Student DJs will produce live broadcasts that are later streamed online. With three years of experience in radio, Moser is well aware that creating a station from nothing is not going to be easy.
"We need to get equipment, get a space, and get licensing agreements with ASCAP (the American Society of Composer, Authors, and Publishers) and BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated).
Moser has been carefully following the ASCAP, BMI, and RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) regulations to avoid raising copyright issues.
"We're working on creating a non-interactive net-casting station. This means that the listeners will not be able to pick and choose what songs they want to listen to."
Because listeners wouldn't know what song would be coming next, the chances of piracy would be reduced. This approach helps fulfill certain copyright regulations, which means SVSUWorldWide will spend less money to cover copyright fees. But there is still a large overhead budget that must be covered before the CBA can launch their station.
According to Moser, the University would pay for the operations of SVSUWorldWide for the first year. Costs are estimated at $18,000 in start-up fees in addition to yearly operating costs of $5,000.
"This price may go up or down, but this is a rough estimate at this point," he said. "Over the summer, we will be fundraising to prove that we can be a self-sustaining organization."
In addition to its members' experience, the New Media Advsisory Board helps to guide the CBA. The Board consists of seven SVSU faculty members who are interested in helping it get off the ground. Three of the board members have experience in radio: Assistant Vice President of Student Services Michael Simon, Instructional Technology Center Manager Brian Mudd, and Media Relations Director J.J. Boehm.
Communication junior and CBA member Steven Orlowsky also has some experience in radio. The biggest contributions he has to offer, however, are his big ideas for SVSUWorldWide.
"We want our station to have personality. We want to establish our niche as a unique station. We could just play music like other stations, but we want ours to have a unique feel," he explained. "People will say, 'This is SVSUWorldWide.' And it won't be just for SVSU students on campus. Students studying abroad, as well as SVSU graduates, will be able to listen to us, as long as they have an internet connection. This will reach even more people than just an FM radio station; anyone in the world will be able to listen."
One of the CBA's newest members, history education major Stephanie Mudel doesn't have much experience with radio. But she still plans on playing a key role in getting SVSUWorldWide off the ground.
"I would be in charge of PR, getting our names out, networking, and generally setting things up," she said.
Though the staffing positions at the station will ultimately be decided by the Advisory Board, Mudel still hopes to fill the PR Director position.
But regardless of her position, Mudel wants to make sure SVSU gets all it can out of SVSUWorldWide.
"You use a lot of different skills [in radio] - PR, computer science, business, and marketing," she said. "This is a chance for different people on campus could showcase their skills. I also want people to make a connection through the station."
The CBA is hoping that SVSUWorldWide will soon become the new voice of SVSU. Stay tuned to see what happens.
Elections for SVSUWorldWide staff positions will take place before the end of the semester. If you are interested in becoming a DJ for SVSUWorldWide or are looking for more information, e-mail cba@svsu.edu.