What's the frequency, KAMP?

Karen C. Tully Arizona Daily Wildcat Allen Wagner, KAMP's General Manager

And why? Because I said that KAMP would never get a transmitter.

Well, I hate to say it, but I was right. But what kind of shallow victory is that? I might've been right, but something is very, very wrong here. Why don't we have an active student radio station?

Soon, we will. That is, if the dedicated KAMPers can collect the necessary signatures to get their funding measure on March's student election ballot.

"We need anywhere from 3,500 to 5,000 signatures with student I.D. numbers from full-time students," says KAMP's new General Manager, Allen Wagner. "Beginning tomorrow, people will be able to sign it wherever they see a KAMP member holding a clipboard. We're going to be all over the place - in classes, on the Mall, the major classrooms."

Basically, a student activities fee of $1 will be added to each semester's tuition. This money will go expressly to KAMP student radio for the purposes of developing and maintaining a student radio station. If you want your dollar back, you can get it. No questions asked. If KAMP develops sources of independent funding, the students won't be asked to support it anymore.

"We want to eventually be like every great college radio station around the country," explains Wagner. "Whether it's KCRW in Santa Monica or stations in Austin, Texas. We're hoping to get an operating budget around $75,000 a year so we can purchase a station in town and really involve the entire community."

Eventually, KAMP intends to provide everything from their regular, somewhat eclectic mix of music, to campus news, weather, sports, club events, and special talk shows focusing on city, state, national, and world issues. "We are totally student managed and run," says Andy Carrol, KAMP's newest P.R. guy. "We want to be one of the student voices on campus. People should realize that these just aren't kids playing radio, and we'll be a not-for-profit station. Think tax write-off."

To raise general student awareness of KAMP's existence, Sohcahtoa has been running KAMP's weekly top tens as part of our regular content. "It's all done by the spins," they explain. "We count up the number of plays every week, so whatever happens, happens. I think that's one of the nice things about our station - people can play whatever they want. It's not just what the DJ's want to play, but people who call in, as well."

KAMP, now about 8-years-old, is finally poised to make a difference. People who complain about there being nothing to do in Tucson now have some recourse - a vote for KAMP is a vote for student radio, and student radio has fostered incredible music and cultural scenes in a lot of college towns. Besides, you don't want the Wildcat to be the only ones telling you about new music you might not hear on the radio or MTV, do you? I didn't think so...

KAMP meetings are Wednesday @ 5:00 PM in Old Chem. 111.