Staff Editorial: College radio must be a priority

Do not feel bad if you have never heard of WQHS. Penn's student-run radio station has been struggling to be heard for a long time. This year, the Student Activities Council increased its funding to $7,500 --a bold and necessary move. But SAC spokesmen say that this increase will not necessarily be matched in the future. It should be matched, and even exceeded.

College radio plays an important role in many universities. As a forum for up-and-coming bands, it serves both those bands and college-aged listeners who can listen to and sometimes interact with musicians who may later go on to great fame and fortune. For students who choose to become heavily involved with college radio, the station can serve as a place to gain experience and technical skill. College radio is also shaped by students' tastes, and therefore offers a venue for music that students might be hard-pressed to hear elsewhere. For any student who loves music and is interested in hearing what else is out there, college radio is crucial.

Before the increase in funding, the situation looked very grim for WQHS. A storm had knocked out its AM broadcasting capabilities, and as such, the station was relegated to providing background music on channel 2 of the Penn Video Network and streaming via the Internet --to a maximum of 40 listeners at a time. That WQHS was operating at all was thanks only to a generous grant from WXPN that helped stabilize its financial situation after it suffered a burglary and the loss of some equipment.

With the new money, WQHS should be able to increase its capacity for Internet broadcasting and update its equipment, some of which is 40 years old. But the slipshod conditions under which they operate are shameful.

It also seems that given the presence of the Annenberg School for Communication here at Penn, a greater campus radio presence should be a higher priority than it has been up to this point. If faculty from Annenberg were to become involved, students would have a tremendous opportunity to work alongside some of the greatest minds in media and communications. Whether faculty at Annenberg would be open to such a situation remains to be seen, but given the educational potential there, it is difficult to imagine every member of its esteemed faculty being completely closed to the idea.

College radio is a great opportunity for students. At Penn, it is time for those students to be heard.

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