Campus radio station WKNC to disallow non-student DJs from hosting radio shows

& Abigail Ali News Editor

Emily Vespa Assistant News Editor

WKNC 88.1, NC State’s student-run radio station, announced it will begin enforcing a longstanding University policy and disallow non-student DJs from hosting radio shows. Three shows, all of which have been hosted by members of the NC State community for decades, will be affected: Geet Bazaar, Both Kinds Radio and Friday Night Request Rock.

Maddie Jennette, a fifth-year studying computer engineering and general manager at WKNC, said the decision was made to emphasize the station’s focus on students and is in alignment with the existing Academic Progress Policy within Student Media and University Regulation 11.55.07.

“I think that Student Media and WKNC should be for the students, run by the students only, and it just hasn’t been that,” Jennette said. “It’s also an official policy, an NC State policy.”

According to the Academic Progress Policy, Student Media employees must be enrolled as full-time students at NC State, and University Regulation 11.55.07 states that members of student organizations must be enrolled in at least one credit hour. Others can participate as guests but may not exercise the same privileges as members.

WKNC

Jamie Lynn Gilbert, associate director of Student Media and advisor to WKNC, has worked in this position since 2006. She said having non-student DJs at the station has been something she has questioned for a while since the station is student-run.

“We are part of NC State Student Media,” Gilbert said. “We are funded in part by student fees that students pay. Our former Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Tom Stafford was very known for his philosophy of ‘students first.’ And so it was always a little strange to me to have non-students at the radio station.”

Jennette said the decision doesn’t mean a student can’t pick up these shows or shows like these, it just gives more students the opportunity to do so.

“We’re not getting rid of these shows,” Jennette said. “We’re not saying no one is ever allowed to play prisoner request heavy metal songs on Friday night, any DJ can do that. We’re not getting rid of these shows, we’re retaining the focus on student DJs.”

Gilbert said there are also some student DJs that host shows or are training to host shows similar to those hosted by nonstudents. Saloon Tunes, which airs Saturdays at 10 a.m., and Western Wednesday, which airs Wednesdays at 8 a.m., play Western and country music akin to Both Kinds Radio.

“Heavy metal programming will continue very likely with student DJs during those time slots,” Gilbert said. “We’re training at least one heavy metal DJ, maybe two, in our current training class.”

Jennette said that ultimately, she thinks this decision is in the best interest of students.

“[There’s] more room for students to DJ and just entirely a focus on student DJs,” Jennette said. “I think that’s how it should be.”

The policy will go into effect Monday, May 8.