This week's LTAR

[A. Joseph Ross]

Bob speculated this week that WMUA at UMass in Amherst might soon change its call 
letters to WUMA, to fit the pattern of the other campuses.

Actually, I doubt it.  WMUA as a station was student-initiated and has been student-run and 
student-financed, and a call-letter change would not happen unless it came from the 
students.  And, the WMUA call already reflects the school's current name, unlike WJUL, 
which was based on it being University of Lowell.  

WMUA's studios are located in a student activities building, not an academic building, and 
its transmitter is atop a residence hall.  At UMass, the ownership and financing of residence 
halls and student activities buildings are different from academic buildings.  As a result, 
political and religious activities are allowed in those buildings, which is not always allowed in 
academic buildings.

While WMUA's license is held by the Board of Trustees, if the University were to try to take 
over the station from the students, there would be widespread student and alumni protests.

-- 
A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                           617.367.0468
 15 Court Square, Suite 210                 lawyer@attorneyross.com
Boston, MA 02108-2503           	         http://www.attorneyross.com