This week's LTAR

[rogerkirk]

A. Joseph Ross noted:

>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.

If the license is held by the University and is perceived as a developable, potential source of income for the university, my guess is students will have to ride in the back of the bus.

It's ALL about the Benjamins.  Hey, Must Be The Money!