About KSSU
About KSSU :::: A History
|
In the fall of 1989, two students, Jim Bolt and Chris Prosio realized that Sac State did not have a student-run radio station. They started a student group named the Associated Broadcasting Club. They banded together and began to lobby for a fully student-run radio station. This group of students felt that a student-run radio station was vital to the education of Communications students. Not only would the station educationally expand opportunities for Sac State students, but it will also help to build the Sac State campus community. |
|
These students diligently gathered signatures for a petition, met with different members of the educational community, and enlisted the help of Associated Students, Incorporated. A kick-off to the possibilities of a student-run station started with a 24 hour DJ Marathon. In the fall 1991, the students were presented with KEDG. In September of that year, KEDG began broadcasting via carrier current at 530am to the Sac State Residence Halls. The broadcasting continued in this form until an unknown date.
In 1992, the original proposal for a space in the Union was materialized. Then sometime between fall of 1992 and 1993, the student-run station became The Apex, KSSU 1580am. In the fall of 1993, the station had the opportunity to share a FM frequency with the Sacramento Unified School District. Unfortunately, plans fizzled and KSSU remained at 1580am.
In spring of 1993, KSSU was given an office space in the temporary buildings. In June of 1993, KSSU became an official operating program of ASI. Memos lead us to believe that KSSU was moved to the second floor of the library in fall of 1993. We had an office and an on-air studio crammed into two VERY TINY rooms. The production studio remained in the temporaries (until the 97-98 school year). In fall 1994; the station was expanded to broadcast to the entire campus, not just the Residence Halls. The one major event presented by the station was the Hip-Hop Showcase in the spring of 1994.
|
And then there's a large Gap of information missing. In fall 1996, we had an operating budget of about $3000. We were a program of ASI and were still operating in the two office spaces in the library. Plans to build a new station at the University Union were in the works. In spring of 1997, ASI decided to drop KSSU as a program, giving us no budget to work with. For the 97-98 school year, we remained in the library and still got "funding" from ASI out of "another budget." At the end of that year, we were reinstated as an official campus life program of ASI and had an operating budget of about $16,000 AND we moved to our lovely new space in the University Union. |
The new space in the Union included an on-air studio booth and an administration office. During this time KSSU was known as "The Apex."
In 2003 KSSU dropped the tag "The Apex" and simply became known as KSSU 1580am, Sac State's Only Student Run Radio." Our logo was redesigned and we threw a highly successful turntablist event called Freebassin.' We continued entertaining students every Thursdays at Round Table Pizza in the Hive with Technique Thursdays. Technique Thursdays featured Hip Hop, Techno, Drum and Bass as well as alternative DJs.
In the Fall of 2004 Technique Thursdays became Acoustic Wednesday and KSSU brought in many great bands to entertain Sac State Students in the Round Table at the Hive. It was also around this time that KSSU started to upgrade it's on-air studio.
In the Summer of 2005 KSSU began streaming live online at www.kssu.com. A year and half later in the Spring of 2007, KSSU's Local Slice music and entertainment magazine debuts to the Sacramento and online communities. This groundbreaking, DIY zine features not only music articles from KSSU DJs, but also comic strips, games and original photography from the KSSU staff and DJs. The Local Slice is another media realm that helps propell the voices of KSSU and the Sacramento State students into the greater Sacramento community and the world.
Currently, KSSU is working on expanding to satisfy the heightened student interest. KSSU has two paid part time employees and over 50 student volunteers who all help keep the radio station running. At this time KSSU is working on a way to expand our program to cover the costs of hiring on our Executive Staff as employees as well. Our Executive Staff includes the Promotion, Sports, Music, Production and Underwriting Directors.