GOOD NEWS!!!

All,

As of this evening, we have reached an agreement with MSA President Jim Kelley and VP Chelsea Johnson in which they will provide funding for a new tower and transmitter. The funds should be freed as early as tomorrow morning and work will begin in earnest to make the move to Schurz Hall. MSA's concern from the start was that KCOU wasn't valuable to the student population, but our collective voice and hard work have shown to them that just the opposite is true - the station is a valuable part of both this campus community and Columbia as a whole. So, thank you to everyone who has contributed to the efforts over the past couple of weeks. Without your help, this would not have been possible.

Now, while that addresses the immediate threat of the tower and transmitter - the concern has now shifted from whether KCOU is worth funding to how can we protect KCOU's future. It is this concern that has brought us into a new and interesting situation. During the course of this process, MSA has come to the realization that their focus should be advocacy and not managing radio stations. As a result, they want the station to become more self-sufficient and, eventually, to become a fully independent entity separate from MSA. We agree. This is both a great opportunity and a risky proposition because it ultimately places KCOU in a position to be both totally accountable for management and a large chunk of its funding. Keep in mind, this process of separation will take years to complete, so we will not be forced out on our own financially any time soon. However, we must begin preparing for this eventuality starting today.

The efforts we put forth under savekcou.org will continue, but take on a slightly new direction. We must work to save KCOU in the long-term by laying the groundwork to have regular fundraising, underwriting, support from alumni and local businesses, etc. The savekcou.org site will serve as a focal point for these efforts and a reminder of how close we came to the end. We need to also continue working on expanding our presence on campus and engaging new listeners through promotions and other activities. Perhaps most important of all, we need to continue to work on improving our sound as a station and, individually, on each of our shows - making them better each and every week.

We are not in this alone. We have a number of allies now within MSA, RHA, and the community along with our ever-growing support base of proud alumni, friends, and family. While this whole process has been painful, tiring, and - at times - extremely frustrating, it is safe to say that we learned a lot about ourselves as a station and as an organization. Moving forward and working together with our supporters, we will continue to improve KCOU and lay the foundation for the station to succeed in the years to come.

KCOU has survived several threats to its existence in the 45 years it has been around, each time persevering through the efforts of the very students the station is here to serve. Consider yourselves a part of this history now, as you have followed in this long tradition of protecting KCOU from being silenced and fading into the night. There is much work ahead of us, but there is a path and a plan.

Thanks again to all of you for making this possible. We would not have been able to do it without you.

Sincerely,

John Dobson, Joe Fessehaye, and Jonathan Hutcheson



In short, KCOU is SAVED!!!!
Thanks to everyone for their unyielding support!!