UE Mulling Over Radio Station’s Future
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe University of Evansville is considering the possible sale of its radio station, WUEV. The university says while there is no official agreement in place, it is exploring all options for the station as well as various uses for the space that houses it.
This is not the first time the university has considered selling the station. A possible sale was explored in 2005 and UE says it later decided to retain the station. Now, the university is considering possible uses for the radio station’s space that do not require maintaining a broadcast frequency, such as podcasting, online television and video production, and audio and video streaming opportunities.
"It is our responsibility to deliver the highest quality education possible in a constantly changing and challenging marketplace to create transformative experiences for our students," the university said. "This does require us to constantly evaluate our educational programs."
UE says specific details require a "commitment to confidentiality," which prevents a full disclosure of public information, however it will provide updates when they are available. You can read the full statement below:
While there is still no official agreement in place to sell UE’s radio station, WUEV, we want to address the conversation about WUEV and what our students can expect to prepare them for a future in communications.
The idea to consider a sale of the radio station based on the future of communications is not a new one. In 2005, a sale was explored and after much consideration, we decided to retain the radio station. Now, 13 years later, we are once again examining the relevancy of the medium and exploring opportunities to enhance our curriculum through providing additional experience in 21st century communications methods.
A variety of academic departments have academic plans about how the station’s space and its equipment could be utilized to provide a student-centered multimedia and multidisciplinary experience. Those plans complement and support the already existing ESPN3 and ONB Radio Network and include podcasting, online television and video production, streaming opportunities in both audio and video capacities, and potentially more. These methods do not require maintaining a broadcast frequency, therefore, the possibility considered 13 years ago to sell the FCC license is being explored.
Details about unsettled business decisions require a commitment to confidentiality that we must maintain for all parties involved. We understand that this precludes a full disclosure of public information. We will provide updates as we are able.
We can assure our alumni that we have spent a great deal of time studying this decision and considering its impact on our curriculum and our student experiences. We are happy to listen to your voices and your experiences as we fulfill our responsibility to align the resources of the institution with its mission in order to provide the best possible education for our students. We have consulted, and will continue to consult, with our students and faculty to determine what they need in order to prepare students now, and in the future, for careers in broadcasting, journalism, and audio production.
The future might not look exactly like the past. This is because our past experiences spark innovation that broaden the opportunities of students to learn and express themselves using the technologies that will be most useful in our current environment and our expectations for the future.
It is our responsibility to deliver the highest quality education possible in a constantly changing and challenging marketplace to create transformative experiences for our students. This does require us to constantly evaluate our educational programs.