Wednesday, January 25 Behrend Acquires AM Frequency Station to be on air this semester by Maria Plaza Collegian News Editor Behrend radio may soon be on the air following the gift from Burbach Broadcasting Company. Last December, Burbach gave the college the license, AM 1450 spot,. antenna, transmitter, a set of broadcasting equipment, and the building of their WEYZ station. Burbach, which also operates WCCK KlO4 FM, is replacing the 1,000 watt WEYZ with its newly acquired 5,000 watt AM station 1330 (formerly WRIE). According to Dean of Student Services Chris Reber, Behrend's application has been sent to the Federal Communications Commission and a positive reply Inside Construction Behrend Briefs 4 Editorial 5 History of Media 6 Supergroup 8 Working Poet 11 Tidbits From Earth 12 Superbowl Review 15 Men's Basketball 16 he '''':'''..,: . : r.:• . ..: . .: . . -' 0 e....,.. • ian is expected within sixty days. At that time, the station should begin - operation under the proposed call letters WPSE. Reber described the transaction as a gift/purchase arrangement. It was largely a gift, he explained, but the University provided some remuneration for the equipment valued at $250,000._ According to - Reber, the acquisition was an "unexpected gift." Behrend was planning to begin another carrier-current station, one that can only be heard in Behrend buildings, to replace its old station WBCR, which went off the air in 1986 after being plagued with reception and equipment problems. The new AM station's broadcast range will include all of Erie County. "Our hope in all of this (transferring WEYZ to Bchrend) is that this will continue to add to the variety of programming choices available to - Erie listeners," said William Shannon, vice president, of -the Burbach Broadcasting Company. According to WBCR assistant manager Ken Bunting, the station was origitially intended to be non-profit, but the- application was amended last week to request commercial status. Commercial status is necessary to use new services PENN STATE ERIE'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER such as CNN and CBS that provide news in return for having the commercials they've sold aired. Reber explained that it hasn't yet been decided whether the station will be non-profit or commercial. "It could go either way," he said. A general manager will be hired to run the station, teach a related course, and advise the radio club. The station's broadcasting format will be decided by an ad hoc committee made up of Reber, Bunting, Dean Lilley, Myron Jones, owner and president of WJET Broadcasting; Cathy Mester, instructor of communications at Behrend; and Marlowe Froke, general manager of University Park's AM .station WPSU. The committee, which has met once, is working closely with the telecommunications department at University Park. Initially, the station will be satellite fed, receiving news from news services such as CNN and CBS. Campus programming will be gradually phased in. Reber explained that market niche—what's needed and wanted, will be the committee's guide. Reber said the committee has Contd. on pg. 4 Minority Senator Issue Defeated by James Martin Collegian Editor Following many weeks of debate and deliberation, a measure to create a minority senator position has been defeated. The position, known as the HABIT Senator position, was first introduced by Darron Henry, president of The Association of Black Collegians. The proposed ammendment would have mandated the presence of a minority member on the Student Government Association (SGA). The debate on the issue began heatedly in the fall of 1988 and was characterized by strong feelings and frequent verbal exchanges. The ammendment proposal was ultimately called to, a vote,. during the SGA's January 11 meeting. SGA President Steve McGarvey said that constitutionally the proposal had to be voted on at the third meeting at which it was read. The proposal had actually been considered at more than Chisholm Urges Civil Rights Revival by Laura Weaver Collegian Staff Writer Former Congresswoman and author Shilrlcy Chisholm told a crowd at Behrend's Reed 117 that the civil rights movment needs to be revived. Chisholm spoke before an overflow crowd at 8 pm Thursday, Jan. 19 as part of Behrend's annual speakers series on the topic: "Since the 1960's and Toward The Future: Protest, Order and Justice in America." Educated at Brooklyn College and Columbia University, Chisholm was elected to Congress in 1968 and blazed trails for civil and equal rights. Chisholm is also the author of two books, "The Unbought and Unbossed" and "The Good Fight," which deals with her historical run for the presidency in 1972. Recently Chisholm toured the Country campaigning for Rev. Jcssc Jackson during his presidential bid. When Jackson lost to Dukakis, Chisholm gave her support to the Massachusetts Volume XXXVII, No. 8 three meetings but was read in its final form at only three meetings. At the January 11 meeting, McGarvey limited discussion to 15 minutes. Discussion was limited, in part, because all but one of the SGA Senators were expected to be at the meeting until 6 pm at which time several had to leave for classes. Several SGA members had suggested as many members as possible be present when the actual voting took place. McGarvey pointed out prior to the voting that the SGA was voting for or against the ammendment itself, not the idea. "I think it's important regardless of how any vote would come out tonight...that you've taken some initial steps towards opening things up," he said. When discussion was concluded Senator David Friend made a motion to bring the issue to a vote. The vote was conducted by secret ballot, with the issue being defeated by a vote of eight yes, and 12 no votes. photo by Tracey Cross Governor by traveling through eleven states speaking on his belhalf. During Chishoim's rousing lecture, she offered a remembrance of the 60's and 70's civil and equal rights movements. In addition, she noted a Contd. on pg. 3
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers