PLAY
entertainment news
September 14,2000
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For comments, contact BriAnne Hess at 864-4810 or email jayplay@kansan.com
Above, "DJ Proof," Ian Sotomayor, Lawrence resident, tears up the turtatables on KJHK's new morning show, Breakfast for Beat Lovers. "If I could wake up every morning and do this----for eight hours, I'd work overtime," Proof said. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
For Breakfast
Programs style change at KJHK
By Matt Merkel-Hess
By Matt Merkel-Hess
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Radio waves are abuzz with changes at KJHK, the University's student-run radio station.
The station now plays more new music every hour and has added a beat-oriented show on weekday mornings.
The changes were made with student listeners in mind, said Justin Montag, Olathe senior and KJHK's program director. The station still plays a mixture of college rock, jazz and special programs, but regular rock programming now includes seven songs —
from the new
music stacks. New albums are voted into the stacks by the music staff, and disc jockeys can select any song from the albums to fulfill the seven-cutter-hour requirement.
"Listeners are more likely to hear new music more
often," Montag said. "If they don't know about it, they'll be exposed to it."
Ryan Paget, Scott City senior,
has listened to the station since
his freshman year. He said that
unless listeners knew about the
increase in rotation cuts per
hour, they couldn't notice the difference.
"They change every semester," Paget said. "It's always for the better that they stay on top of what's current and are always pushing the envelope."
Raget said he also has enjoyed the new morning beats program, Breakfast for Beat Lovers.
The show began in June and airs from 9 a.m. to noon on weekdays. In addition to hip-hop, the Beat Lovers DJS spin funk, reggae, soul and electronic beats, Montag said.
Derek John, Topea senior and co-jazz director at the station, said he thought that although it might be strange for the morning hours, Beatlovs complemented
the jazz programming.
"I think we're ahead of the game as far as putting that on the radio," said John, who also is a Kansan music reviewer.
Many of the changes stem from a survey conducted last spring by a journalism research class, Marketing and Media Research, said Gary Hawke, professor of journalism and station general manager. He said the results of the survey showed that many students didn't know about the station, couldn't identify the station number and wanted more familiar music such as top 40, classic rock and hip-hop. Rather than play music already on other stations, KJHK decided to play more hip-hop and beats in the form of Breakfast for Beat Lovers, Hawke said.
"It always a decision every semester — what music we should play, what flavor we should be," he said. "We took little heavier look last semester because we had some research
results.'
In addition to the changes in music programming, a new station logo was designed focusing on the station number, 90.7, rather than the call letters, KJHK. The logo will be available this fall on station banners and on bumper
stickers.
Also in the works is a Web site called the KJHK Companion, where listeners can find out what music is currently playing, learn more about the artist and follow links to related sites.
Chris Eckert, Topeka senior, DJ and music staff member, said he thought the music played at the station has expanded as 105.9 the Lazer, other radio stations and MTV have shifted to what he calls "hard-core bubble gum pop."
Other plans for the station include putting most of the station's music on a hard drive, Hawke said. This would make it easier for DJs to search the collection, preserve old vinyl and conserve space in the overflowing Sudder Annex.
"Obviously, we're bringing more hip-hop oriented people into the station this year as opposed to pop or indie rock," Eckert said. "But as long as it doesn't drown out the other genres, I think it's good."
Chris Eckert, Topkea senior, announces the Concert Calendar for Tuesday at KJHK. Eckert hosts the rock rotation show from 12 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays. Photo by Thad Allender/KANSAN
Fall Programming Schedule
— Edited by Clay McCuistion
New special programs
Breakfast for Best Lovers, 9 a.m.
to noon weekdays
This show focuses on beats in all forms, including hip hop, reggae, funk, soul and electronic beats. DJs sometimes bring in guests to spin or rap live.
Hilltop Lounge, 9 to 10 p.m. Mondays
On-campus politics and issues that affect students are the topics of this talk show. It will have interviews, commentary and listener feedback.
"it's more of an art form than people realize," he said.
Sutra, Midnight to 2 a.m. Tuesday Sutra host Eric Morriss, Topeka junior, said he wanted to dispel negative attitudes toward electronic music.
Morriss said he chose the Tuesday morning time slot so he could present the music in a way conducive to sleeping or studying.
Blood and Chocolate, 6 to 8 p.m.
Fridays
This program focuses on power pop by artists such as Elvis Costello and Cheap Trick, said Ty Haas, Olathe senior and the show's host. He said the response to the show had been better than expected.
"I honestly thought it would be me and a bunch of nerds listening," Haas said. "But it's been going great."
ONE w/ DJ Konsept, 10-midnight Fridays
For the first hour, DJ Konsept spins the latest hip-hop, electronic and funk. The second hour is all live, with DJ Konsept bringing in guest DJs, live mixing, live PAs and studio performances.
Tons of Fun with the Fat Kid, 6 to 9 a.m., Saturdays
Tons of Fun host Luke Atkinson, Leawood senior, said the show didn't have much of a theme.
"There's not much you can focus on that early in the morning," he said. Atkinson said he played '80s and early '90s music and that he was willing to talk about anything on the air. He said he hoped it would make people think and give them a different outlook on college.
"We're about equal with the number of calls of complaint and calls of congratulations," Attkinson said.
La Pocha, 2-4 p.m. Saturdays
"La pocha" means someone who speaks a mixture of Spanish and English, and the two DJs of this show do just that in between sets of Latin American and Brazilian music.
"It will change your idea of what Latin music is," said co-host Ramona DeNies, Portland, Ore., senior and a Kansan columnist.
This Is Our Music, 5 to 6 p.m.
Sundays
This show is an hour-long investigation into the influence and importance of genre defining — or sometimes defying — musicians. Styles of music as diverse as bluegrass, U.K. punk, outjazz and 20th century classical will be aired. Show host Brandon Burke, Overland Park graduate student, said the show was a forum for listeners to learn about older music.
"The idea is to play important recordings that might not be obvious," Burke said.
KJHK was mentioned in a guide to "great radio from coast to coast" in July.
The article said KJHK was "one of the most rocking front-line college stations in the country, and, having gone online in 1994, the first to broadcast a continuous live signal over the 'Net."
KJHK will have a DJ broadcasting live in front of the Kansas Union on Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. They will be passing out the new burner stickers and fall music schedules.
— Edited by Kathryn Moore
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