Spotlight: Mt. San Antonio College’s KSAK

Thank you to Tammy Trujillo, professor of broadcasting and campus radio station coordinator, for answering the questions!

Tell me a little history about your station and where your station is now?
KSAK first went on the air in 1974, so we are marking our 40th year of broadcasting this year. It was a hard fought battle by one of the broadcasting professors to get the station on the air initially, but he was able to do it by convening a board of local on-air professionals to speak to the necessity of having an actual, student-run station on campus to compliment the classes that were being taught in the program. The station, which we refer to as 90.1 FM, Mt. Rock Radio, will be moving into a brand new facility on campus at the beginning of the Fall semester that will provide us with two on-air studios (one for 90.1 FM and the other for our Internet-only station, Audio8ball.com), a news booth, production booth, offices for student managers and four additional production studios for students to use for their class assignments.

What sets your station apart from other college radio stations?
Several things. All of the professors in our program are actually working in broadcasting as well as teaching, so the stations are run exactly as a professional station would be. The studios and stations also use the same broadcasting equipment and software that is currently in use at commercial stations. That combination has resulted in students winning numerous regional, national and international awards, in some cases in competition with commercial stations.

Why did you choose to work at the radio station?
I have been on the air in the Los Angeles market for 30-some years and have taught most of that time, both at colleges and at private broadcasting schools. I started at Mt. SAC (Mt. San Antonio College) in 1996 as an adjunct professor, but when the opportunity arose to become full-time and really create the program, I jumped at the chance. I became the Campus Radio Station Coordinator about three years ago with the idea that the best way to prepare students to enter this crazy and hugely competitive industry is to give them a real-world experience and that is what we are doing with Mt. Rock Radio and Audio8ball.com. I see it working because our students are getting jobs. I don’t know sometimes who gets more excited when one does, me or the student! Working with the students at the station also keeps me remembering just what an amazing and exciting industry we work in.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for your station?
To kick off the renaming of the radio station as Mt. Rock Radio, (which we did after I was named Coordinator) we held a 48-hour Radiothon, with each hour dedicated to a particular hour of Rock ‘n’ Roll! The student jocks were on the air and we had some of the local pro jocks as well … along with some of our professors, who are also pros.We made some money, had some fun, and wore ourselves out, but it was a memorable way to kick off the new era of 90.1 FM, KSAK.

What’s the best part of college radio? And the hardest part?
The best part of college radio is the creativity that students generate if given the chance. They can do such amazing things! The hardest part, especially being in a major market such as we are (Los Angeles), is that students hear the best broadcasters in the business on the air who obviously make it look easy. When students try it themselves, they realize it is not that easy by a long shot. It is difficult with some, to make them realize that very few of us pros sounded great at the beginning either and that we had to work hard to become skilled, the same way that the students now have to work hard. I also have to throw in a second hardest part and that will always be funding. Radio equipment, licensing, facilities, etc. are all very expensive and it will always be difficult to have a budget that keeps up with those needs and costs.

Want your student media organization profiled on the CBI Blog? Email Jessica.