Back to the campus....

Tom Mullins and I spent an hour or so today with Craig Smith, the current chairman of the Film and Electronic Arts Department (formerly Radio/TV/Film) at CSULB. We wanted to discuss the possibilities of bringing back radio to the FEA curriculum. It turned out it didn't require much selling of the idea. He admittedly does not come from a radio background but feels with the growth of Internet streaming, podcasting and satellite radio, that "broadcasting" is probably a more important discipline than it was when it faded away from the campus after the demise of KSUL. After only a few minutes into the meeting he asked for our help in taking the first steps -- to bring back some "core" radio classes. He would like to schedule those classes to start in the fall of this year.

I think we were sucessful in conveying to Mr. Smith that not only do we need a commitment to a radio curriculum, but that it will ultimately require a working "lab" to make the program work.

In the next few months we're going to be working, with the help of other radio alumni, to develop a plan to help provide support for, what could be, a real rebirth of student radio at CSULB. We'll keep you updated and, hopefully, we can count on your help in this effort.