KVRX-FM
Encyclopedia
KVRX is the student radio station
for The University of Texas at Austin
. The station broadcasts in Austin
on 91.7 MHz, with a power of 3000 watt
s.
KTSB, and began its first narrowcast via cable television
in April 1988.
KTSB's call letters were changed to KVRX nearly six years later in January 1994, after the FCC approved a unique time-share agreement between KTSB and KOOP for the 91.7 FM frequency, the last remaining non-commercial frequency in Austin (the call letters "KTSB" were already in use by another station, necessitating the change). KVRX would go on to broadcast on the FM frequency in November 1994.
KVRX shares the 91.7 frequency with KOOP Community Radio
. KVRX, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to The University of Texas, broadcasts on 91.7 FM from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. KOOP, licensed to the Board of Directors of the Texas Educational Community Broadcasting (d.b.a. Austin Co-op Radio), broadcasts during the remaining hours. Though limited in radio broadcast hours, www.KVRX.org provides programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the internet
via RealAudio
, MP3
, on-campus QuickTime
stream
s and an iPhone app.
In addition to its radio programming, KVRX maintains an active presence in the Austin, Texas
independent music scene by organizing live concerts and official shows during the South by Southwest
music festival each Spring. The station's Music Directors produce a weekly "Topless 39" chart that tracks the 39 albums receiving the most plays that week. In 2010, the station launched its own dedicated YouTube channel. KVRX has been described as a "nationally respected station and blueprint for many other college frequencies."
KVRX is part of Texas Student Media
(officially Texas Student Publications), an auxiliary establishment of The University of Texas and the largest student media operation in the United States
. KVRX is funded by student fees, fundraising events, an annual pledge drive, underwriting, listener contributions and sponsored public service announcements.
The Fall 2010 broadcast schedule features a wide variety of eclectic programming, including community programs such as "They Blinded Me with Science," "Politics Now," and "Pollito con Papas," and specialty music programs like "Es Klingt Wie Deutsch" (a German show), "Austin Hellenic Radio" (a Greek program), "Close Enough for Jazz," "Blues at Sunrise," "Chocolate Primate Magnetosphere" and "When Roots Attack!" Of the many notable past music and specialty programs that have been featured on the station, Rebel Radio was the focus of an article in the Austin Chronicle in 2006. The program featured a Star Wars
format.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
for The University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. The station broadcasts in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
on 91.7 MHz, with a power of 3000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s.
History
In the Spring of 1986, students at the University of Texas at Austin formed a committee called the Student Radio Task Force with the intention of raising both institutional and student support for a campus radio station. Two years later, SRTF had secured the support of Texas Student Publications (now Texas Student Media, the University organization which houses all student media and publication outlets). Before receiving its broadcasting license, the fledgling station used the call signCall sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
KTSB, and began its first narrowcast via cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
in April 1988.
KTSB's call letters were changed to KVRX nearly six years later in January 1994, after the FCC approved a unique time-share agreement between KTSB and KOOP for the 91.7 FM frequency, the last remaining non-commercial frequency in Austin (the call letters "KTSB" were already in use by another station, necessitating the change). KVRX would go on to broadcast on the FM frequency in November 1994.
KVRX shares the 91.7 frequency with KOOP Community Radio
KOOP-FM
KOOP is a noncommercial community radio station owned and operated by its members and staffed by volunteers. The station broadcasts in Austin, Texas, with a carrier frequency of 91.7 MHz at an effective radiated power of 3 kilowatts and is licensed to Texas Educational Broadcasting Co-operative,...
. KVRX, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) to The University of Texas, broadcasts on 91.7 FM from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. KOOP, licensed to the Board of Directors of the Texas Educational Community Broadcasting (d.b.a. Austin Co-op Radio), broadcasts during the remaining hours. Though limited in radio broadcast hours, www.KVRX.org provides programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
via RealAudio
RealAudio
RealAudio is a proprietary audio format developed by RealNetworks and first released in April 1995. It uses a variety of audio codecs, ranging from low-bitrate formats that can be used over dialup modems, to high-fidelity formats for music. It can also be used as a streaming audio format, that is...
, MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
, on-campus QuickTime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
stream
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
s and an iPhone app.
Programming
KVRX's slogan is "None of the Hits, All of the Time," and more recently, "Your Texas Independent Music Authority." Both refer to the station's alternative programming. KVRX's format includes music, news, sports and community programming, including the popular "Local Live" segment that airs every Sunday 10-11 p.m. CST. "Local Live" features both local and nationally touring musical acts in live, in-studio broadcast performances and interviews. KVRX only plays music that is not featured on commercial media outlets, and the varied community programs cover local, national and worldwide issues that often do not get covered in mainstream print and broadcast outlets. Past artists that have performed on "Local Live" include Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears, Shawn Pittman, the Black Keys, T-Model Ford, the Black Angels, T-Bird & the Breaks, Ethan Azarian, Devandra Banhart, and the Krayolas. Each year KVRX staff and volunteers select the best "Local Live" recordings and include them on an annual Local Live CD (and occasionally DVD) compilation.In addition to its radio programming, KVRX maintains an active presence in the Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
independent music scene by organizing live concerts and official shows during the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
music festival each Spring. The station's Music Directors produce a weekly "Topless 39" chart that tracks the 39 albums receiving the most plays that week. In 2010, the station launched its own dedicated YouTube channel. KVRX has been described as a "nationally respected station and blueprint for many other college frequencies."
KVRX is part of Texas Student Media
Texas Student Media
Texas Student Media is an auxiliary enterprise of The University of Texas at Austin and the largest student media operation in the United States.-Media properties:The Daily Texan is the most significant of TSM's properties...
(officially Texas Student Publications), an auxiliary establishment of The University of Texas and the largest student media operation in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. KVRX is funded by student fees, fundraising events, an annual pledge drive, underwriting, listener contributions and sponsored public service announcements.
The Fall 2010 broadcast schedule features a wide variety of eclectic programming, including community programs such as "They Blinded Me with Science," "Politics Now," and "Pollito con Papas," and specialty music programs like "Es Klingt Wie Deutsch" (a German show), "Austin Hellenic Radio" (a Greek program), "Close Enough for Jazz," "Blues at Sunrise," "Chocolate Primate Magnetosphere" and "When Roots Attack!" Of the many notable past music and specialty programs that have been featured on the station, Rebel Radio was the focus of an article in the Austin Chronicle in 2006. The program featured a Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
format.
Notable Alumni
- John Dial (software designer, porn music expert)
- Britt DanielBritt DanielJohn Britt Daniel is the co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the Austin, Texas, rock band Spoon.-Biography:Britt Daniel was born in Galveston, Texas, and grew up in Temple, Texas, in a household of five children...
, 1992-1995 (SpoonSpoon (band)Spoon is an American rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Britt Daniel ; Jim Eno ; Rob Pope and Eric Harvey .-History:...
) - Austin Powell (staff writer, Austin Chronicle)
- Rosa Madriz (booker/manager, Green Potato Ventures)
- Erik Wofford (producer/engineer, Cacophony Recorders)
- Doug Freeman (founder, www.austinsound.net; contributing writer, Austin Chronicle)
- Thomas Fawcett (contributing writer, Austin Chronicle and Living BluesLiving BluesLiving Blues is a bi-monthly magazine focused on covering the African American blues tradition, and America's oldest blues periodical. The magazine was founded as a quarterly in Chicago in 1970 by Jim O'Neal and Amy van Singel. Alligator Records owner and founder Bruce Iglauer was also one of the...
)