It really bothers me when a minority of readers write to Flyer News to

whine about an issue which they demonstrate a complete misunderstanding

of - ignorance at its finest is on display for the entire campus to

behold.



The issue in this case is the recent change in Flyer Radio's programming. As someone who has worked at Flyer Radio for three years now, I'm tired of listening to the ignorance that seems to prevail from some now past disc jockies that just don't get it.



I've been active with Flyer Radio since my freshman year. I've had my weekly sports talk show for two years and have been on the sports staff that broadcasts UD varsity athletics for just as long. I know many

other DJs and I am good friends with most of the full-time staff at WUDR.



So you can imagine my frustration when someone who complains about the decision that the staff made has no knowledge of the situation whatsoever.



The letter sophomore Joe Radisek sent to FN recently gave me my fill of

a weak argument. First, Radisek, like many others, seems to think the

full-time staff at WUDR decided to change the programming on Flyer Radio for kicks.



In fact, their hand was forced. They had to standardize the programming

because of some knuckleheads who thought they could swear on the air

and play whatever kind of music they wanted regardless of lyrics.

We've been warned as DJ's for the last two years that if the language-

both spoken and broadcast through songs- did not improve then there

were going to be some changes in order to keep WUDR. But a handful of

hard-headed DJ's continued to play and say whatever they wanted on the

air. Since the stern reminders didn't seem to sink in with the staff,

here we find ourselves.



Radisek's argument is the typical misinformed one that I have heard

so many times. He did manage to make one correct point stating that

an outside force has tried "to take one of our frequencies." By the way,

it's called a broadcast license, not a frequency.



This outside force is very real and there is a ton of money involved.

We're talking millions of dollars here. When WVUD's broadcast license was

sold in 1992 the university took the money and used it to help fund

the construction of the Humanities Center. This is a serious matter.

Many don't realize that if the staff continued to allow DJs to play

and utter whatever they wanted on the air, there would be no Flyer Radio. Period. This outside source, a church affiliate to the best knowledge of

the WUDR staff, would finally go through with his threat to sue the

license away. With all the FCC violations that he has heard emanating

from the studio, his argument would be a formidable one.



The standardization of programming also gives the station a huge boost in credibility. No longer do promotions directors from WUDR have to answer, "Well, uh, we play, uh, everything really" when asked what the station's format is by potential clients. They can now give a definitive and

professional answer and that better attracts clients.



So I must strongly disagree with Radisek's notion that the station

"has lost." How can keeping WUDR on campus be considered losing?

Allowing a handful of dope hosts to continue doing whatever they wanted and then having WUDR's broadcast license stripped in a court of law

would be "losing."



Radisek also said that the station has lost the "dedicated show hosts"

and, "what it once was: a college radio station." Wrong. The station has, if anything, lost (and I use that term loosely) the idiots and undedicated DJs whose actions brought about this decision in the first place. The dedicated ones are the DJs who, despite the changes, really understand why the decision was made and are sticking around. We make the weekly dedicated trek to the studio to do what we love. That dedication is the essence of a college radio station. And the last time I checked, we still have one of those.