2008 Woodie Awards
WKMS broadens with new lineup
Elizabeth Cawein
Issue date: 10/13/05 Section: Lifestyles
If Katie Villanueva could broadcast one piece of information to every student on campus, it would be that Murray State does have a radio station, and its target audience isn't senior citizens.
In fact, Villanueva, senior from Chicago, plays a supporting role in the station's major push to begin catering more to a collegiate audience. Her show, Sounds Acoustic, airs Sundays at midnight and is anything but elevator music.
"A lot of kids on campus don't even realize we have a radio station, and if they do, they don't know that it's not just news and classical music," Villanueva said. "We have an alternative rock show, a local music show and even a world music show."
Added to the mix of styles is Villanueva's own Sounds Acoustic, a collaborative effort with Austin Carter, Murray High School senior and part-time Murray State student. The show made its debut Sunday and featured Ben Folds, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, Cat Stevens, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers and Bob Dylan in its first air.
"(Austin's) tastes are more folk, bluegrass and jam bands, and I'm more on the alternative, pop-rock, jazz side of it all," Villanueva said. "Together, we cover this huge spectrum of music, and it's a real collage of different styles."
Villanueva said the show was born when a spot opened up in the programming schedule and Mark Welch, the station's programming director, approached her about creating a show.
"They needed something sort of mellow to follow the new age show on Sunday night before the BBC News goes on," she said.
Sounds Acoustic allows her an opportunity to play music students wouldn't ordinarily be able to hear on local radio, Villanueva said.
"I really like that the show gives students on campus the chance to listen to what I would think would be some of their favorite artists that don't get much air play on mainstream radio. It's giving the underground a chance," she said. "There's just a lot of culture at the station and I don't think people realize it.
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