A media renaissance
A media renaissance
Texas Student Media has seen a decade-long evolution, giving students experiences in journalism, video, podcasting and more
“Yo, yo, yo, waddup, waddup? This is DJ Paperview, and you’re listening to ‘Bars and Breakdowns’ right here on KVRX. I’ve got some very special music for y'all tonight, so strap in and sit back.”
“Bars and Breakdowns” comes on at 1 a.m. every Saturday on 91.7-FM KVRX, The University of Texas at Austin’s student-run radio station.
The show bills itself as a place for listeners to “rejoice and gather for some riveting conversation about the wasteland that is post-Y2K internet hip-hop.” In other words, it hosts interviews with guest DJs, takes listener requests and call-ins, and plays underground hip-hop from around the country.
The show is hosted by radio-television-film sophomore Will McNaul-Ramirez, or DJ Paperview as listeners know him. KVRX proudly proclaims to play “none of the hits, all of the time,” and McNaul-Ramirez happily adheres to the station’s rule to play no artist with more than 250,000 monthly listeners.
DJing is not the only thing McNaul-Ramirez does for KVRX. He is also the acting traffic director for the station.
"I create all of the underwritings and all of the spots that go on air,” he said. "Everything you hear on actual KVRX 91.7-FM airwaves that's not a live DJ is me. I wrote the script or recorded it, mixed it and put it on the system. So it's a lot of little things."
The student radio station is only one of many organizations and programs under Moody College of Communication’s Texas Student Media umbrella, but membership is not limited to Moody College students.
“There's something for everyone here,” McNaul-Ramirez said. “Most things are pretty easy to get involved with or join. If you're reliable enough and show up to enough meetings, you can do pretty much whatever.”
Texas Student Media has undergone a renaissance in recent years, primarily due to its almost simultaneous hiring of Gerald Johnson, its now-former director, and the organization’s move from UT’s Office of the Dean of Students to Moody College in 2014.
Under Johnson’s leadership, it has recorded nine consecutive years of profit and has doubled student involvement to an estimated 1,200 students per semester working within the various organizations in its portfolio.
Stacks of CDs, records and cassettes fill the walls and floor of the back room of the KVRX student radio station.
Stacks of CDs, records and cassettes fill the walls and floor of the back room of the KVRX student radio station.
"There's something for everyone here."
This year, Will Parchman, who has 15 years experience as a sports journalist, took over for Johnson as director of Texas Student Media. Johnson is now executive director for program and center innovation and partnership at Moody College, joining the dean’s office to work with the college’s centers, institutes and programs on revenue-generating opportunities that will support research and creative activities.
In the move to Moody College, Texas Student Media also opened up opportunities for students to gain professional experience through partnerships on campus and in and around Austin. This is perhaps most visible in the work of Bevo Video Productions, which provides video coverage for most UT home sporting events through a professionally-led, student-staffed team.
Art, clippings and other station-related memorabilia fill the walls of the KVRX lobby and broadcast booth.
Art, clippings and other station-related memorabilia fill the walls of the KVRX lobby and broadcast booth.
Johnson said only about 55% of students in Texas Student Media are from Moody College, with many of the others coming from STEM or pre-law programs.
“We really are a student experience that's open to everyone. Regardless of what you're doing, it's a place where you can hone your skills to be a better writer or videographer or photographer and really get experience in media, even if that's not your ultimate goal,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of folks that go on to things that aren't necessarily media related, but they get this experience here that better prepares them for professional life after graduation.”
“We really are a student experience that's open to everyone. Regardless of what you're doing, it's a place where you can hone your skills to be a better writer or videographer or photographer and really get experience in media, even if that's not your ultimate goal.”
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