KCOU 88.1 FM

I joined KCOU as a freshman with the intention of making new friends and getting involved on a campus where I knew no one. 3 years later, I've played a strong part in the growth and structure of the station, culminating to my position as program director and an IBS Golden Microphone nomination.

As a freshman, I was made the only assistant music director on the music staff, where I worked on maintaining the DJ automation software with relevant music from the staff, while also leading meetings when the music director couldn't be there. 

My sophomore year I was promoted to music director, where I was responsible for leading the music staff, which more than doubled in size from the previous year. As music director, I helped generate online content, promotions, playlists, and learned how to lead a staff. I also helped organize events the music department put together, from our annual Rap Battle to Festival 88, our annual show in the spring we put on. 

Now, as a junior, I am program director, where I oversee the three main content based departments (news, music, sports) on the FM-Broadcast, while also sculpting a schedule strategically around the best talent and ideas we have at the station. I created the first structured schedule since my time at KCOU, setting up specific time slots for specific types of shows (morning shows, new music rotation shows, drive time sports and news shows, specialty talk shows, and late night programming) and allowing for new staff to have a clearer understanding of what makes for good programming on the radio. I put in place systems for training new staff members in how to broadcast, matching them up with "shadow shifts" where they shadow an experienced DJ's show for a semester, learning the ropes while connecting with someone on the staff. Since adding structure, the music staff as grown exponentially - currently, the staff boasts 53 members. This has lead to better programming, more content we are able to put out, and more engagement than we've ever had in my time at KCOU.

With news, I've focused on teaching all the new staff members how to efficiently work on podcasts, training the staff in how to best utilize various DAW softwares, use field recorders, assemble audio into a cohesive story, etc. Since then, the Mizzou View has served as a home for the packages our staff is putting together. On top of that, I've worked on revamping the news departments' daily show, The Pulse, which focuses on different types of news throughout the week and gives staff members the opportunity to build experience broadcasting. 

One of the first things I was tasked with as program director was creating a space for sports broadcasts that wouldn't clash with programming throughout the week, without cutting back on the coverage sports was doing. In the end, sports programming was moved to the online stream, with special events and games being broadcasted on the FM stream and all of Saturday being dedicated to sports radio. 

Currently, I've been preparing coverage from the station for True/False Film Festival. Currently, the music staff is planning on covering the many bands performing while also live broadcasting from various areas downtown, engaging with listeners around the festival. The news staff is planning a podcast, highlighting and creating audio packages of the best events from each day of the festival and compiling them into one episode at the end of the festival. I also landed KCOU the opportunity to help produce Toasted, an event that happens at the end of the festival where directors are interviewed about their films.

Here is some content I'm proud of: