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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 1981)
Page 8 THE BATTALION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1981 Local / State Overnight reprogramming caused by ‘scatological’ lyrics Rock n roll format changes at Baylor’s FM station By GWEN HAM Battalion Reporter A recent move to ban rock ‘n’ roll music from Baylor Universi ty’s radio station has rocked the boat, and some station employees have charged a university admis- trator with making the waves. When KWBU-FM changed its format overnight, Dr. Herbert H. Reynolds, executive vice presi dent of Baylor and soon-to-be president, issued a statement saying he wanted to “avoid broad casting songs that contained sex ually explicit language and other offnsive language in the lyrics.” The station now is playing artists like James Taylor and Fleetwood Mac, whereas pre viously it had been playing about 12 hours of rock ‘n’ roll a day, six days a week — “a pretty big change,” Ben Meek, classical music director, said. But even though it was Reynolds who issued the state ment, Sharon Evans, general manager of the radio station said the administrator had nothing to do with the decision of format change. “There was not any one reason (for changing the format) — it was mainly because the semester had just begun and the format change would better suit the needs of the Waco community,” she said. “Herbert Reynolds never told me anything. He never told me to change anything — never told me to review the situation.” r « mm -1 1 M&Zxi ~ j ' *1 A ^ j ISSSlf However, in his statement Reynolds said he made the deci sion and it was because of offensive and suggestive lyrics: “For the past couple of years, I have been contacted from time to time about scatalogical (vulgar and offensive) records being played by station KWBU. “Most recently some com plaints, one in particular, revealed that explicit sexual and other offensive language was being broadcast on scatalogical records chosen for airing via KWBU,” Reynolds said. Yet, Evans said KWBU em ployees have received only four complaints about the hard rock in the last three years — two from the same person. The Baylor administrator said on Jan. 26 he requested that Dr. John Belew, vice president for academic affairs, relay his con cerns about the matter to the com munication department and the radio-TV staff. In his statement following the discussion with Belew, he said Baylor “will now and always strive to take the high road in regard to human language and conduct with the belief that the human spirit is elevated where there are good thoughts and civil language.” Those persons who wish to lis ten to “more obscene and vulgar language” could do so at home, he said. This was a general policy state ment, Reynolds said, and did not pertain to the day-by-day prog ramming and the specific choice of records. Todd Jenkins, late-night disc jockey, said it seems everyone is claiming responsibility, but actually everyone is passing the buck. “What happened,” Jenkins said, “was Herb Reynolds, who’ll be president in June and take over the radio license, said he didn’t want to hear sexual innuendos; he told Dr. Belew, who told Dr. Polk, head of oral communica tions, who told Dr. Gregory Por ter, head of the radio-TV-film de partment of oral communications, who told Sharon Evans.” Meek also said disc jockeys found out about the format change through the grapevine. “At first everybody was pretty mad. I was a little upset because of the way the disc jockeys found out,” said Meek. “Then we had a staff-faculty meeting and every body got everything off their chest. Reynolds took the blame and said it was his decision. The problem was more a breakdown in communication. ” “We were worried that a lot of our disc jockeys were going to walk off the job. There are still some who feel disgruntled,” Richard White, student music director said. In fact, the music director quit because he was so upset, Jenkins said. Evans said nobody quit be cause of the new order, however. “I can say everyone at the sta tion understood why we did it (for mat change) and the responsibility we have to Baylor University,” she said. Jenkins objected to the fact that students had no say whatsoever in the matter and were given only a few hours warning that the change was to take place. “We were told we could argue until we were blue in the face and it wouldn’t matter,” he said.” “That afternoon the music director and staff members had to go buy new records to fit the for mat for that night. We tried to handle the change as a smooth and professional transition,” Meek said. How does one draw the line between what’s hard and what’s soft rock? “It’s an arbitrary decision as to who decides,” Evans said. “We have a music director and two music assistants and they go through the music and listen and read the lyrics and try to get away from scatalogical lyrics.” Evans said the radio station at the university is primarily a b ing tool and one of its purposgj to teach people to be discjocbi “What difference does it b what kind of records you pbf she said. “It all spins thesamt This was justoneofmanystepst; better program ... a simplefon:; change.” The rock ‘n’ roll orderhasfe compared to the Playboy m® zine incident last year at Bar but the two are totally diffett: arguments, Jenkins said. At that time students worfei on the Baylor Lariat, the univeit ty newspaper, clashed with a&. nistrators over an editorial cat magazine’s search for modelsfo Southwest Conference schools. “The Playboy incident ras argument about First AmeaJ ment rights. Students arguedlk the newspaper wasn’t beir like in the ‘real world.’ KWBU is a real radio stationti;| whoever owns it can play whats er they want, just like the 'rai world.’ WITH US Records available but subject to exceptions YESTERDAYS By BETH GIBSON Battalion Reporter Varying guidelines determine a Texas A&M University student’s “A floe entertainment establishment” BILLIARDS—BACKGAMMON—DARTS Next to Liuby’s HOUSE DRESS CODE AUTO TUNE “The Inflation Fighters” (Formerly Bill's & Jay’s Auto Tune) "Quality Service.. Personal Attention” tmnmmn TUNE-UPS & OIL CHANGES... by Appointment Only 846-9086 3611 S. COLLEGE AV. — BRYAN rights to see his educational re cords. The Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, the Buckley Amendment, which University policy is based on, outlines which records are available to students and which ones are not. The Buckley Amendment is in compliance with the Texas Open Records Act, which outlines re cords that are available to the gen eral public. There are exceptions to all of these rules. A student generally has the right to review his records. Appendix VII of the Texas A&M University Regulations says. This appendix, based on the Buckley Amendment, prohibits state-funded colleges from de nying a student access to his files. But, exceptions to these rules seem to crop up often. For example, a Texas A&M stu dent applied for one of 16 positions as Fish Camp chairman. He was 20% OFF Layaway Acceptable ALL DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT & WEDDING SETS 25°/c 0 OFF ALL SEIKO WATCHES 17 Jewel — Gents and Ladles Sale Mon., Feb. 16 thru Sat., Feb. 21 Both Stores Douglas Jewelry 1623 Texas Ave. 212 N. Main Culpepper Plaza 693-0677 10-6 Daily til 8 thur. 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MECHANICAL Education/experience in vibration analysis, materials development, servo mechanisms, thermo analysis, package design, tool a fixture design. BS. MS. PhD-ME. STC offers an excellent compensation package including health and insurance benefits, stock purchase plan and more. For an interview appointment please sign up at the Career Placement office. If you are unable to meet with us at this.fime. please send your detailed resume in complete confidence to STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORA TION. Attn: College Relations, MD-31.2270 South 88th St.. Louisville. CO 80027. We are an equal opportunity employer m/f. STORAGE TECHNOLOGY conpoetATioisi Fuitiibnq ihe promise ol technology eventually screened out and turned down. His requests to re view recommendations based on his previous Fish Camp work, which were used in the screening process, were denied. The Student Y Association, which sponsors Fish Camp, asked for a legal decision on the matter. The provisions of the two acts were on the student’s side for a while. The Buckley Amendment gives him the general right to see his records. Also, the Open Records Act says information in personnel files of an individual employee within a governmental body is to be made available to that employee. University staff attorney Gene vieve Graffeo said the Student Y Association is subject to the act. It defines a “governmental body,” in part, as an organization funded in part or whole by public funds or which spends public funds. “The Student Y uses MSC Bookstore funds, which we inter pret as being public funds, ” Graf feo said. But, the exceptions got the stu dent in the end. Graffeo, who works in the office of the vice chancellor for legal affairs, pointed out that the Buck- ley Amendment says confidential statements of recommendation are not to be made available to students. "MY BRILLIANT CAREER" I WED. 7:30 P.M. 1 1 The second before she screams will be the most frightening moment of your life. Cinema 77/Film Group © 1980 Warwick Associates I FRI. & SAT. 7:30 & 9:45 P.M. V'MSC AGGIE CINEMA Dressed TO KILL A FKfflUMTZ. Picture 1 | A READ THE BANTAM BOOK ! JR. 20th Century Fox presents An Ingo Preminger Production Color by DE LUXE * PANAVISION* I FRI. & SAT. MIDNIGHT 1 SUN. 7:30 P.M. 1 1 ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE $1.25 with I.D. ^/liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinitiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiitiauiiiimiiiMtVv^" She also said the Fish Camp applicant could not claim to be an employee and have access under the Open Records Act because he had not yet been hired for the position. Graffeo said another exception to the Open Records Act concerns intra-agency letters or memoran dums, as was the case of the Fish Camp letter. These intra-agency letters are not available to anyone other than the authors and receiv ers of the letters and their legal counsel. “This is to protect administra tors and to allow for them to be honest,” Graffeo said. “Other wise, there could be no free flow of information.” Graffeo said that in a situation like the Fish Camp episode, where it is unclear whether it falls under an exception to the acts or not, a request may be made for a decision to the registrar. “The registrar would send the request to us since we are the legal counsel for the University,” she said. “We would send the request to Attorney General Mark White in Austin and ask for an open records decision.” Graffeo said the attorneys at legal affairs usually try to look up the provisions of the laws and make the clear-cut decisions themselves. “The acts are intended to be liberally construed,” she said. In fact, the Open Records Act says that it shall be construed “in favor of granting any request for information.” Graffeo said: “However, the law is still pretty clear on who can see what and who can’t.” MANOR EAST MALL 3 MANOR EAST MALL 823-8300 AND ARE PROUD TO . ANNOUNCE THE KTAM FAMILY NIGHT AT MANOR EAST III ON TUESDAY NIGHT EACH WEEK. Adults Only $2.50 Children 14 & UNDER FREE WITH PARENT M A NO R~ EAST 3 Manor East Mall 823-8300 ZlP-A-DEE-DOO-OAHl - jTU Wnl< IHwdov'n Sang&: (Be* TK, " > PETER USTINOV AND ANGIE DICKENSON IN “Charlie Chan and the 7 . 2 s Curse of the Dragon Queen” 9:45 | Friday & Saturday Midnight Movie “THE BIG RED ONE” Texas A&M is required l Buckley Amendment to adopt! policy on the handling of student records and to make it available!! students. Associate Registrar Donii Carter said the Office of the Re? istrar sends the policy to The Bat talion to be published at the begin ning of the fall semester each yen But, he said, a revision oftb policy published last fall waste cently sent to all University de partments. The revised pohcywl be available to students at ill Office of the Registrar in Healot Hall. The records policy says Tea A&M will maintain the privacyc( student educational records it compliance with the Buckley Amendment. It also says Texas A&Mhasi policy of encouraging students ti inspect and review their owned» cational records whenever tbey feel such an inspection is needed The policy outlines the recordi which are available for review)! well as those which are not. The policy also outlines infoi mation about students which tli Buckley Amendment allows tie University to publish as “directcn information” without a student! consent. This information includes ! student’s name, local address home address including country telephone numbers, date ati place of birth, nationality, race sex, age, major field of study, clan schedule and participation in ol cially recognized activities and sports.” Also, a student’s “weight and height if a member of athleft teams, dates of attendance, ds- grees, honors and awards re ceived, previous educational insS tutions attended by the student photograph, class standing and name and address of parents* guardians.” The University allows student 1 to restrict the release of the diree tory information. Joe; stra F Woi Red ing afte spo Moi Inc. / con Sati Veg wor spoi mei wh: scri ove pet; on t nee two intc of.” gan shif may star clee 5 b A line gy i limi limi Gul /^You’re in luck. It’s only a BUCJ We’re Figtitin Inflation Real Bargain ALL SEATS TODAY Only $1QS © CINEMA l&ll SKAGGS CENTER/NEXT TO A4 M/846-6714 EVERY TUESDAY AT THE PUTT CINEMA IS $1.00 FOR ALL SEATS. 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