Tuned to creativity
By Iris Serrano
As volunteers for the Boulder-based KGNU community radio station, Juanita Hurtado and Jack Armstrong were trained to be compliant with federal broadcasting regulations.
What they did not learn was how to run a station with total creative freedom.
It’s certainly a lesson they’ve learned since taking leadership roles at Radio 1190. In the past year, the station—formally known as KVCU 1190 AM—captured numerous awards for radio features, reporting and podcasting while growing the news team from a handful of volunteers to more than 30 regular participants.
A big part of the increase in student involvement came from Armstong’s experience as a senior strategic communication major in the public relations track.
“The biggest strategy for me has been learning about promotions and what makes them effective, so I went to classes and pitched Radio 1190,” Armstrong, the station’s news director, said.
Radio 1190 now offers news broadcasts each weekday during the academic year, along with daily student-curated music programming. The station also has expanded to include a featuring news, blogs and podcasts showcasing student-created visuals and music.
The station’s growth isn’t just in its numbers or programming. Iris Berkeley (Jour’01), whose career in media and communication has included radio production, hosting and DJing, was involved with 1190 as a student. Today, she is back as its operations manager and is impressed by the station’s commitment to diversity.