Profile: KHDX, Hendrix's Ten-Watt Tower of Power
Candace Cauley
Issue date: 11/9/01 Section: Campus Life
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Profile: Why did you decide to work with KHDX? What did you think that you had to offer that would improve the way in which the station was run?
I wanted to expand my role to a position with more responsibility. And I wanted to know how the station was run not just superficial work. I'd been a DJ already for two years at that time.
Profile: So you've been working with KHDX for how long?
Well, actually for four years. The first two years I was a DJ. During my sophomore year I was on staff. I basically helped out in the office, that sort of thing. I would help with keeping it organized. Sophomore year I decided to apply for the position of music director. My friend Jason was the station manager at that time. So, I kind of knew how the station was being run already. And so junior year I was the music Director. Things didn't go very well that year. We had problems with broadcasting. We weren't able to broadcast. We tried everything: looking over our shoddy equipment, contacting the FCC (Federal Communications Commission).
Profile: So, did you find out what the problem was?
Yeah, this year things have been going well, we figured out what the problem was. Someone had punched a button that we weren't exactly aware of. And not being experts in the field of radio with that kind of equipment sort of made solving the problem like finding a needle in a haystack. I mean it sounds elementary—it was just punching a button—but that's just what happens when you're unfamiliar with equipment.
Profile: How can students get involved with KHDX?
Anyone can be a DJ. It doesn't take any experience. We have a couple of people working for us in different capacities. Collins Kilgore arranges bands to come that we usually end up sponsoring or co-sponsoring with another organization. Pierre Pinkerton became very involved last year. He came in and did a lot of hours trying to get more people to listen to his show. This year Pierre has worked hard putting the schedules together. My job is to organize and catalog the CD's I get the music to the DJs in an organized fashion. Preston handles a lot of the business responsibilities. He talks to the different music companies and he coordinates the events we do. He is a liaison between the media committee and Senate.
Profile: What kind of events do you sponsor?
We always sponsor events that have something to do with music, usually bands. I'd like for THE DAY to come again. A little diversity would be nice. But, we have limited funds and there aren't many good bands in other genres like R&B/Soul, Latin, Pop, etc. that are inexpensive. So it's hard to sponsor those kinds of events.
Profile: Do you think that the station is running efficiently now?
Yeah, I do. We're doing the best we can with the few resources that we have. The quality of the signal has improved. The station looks better. It would be nice for more people to have shows. But sometimes people don't sign-up for shows fall term because of the time commitment; they aren't sure how their load is going to be yet.
Profile: You're a senior, how would you like KHDX to be functioning when you leave? What are some things that you would like to see happen in the future with the studio?
I know that they are planning on building more office space. I'd like to see the station in a more centralized place… with walls through which people can see the DJs at work. More office space… more closet space more funding for the station. We'll need a new transmitter pretty soon. More wattage would be nice too; I mean come on 10 watts. But I doubt that will change. I'm sure the administration doesn't want the Conway community to know what Hendrix students think.