Dead Air: Understanding the Student and Administrative Perceptions of the Value and Impact of University Owned FM Broadcast Licenses

University owned FM radio stations, once a cornerstone of many prestigious American colleges and other non-for-profit educational institutions, are currently being sold to non-educational entities and religious broadcasting organizations at an increasing rate every year. While the factors that trigger the sale of a university owned terrestrial broadcast license are diverse and often motived by short term financial goals, there is almost no research on the impact that the sale or loss of the license has on the reputation of the university, enrollment and retention rates of students participating in the college radio program, impacts on potential fundraising losses from station alumni and damage to the prestige of the associated school of communication, where applicable (Merrill, 2008). While the general consensus among university administration considers a college radio station move to an internet-only streaming channel to be lateral in terms of organizational scope and reach, limited information on the after-effects of university station license sales could potentially cause educational governing bodies to be unaware of the importance, impact and value of maintaining ownership and operation of their heritage FM license (Raymond, 2013). The purpose of this dissertation was to measure and evaluate stakeholder perceptions of FM broadcasting at three active, student-run college and university owned FM radio stations. The student participants in this study included undergraduates enrolled at the universities that owned the radio stations and participated in the student-run FM college radio programs. The researcher also interviewed administrators and faculty at each station to gain their perspective of the educational and institutional value of the license and associated radio program. This study examined whether the student participants perceived that the presence of the FM radio station had a positive impact on their decision to attend the institution, as well as measured the perceived influence that the presence of the FM license had on their pre-professional development within the framework of the station enterprise and their social experience at the station. This study also analyzed the way students interpreted the presence and transmission effects of the terrestrial FM license and whether the student's ability to broadcast on "traditional" OTA (over the air) radio made a difference to their overall university experience. The results of this study were intended to assess the value that the university FM broadcast license provided to the students enrolled in the station and the level of impact the presence and operation of license had on student recruitment and retention within the institution, as well as the reputation of the institution's school or program of communication. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]