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| Contact Us |
KCUR 89.3 FM 4825 Troost, Suite 202 Kansas City, MO 64110 phone: 816-235-1551 fax: 816-235-2864 email: kcur@umkc.edu
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| About KCUR |
KCUR-FM, Kansas City
Frequently Asked Questions
FREQUENCY: 89.3 FM
COVERAGE MAP
AFFILIATIONS: National Public Radio, Public Radio International, Corporation For Public Broadcasting, American Public Media, Public Radio in Mid-America, Public Interactive
LICENSEE: KCUR-FM is licensed to the Curators of the University of Missouri.
FORMAT: KCUR-FM is a high quality, news, information and entertainment service in a non-commercial environment. KCUR-FM is "Your Station For NPR News" and is a source for diverse local programming.
MISSION STATEMENT: It is the responsibility
of KCUR-FM to provide an audience of significant size with a program service
which informs, entertains and enriches the community.
FACTS: KCUR signed on the air October 21, 1957. KCUR broadcasts 24 hours per day; 20 hours of news each weekday; 100,000 watts; Stereo
 Watch a multimedia slideshow of KCUR's first 50 Years!
MAILING ADDRESS:
KCUR-FM 4825 Troost Avenue, Suite 202 Kansas City, MO 64110 Phone: (816) 235-1551 Fax: (816) 235-2864 E-mail: kcur@umkc.edu Web: www.kcur.org
How to order a CD copy of a KCUR program: Call the KCUR Business Office at 816.235.1551 during business hours. There is a $10.00 fee.
SERVICE AREA: KCUR broadcasts with a power of 100,000 watts which covers a 90 mile radius in Northwestern Missouri and Northeastern Kansas. Over 150,000 people listen to KCUR each month. The median age of KCUR listeners is 39.6 years. Approximately 55% of the audience is in Missouri; 45% in Kansas.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The Constitution of Missouri established a nine-member Board of Curators responsible for governing the University of Missouri. Since KCUR
is licensed to the Curators of the University of Missouri, the Curators
also are the official Board of Directors for the station. The secretary
to the Board of Curators is Kathleen Miller, 316 Univ. Hall, University
of Missouri, Columbia, MO. Her telephone is (573) 882-2388.
STAFFING: KCUR has 21 full-time broadcast professionals and 17 part-time employees. In addition, a true strength of the KCUR organization is in the quantity and quality of its 200 volunteers. Volunteers are welcome to participate in station activities like: answering telephones during membership drives, assisting at the KCUR table during special events; ushering at our venues, etc. Volunteers with areas of expertise that could benefit KCUR, are most welcome to assist the station in marketing, computers, graphics, legal matters, etc. Volunteers are appreciated and valued assets of the station.
Staff Directory
FUTURE PLANS: KCUR provides a 24 hour a day, non-commercial, broadcast service. For the future, that primary service will continue with a few exceptions: the programming will change when necessary; a concerted effort will be made to enhance the local news and information service; the aging equipment at KCUR will be replaced; and new technologies will be explored to see if the KCUR service can be made more accessible and valuable.
In anticipation of reduced federal funding, KCUR will seek out alternative funding mechanisms and will fine tune existing efforts to make them more effective.
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| KCUR History |
In the spring of 1956, CJ Stevens, then Director of Radio and TV at the University of Kansas City, submitted a budget request for the establishment and operation of an educational FM broadcast station. This request was turned down.
Stevens and Sam Scott then decided to raise money outside the university and, with the approval of then President McGrath, a modest fundraising campaign was undertaken and a separate FM fund was established. According to a letter written by CJ Stevens to Jack Morgan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Kansas City, "KCUR-FM was in its conception and continues to be a community station..."
KCUR began broadcasting October 21, 1957 from the third floor of Scofield Hall with a signal range of 4 miles, 2 full-time employees and a budget of $15,000 from the University. It was the first university licensed educational FM station in Missouri and the second FM in Kansas City.
In 1961, the University of Kansas City Board of Trustees decided to drop operation of KCUR from the 1962 budget along with the elimination of the intercollegiate athletic program. This was a time of financial problems for the University of Kansas City, leading to its inclusion in the University of Missouri system a few years later. An Editorial in the Kansas City Times suggested several reasons why the university should reconsider its decision including, "In the community, (KCUR) it is a source of education, culture and pleasure."
The decision to eliminate funding for KCUR was reversed at the next meeting.
In 1963, KCUR's license was transferred to the Curators of the University of Missouri. Two years later, the station moved to 524 Pierce Street. The Board of Curators approved purchase of $24,000 worth of transmitter equipment allowing KCUR to broadcast with 40,000 watts of power in a 60 mile radius of Kansas City.
In 1970, KCUR was awarded a grant of $7,500 from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for Community Service. National Public Radio broadcasts began the next year with KCUR as a charter member.
In 1976, KCUR moved to 5327 Holmes and the signal was expanded to 100,000 watts stereo with 10 full-time employees. Each semester, 15 UMKC students participated in the radio station.
In 1985, KCUR moved to its current location in the Student Services Building. By this time the current manager, Sam Scott, was no longer Chairman of the Speech Department and students were no longer used on the air in a training situation.
After Sam Scott retired in 1986, the station was without a General Manager for a year while Jim Costin, UMKC Associate Vice Chancellor oversaw the station. Patricia Cahill, a former KCUR reporter in the early 1970's was hired in 1987 as General Manager. She had formerly managed the public radio station at Wichita State University.
Over the next few years, the public radio programming was streamlined and most of the volunteers were either eliminated from on-air responsibilities or became employees of KCUR. The station began broadcasting 24 hours a day with the British Broadcasting Corporation satellite delivered to the station and automated for live broadcast overnight. In 1992, national and local news programming was added to the broadcast schedule, eliminating classical music during the day. These changes along with more sophisticated fundraising success enabled the station to increase its listening audience and local news staff.
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| Voices on the Air |
View photos and learn about KCUR on air hosts and reporters here.
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| Community Advisory Board |
The Community Advisory Board provides the radio station with information on what the community is thinking regarding significant issues, problems, and needs; it also acts as a sounding board for station ideas, promotion, programming and development plans.
Current Members
Angela
Bennett Scott
Burnett Marilyn
Carbonell John
Dods David
Dowell Mark Eagleton Linda
Edwards Duana
Dralus Jane
Gard Dale
Jarka, Chair Jane Justus Kris
Ketz Fred
Mitchell Regina
Nouhan Steve
Paul Adriana
Pecina Steve
Roling, Vice Chair Phyllis Stevens David Warm William
Whitener
The KCUR CAB meets four times a year on the second Wednesday of Sept., Dec., Mar., and June, 8 a.m., at the radio station. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
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| Employment Opportunities |
For information on current openings at KCUR, visit our jobs page.
KCUR-FM is looking for organizations that regularly distribute information about employment opportunities to job applicants or have job applicants to refer. If your organization would like to be notified of full-time job vacancies, please contact Trudy Barker at barkert@umkc.edu, or call 816-235-1551.
KCUR-FM/The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
UMKC EEO Policy
View our EEO Reports
KCUR Internships
Internships at KCUR are available as non-paid positions in the areas of Programming, News, and Development. These positions are filled as the demand requires and there is no guarantee that you will be accepted as an intern. KCUR interns need computer skills, must be somewhat familiar with public radio, need good phone manners and solid writing skills.
Please print this page, complete it and return it by email or by mail to KCUR, 4825 Troost, Suite 202, Kansas City, Missouri 64110. |
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