by Krista Pino
Daily Lobo
In six months, KUNM will undergo a renovation to turn O§ate Hall into a state-of-the-art radio station.
The renovation on the third floor of O§ate Hall has been in the planning stages for the last two years. It will provide office suites and more capacity for radio programs, news studios and a bigger news department.
"We've outgrown the structure of the dorms," said Richard Towne, KUNM general manager. "This is a former dorm room, and although I work with my assistant all the time, I have to go down the hall to talk to her."
The renovation is privately funded with half of the money coming from the McCune Charitable Foundation. The Student Fees Review Board also provided a one-time grant this spring.
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In the end, the studio will have a huge meeting room and more public space near the elevator. The renovation will also leave room to add a receptionist who will direct the hundreds of guests that come into the station every month.
"We're publicly supported, and we want to say something that says 'welcome to your radio station,'" Towne said.
KUNM is asking its listeners for financial support in the form of one-time gift donations. A detailed timeline of the renovation will be tracked in KUNM's monthly program guide.
The renovation will continue through the middle of December and include eight phases. Towne said it is a slow process because it will be done room-by-room. Each department will move to another space while suites are remodeled.
"It's almost like a game of Chinese checkers," Towne said.
All shows will continue as programmed. An agreement guarantees there will be no construction during Native America Calling, a national call-in show broadcast from the KUNM studio.
Daniel Monroe is serving as the internal coordinator during the KUNM renovation.
"I'm an architecture student," Monroe said. " I got a pretty strong interest in the job, so I got up and started doing it."
Construction begins every morning at 7 and continues until 3 p.m. Towne said noise levels are high, but not unbearable so far.
A digital signal will be added so listeners can choose between KUNM-A or KUNM-B. Towne said having two stations will provide more options for listeners and more opportunity for KUNM volunteer and student programming.
"It gives us the ability to be more flexible," Towne said.
He said there will be divided suites so news and music directors and their assistants can work in the same area.
"The news director has never had her own office," Towne said. "So now her office will be inside the newsroom. And the news booth is bigger so you can have one-on-one interviews."
The renovation will also provide a production department suite, a machine room, a telecommunication closet, a new studio and a room with wheelchair access.
"All systems are in one room," Towne said. "It makes more sense. It provides more traditional broadcasting where everyone can see each other and talk to each other. That's how it should be."
