The STUDENT Radio Voice of Morningside College

Staff & DJ Handbook 2018-2019

Table of Contents

About ……..……..……..……..……..……..…….……….….. 3

Staff ……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…….……… 3

Programming Elements ……………..……..……..……..…. 4

Special Programming ……………..……..……..………...… 5

Other Things to Know ………….……..……..………….…. 6

Rules, Regulations, Policies, and Procedures ………..….. 7

A Little History, a Long Tradition ………..……..……...… 10

Starting Your Shift ………….……..……..……………....…. 11

2

AboutMission StatementThe mission of KMSC Fusion 93 is to be the student radio voice of Morningside College. KMSC acts as an interactive forum for the Morningside campus community while providing a real-life broadcasting experience for Morningside students. We seek to create a radio station that helps bind together the Morningside campus community through musical, informational, sports, and special programming while also creating closer ties between the Morningside and Siouxland communities.

FormatKMSC has adopted a block format. That means all DJs can play whatever music they want—subject to FCC regulations—at any time of day. During automated hours, KMSC follows a college alternative format, similar to Triple A (Adult Album Alternative).

StaffKMSC StaffEach KMSC department (music, news, sports, promotion, etc.,) is led by a student staff member. All Morningside students are eligible for staff positions. Staff members can receive credit as part of a media practicum during appropriate semesters.

DJsDJs are just as much a part of the success of KMSC as are the student staff members. Everybody appearing on KMSC is expected to take a professional approach to all on-air work.

Faculty AdvisorDave Madsen is the faculty advisor for KMSC. He represents the station’s interest to the college and vice versa. He is also responsible for KMSC compliance with FCC regulations. KMSC, first and foremost, is a student-led and student-staffed radio station. Dave is a facilitator who is available for advice and helping figure out how to make student programming ideas happen, but he is not the boss. Stop by and talk to Dave; if he’s not there, talk to Joan about an appointment.

3

Programming ElementsLinersLiners are short production spots that identify the station between songs. Liners can include music clips, sound effects, or other production elements. Do not speak before or after a liner.

SweepersSweepers are short pre-recorded announcements stating that the listener is tuned to KMSC. Sweepers are intended to be played over the end of one song and the beginning of another. They are dry voice only. Do not speak before or after a sweeper.

PSAsPublic Service Announcements are short spots on behalf of nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies. Most are prerecorded, others are voiced live. All DJs must initial all aired PSA scripts in the KMSC copy book.

NewsKMSC has an agreement with LearfieldData/WheelerNews for access to their internet-based newswire. We only have access to Iowa and National news. You are required to use at least two minutes of Learfield news at the bottom of every hour (go longer than two minutes if you want – but this is meant to be headlines – telling our audience what has happened, not why.). The URL is wheelernews.com. Password is 88wT62x3. You cannot read news from any other source word-for-word on KMSC. That would be a violation of copyright law. However, you can paraphrase info from other sources so long as you cite the source.

The KMSC ClockAll radio stations have a clock listing when certain programming elements should be aired. Here’s the KMSC clock:

A legal ID at the top of the hour (“KMSC, Sioux City”)A recorded or voiced PSA at about 5 minutesA sweeper between songs sometime in the first 15 minutesWeather at around 15 minutesA recorded or voiced Promo around 25 minutesNews update at around 30 minutesA recorded or voiced PSA at about 35 minutesWeather at around 45 minutesA liner between songs sometime in the last 15 minutesA recorded or voiced promo at around 55 minutes

Special ProgrammingKMSC Sports Programming

4

KMSC broadcasts and webcasts play-by-play coverage of all home Mustang football games, most men’s and women’s home basketball games, and selected volleyball matches, wrestling matches, softball games and maybe even some baseball games. We are open to broadcasting or webcasting play-by-play of other home Mustang sports events. KMSC also coordinates video web streaming of home football and basketball games with MCTV, Morningside College Television.

We are very interested in broadcasting other kinds of sports programming – sports talk shows, sports magazine programs, etc. The production of such programs can be done as part of a Media Practicum (Comm 264/404 or Comm 270/410).

Political Coverage and Election NightBecause of Iowa’s special place in presidential politics, KMSC is committed to covering all presidential candidate appearances in Sioux City. We also cover local and state political events as we can. Election night coverage is one of the most complex and extensive broadcasts we undertake. Students from COMM 204, COMM 395, POLS 147, POLS 359, KMSC and the Morningside Civic Union are involved. Election night remote broadcasts originate from the Woodbury County courthouse, local and state Republican and Democratic headquarters, polling places, and other locations around Sioux City and the region.

KMSC News/Talk ProgrammingWe are particularly interested in talk programming on KMSC (campus stuff, politics, current events, etc.) The production of talk programs can be done as part of a Media Practicum (Comm 264/404).

Other Special ProgrammingOn a somewhat irregular basis, KMSC broadcasts live and live-on-tape concerts, campus events, political events, and DJ remotes from around the Morningside Campus and the Siouxland area. Ideas for special programming are always welcome.

5

Other Things to KnowMusic Logs DJ music logs are required for every shift. There is an empty music log in the current semester logs folder on the control room Computer 1 desktop. Copy that into a folder you create for yourself for the day(s) you are on the air and fill it in any time you are doing an air shift listing the artist, song, album and any other pertinent details.

KMSC Copy BookThe copy book is a three-ring binder on the counter to the right of the audio board in the control room. It contains short PSA, Promo, and other scripts. Read the scripts as scheduled or just drop them in to your program. It is important to initial and date all scripts after airing them.

Requests and Listener CommentsTry to get request on the air as soon as possible. Log each request and play it if we have it, as long as it is appropriate for your show. Never promise a listener we’ll play the request unless you know for a fact we have it. Also log any listener comments you receive by phone/email/Facebook/etc. There’s a form for that too.

UnderwritingNoncommercial educational (NCE) radio stations raise money through the sale of underwriting. This is similar to advertising, but nonprofit stations are severely restricted in the language allowed in an underwriting announcement. Read underwriting announcements word-for-word. No vamping or editorial comment is allowed! It is vital that all underwriting is aired as scheduled. All DJs must initial all aired underwriting announcements in the KMSC copy book. Do not fudge if you miss a scheduled underwriting announcement. We will make it good later. You must alert Dave Madsen about all missed underwriting announcements.

DJ QuizAll KMSC staff and DJs must pass a quiz based on the Rules, Regulations, Policies, and Procedures before going on the air. Joan Mansfield will administer the quiz. A grade of 70% is required. Students may re-take the quiz.

6

Rules, Regulations, Policies, and Procedures1. Participating in KMSC is a privilege available to all Morningside students, faculty, and

staff. It is not a right. Everyone involved in KMSC must follow all posted rules and procedures as well as those listed in this handbook.

2. Theft of any KMSC property will not be tolerated. You may not take any KMSC property from the station without approval from Dave Madsen or Joan Mansfield.

3. Students wishing to use KMSC equipment outside the station must fill out an Equipment Sign-out Sheet at Joan Mansfield’s desk and coordinate with Dave Madsen or Joan Mansfield to pick up the equipment and check it back in.

4. Digital voice recorders can be checked out for a maximum of 24 hours.5. Willful destruction of or damage to KMSC equipment will result in immediate

dismissal from the station and possible college sanctions. Most KMSC equipment is high quality, professional grade, and rugged. You really have to try to break it, which is why penalties for doing so will be severe.

6. No one may be on the air in an impaired condition – drunk, high, etc. Use of any mind-altering substance in the KMSC facilities is expressly prohibited and will be subject to both KMSC and college penalties.

7. A legal ID must be aired as close to the top of every hour as possible during what the FCC calls “a natural break in programming.” A legal ID includes the call letters followed by the city of operation (“KMSC, Sioux City”). The full legal KMSC ID is “This is KMSC, Sioux City, The Student Radio Voice of Morningside College.”

8. No food or beverages are allowed in either the control room or the production room. 9. Do not write on or otherwise deface anything in the control or production rooms.10.Keep speaker volume at a reasonable level. 11.Mention our email and web addresses and live web streaming often – at least once per

hour. 12.Air shifts are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis, and if necessary, the basis of

seniority. Student staff members get first choice. Then experienced DJs. Then Audio Production students. Then new DJs.

13.Access to the production room is controlled by the sign-up board on the door. 14.No obscene, indecent, or profane language may ever be broadcast on KMSC.

a. The Supreme Court has defined obscenity in such a way that is virtually impossible to be legally obscene on the radio.

b. FCC regulations say that indecent language includes anything that “depicts or describes sexual or excretory activities or organs in terms that are patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium.” This specifically includes, but is not limited to, Shit , Fuck, Piss, Cocksucker, Cunt, Motherfucker, and Tits and their variations.

c. The FCC defines profane language as including words that “denote certain of those personally reviling epithets naturally tending to provoke violent resentment or denoting language so grossly offensive to members of the public who actually hear it as to amount to a nuisance.”

d. When in doubt be conservative about language. DJs should stay away from any swearing or use of any gross or vulgar terms on the air. There’s always a way to say it in a more delicate manner.

e. All potentially indecent language must be edited from songs. All edits must remove the entire word – not just the vowels.

f. No unedited songs with potentially indecent language can be saved on Control Room computer 1. Do your editing in the Production Room and then transfer the song to the Control Room computer.

g. No edited indecent language can appear in KMSC production.

7

h. The current fine for broadcasting obscene, indecent, or profane language is up to $325,000 per word. Both the station and the announcer are subject to the fine.

i. From time to time the F-word or the S-word will be broadcast in a song by accident. This must be reported to Dave Madsen immediately so he can be ready for complaints from the public. No penalty will result, unless this becomes a regular occurrence.

j. Broadcasting an indecent or profane word spoken by an announcer will be subject to penalties determined by Dave Madsen.

k. DJs should never curse on air or in production.l. Always assume every mic is hot (live on the air). Never say anything in either the

control room or the production room you would not say on the air. The same is true for remotes, including sports.

15.Libel – broadcasting something that is false and harms a person’s reputation—is legally actionable, which means the target of your attack could sue us and you for big bucks. Do not in any way, shape, or form attack any individual on the air.

16.Making statements that invade someone’s privacy is similarly legally actionable and can lead to substantial financial penalties.

17.Broadcasting false information or perpetrating a hoax are illegal and subject to rather severe FCC penalties.

18.Language denigrating any individual or group is unacceptable on KMSC. 19.The KMSC airwaves are open to voices representing a wide variety of political,

philosophical, religious, and cultural perspectives. No one on KMSC should feel a need to restrict his or her own on-air statements to match any station- or college-imposed point of view. There is none.

20.Any subject can be discussed on KMSC. The question is how the discussion is conducted. Remember at all times that when you are on the air you are making VERY public statements for which you and the station will be held accountable.

21.You may not accept any money, service, favor, or gift that might influence any decision regarding programming. That is called payola. It is VERY illegal and is subject to criminal prosecution.

22.You cannot play music from Spotify, Pandora, or other streamed services on KMSC. We don’t have the rights to that material.

23.You may not voice track an air shift between 9 am and 10 pm Monday – Friday without permission from the Faculty Advisor. All staff and DJs are encouraged to voice track overnight and weekend hours.

24.Mandatory DJ meetings are just that - MANDATORY. DJ meetings are held at least once a semester and are vital forums for staff to update DJs on important matters and for DJs to express their interests and concerns to staff. DJs must contact the Student Station Manager if they can’t make a meeting.

25.KMSC Staff meetings are held on a regular basis and at the Station Manager’s discretion. DJs are welcome but not required to attend.

26.If automated Zara programming (rather than another DJ) will follow your shift: DO NOT say goodbye to the audience. Just shift seamlessly from the live stuff to Zara. If another DJ will follow your shift, work with that DJ for a smooth transition from your show to his or hers.

27.Live calls (requests, dedications, etc.) may be aired – and encouraged. It is technically fairly simple (just ask how). For FCC purposes, any incident of indecent or profane language aired during such calls must be reported immediately to Dave Madsen.

28.Always monitor the KMSC air signal through the AIR circuit on the control room monitor. That is the only way you can hear what is actually happening on air, including EAS, National Weather Service warnings, and Amber Alerts.

8

29.Follow up all EAS, National Weather Service warnings, and Amber Alerts with live updates at least every 10 minutes for as long as they are in effect. There are Mozilla Firefox shortcuts for each on the Control Room computers desktops.

30.Use only weather forecasts from the National Weather Service. Weather should include the forecast for today, tonight, and tomorrow (or tonight, tomorrow and tomorrow night for evening shifts) plus current conditions.

31.Special programming (remotes, play-by-play, etc.) receives priority over regular programming. If your shift is bumped for special programming, you need not work the board during that time. Whoever is responsible for the special programming is responsible for board operations during that time.

32.All promotions and giveaways must be cleared by the faculty advisor.33.All printed matter (posters, fliers, etc.) relating to KMSC must be cleared by the faculty

advisor and the college graphic designer.34.All DJs must make at least one produced promo and write one copy-only promo each

semester. Submit these to the Promotion Director for evaluation.35.From time to time, DJs may be asked to make a skimmer tape air check for evaluation.

Be sure you know how to do this36.Remember: If we’re not having fun at KMSC we are doing something wrong.

9

A Little History; A Long TraditionBy getting involved with KMSC, you are participating in a very long Morningside College broadcasting tradition.

KMSC went on the air in April, 1978 as a “Class D” noncommercial/educational FM station operating at 88.3 megahertz with a power of 12 watts. The studios were originally located on third floor Lewis Hall, were moved to the basement of the Olsen Student Center in 1989, and were finally moved to the HJF Learning Center in the mid-1990s. The station adopted the college alternative format in 1996 after many years programming Top-40 music. Equipment and facilities have varied over the years from “bailing wire and bubble gum” to the state-of-the-art we have now.

KMSC became the radio voice of Mustang basketball in the spring of 2004 – just in time for the Women’s basketball team’s first national championship. Football broadcasts were added that fall. Softball games joined the lineup in the spring of 2008. Video streaming of home games was added in the fall of 2009. KMSC was named the best student play-by-play station by the Northwest Broadcast News Association in 2006. For the past several years KMSC coverage of football and basketball has be augmented by professional coverage on Clear Channel (now called I Heart Radio) station KMNS (620 am) under the direction of Mass Comm Adjunct Instructor Curtis Anderson.

Class D stations have few rights under FCC regulations. This became abundantly clear when KMSC was forced off the air in February 2008 after a new Class A station began broadcasting in Sioux City at 88.1 FM. KMSC returned to the air in August 2008 as Fusion 93, broadcasting on 92.9 FM. KMSC remains a 12 watt Class D station to this day.

The current KMSC is actually a revival of KFMR, a student-built 10 watt AM station that broadcast from Morningside on 1150 kHz between 1923 and 1928. That makes the original Morningside radio station one of the first college stations in the country (the very first educational stations in the nation went on the air just the year before!). Students at the time once asked that all classes be broadcast so they could “attend lectures while still in bed.” The Federal Radio Commission deleted KFMR in 1928 when Morningside decided to use a local commercial station started by a Morningside alum for its educational broadcasts.

There is also mention in the college archives of a “Marconi station” operating at Morningside in the years before World War I. This was an experimental station capable of sending and receiving Morse Code messages only.

In 2017, longtime faculty member and KMSC advisor, Dr. Mark “Doc” Heistad, passed away. He left a bequest in his estate that made recent upgrades to KMSC and MCTV possible. Dr. Heistad will always be remembered for his devotion to KMSC and his Mass Comm students.

That is a long and rich broadcasting tradition worthy of our collective best efforts!

10

Starting Your ShiftCongratulations! You’ve read up, passed the DJ test, done your training, and are ready to officially start. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Relax. You’re going to be fine. And if you do mess up? You’re a student. This is a learning experience. Keep at it!

Legal ID. This should be the first thing you say on your shift (assuming your shift begins on the hour mark). Say it on the hour, or as close as you can. “KMSC, Sioux City,” in that order, are the words that must be said. Most DJs say: “You’re listening to…” or “this is KMSC, Sioux City, the student radio voice of Morningside College.”

Music Log. Remember to keep that sucker open and put down every song you play. (And save it when you’re done.)

News. While it’s good to plan ahead on everything, it’s really important for the news. That half hour mark sneaks up quickly. As soon as you turn off your mic, open up Wheeler News and a word doc. Copy and paste those stories and edit into a concise summary. One or two sentences per story is good.

Jazzler. The home of almost all the liners, sweepers, promos, and PSAs you’ll ever use. When you click on an element to play it, only click once. If you double click it will start playing twice and make an echo effect. It’s weird. Let’s avoid it.

Weather. Say it’s from the National Weather Service. “By” implies that the NWS is underwriting what you’re about to say, which is not the case.

Cursing is a no. Period. Sorry.

Bad air is better than no air. For example, say the music software just quit on you. Turn on your mic and start talking, even if it’s some nonsense about what you ate for breakfast, and get a song playing. Once that’s on, turn off your mic, take a deep breath, and get the regular programming on again.

If in doubt, don’t. Whether if it’s playing a song or saying a certain word on air, it’s better to avoid it. You can double-check the song when you’re not on air, and talk to any of the staff about questions you may have.

11