KUVO Journals
KUVO radio is an audio medium, but the written word has always been important to the station. After all, writing preceded the invention of radio, and in KUVO’s case, writing preceded its ability to broadcast.
Before hitting the airwaves in 1985, KUVO relied exclusively on the written word to communicate, to reach out, to let people know it existed, first as a prediction, and finally as a radio station. Initially KUVO utilized flyers, press releases, letters – remember those? – posters, and notes to communicate with would-be listeners and supporters.
As a community-based, grassroots organization, it was important to connect with people to let them know about the progress towards actually getting on the air, special events and generally what was happening at KUVO.
KUVO went on the air on August 29, 1985 for 18 hours a day and quickly realized that its cache of LP’s was grossly inadequate. KUVO staff and volunteers had never had access to media so they relied on the written word via flyers to solicit LP’s. The flyers were distributed by the tried and true methods utilized by community organizers – pinning them on bulletin boards in laundromats, restaurants, community centers, putting them under windshield wipers of cars in parking lots and handing them to people coming out of church, concerts and ballgames.
Someone suggested that the need for records be announced on KUVO’s air. What an idea! It was only then that KUVO realized that it could actually use its radio station in tandem with the written word. It was only then that KUVO came to understand that it now had “access to the media.” That is when KUVO understood the need to share that access with other organizations that had been underserved by the commercial media.
One of KUVO’s most important print products was its member newsletters – The Oasis - and another for its volunteers – the Scat Sheet. The eight-page newsletter for members began in 1984 and evolved by 1999 into a booklet titled “The Oasis Music & Information Journal.” The 24-page booklet had program schedules, photos of the staff, on-air hosts, volunteers as well as fun reports about events, and even gossip about everyone involved with KUVO.
Producing the Oasis Music & Information Journal was very labor intensive, the financial cost of printing thousands of them was burdensome but the most daunting task was preparing it to get distributed via mail. Yes, there was a time when the U.S. Post Office was an important partner to KUVO.
But that partner had rules that made the relationship very difficult. We utilized bulk mail rates to save money but it required that we sort everything by zip code, bundle them in certain quantities held together with rubber bands in a particular direction and placed in prescribed bags. We made many trips to the bulk mail center because certain “corrections” needed to be made.
In 2002 KUVO came to the decision that an electronic newsletter could be produced and delivered more efficiently, both financially and in employee/volunteer hours. Now invested completely, like the rest of the world, in the electronic era, KUVO can utilize terrestrial radio as well as streaming, YouTube, and all manner of social media to reach out and touch its audiences, members and the general public.
Stay connected to KUVO’s programs and our community! Sign up for the Oasis E-News today!
