Interview with James "Jim" Arnold Owens III, October 9, 2008

Partial Transcript: So, um, I'm Mick Jeffries and, um, I am leading this oral history project about the beginnings of WRFL FM, the, um, University of Kentucky radio station.

Segment Synopsis: In this opening segment, Owens talks about how he first became acquainted with the radio station. He came down with a friend to help paint the shelves of the station when the station was being built in the Student Center. He talks about the people he met, his high school interests in deejaying, and his interest in the equipment at the station.

Keywords: Building; DJs; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Doug Collins; High schools; Involvement; Jim Owens; Jim Shambhu; Painted; People; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Shelving; WRFL

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: It's, it's interesting, twenty years is such a long time.

Segment Synopsis: Owens talks about the RFL group before the station aired and what his job was before being a disc jockey. He did not have a clear perception of what the radio station would become but only of what RFL was at that time. He talks about the different types of people at RFL and how they influenced his conception of what the station would be like.

Keywords: Airing; Alternate; Involved; People; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Reviewing; WRFL

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Jazz; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: What else do you recall about Miller Hall?

Segment Synopsis: RFL originally started in Miller Hall. Owens talks about what it was like in Miller Hall and why the station would not have been able to work in Miller Hall. He also talks about picking up records from the post office that label companies would to send to RFL.

Keywords: Kakie Urch; Kathleen "Kakie" Urch; Mail; Mail bins; Miller Hall; Post offices; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Records; Rhea Perkins; Services; Spaces; WRFL

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Musicians; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; United States Postal Service; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Um, so let's see, um.

Segment Synopsis: Owens talks about the diversity of music interests at RFL and how that was one of the things that attracted him to the group. He talks about his previous exposure to alternative music and how RFL exposed him to even more music.

Keywords: 120 minutes (Television Show); Alternative; Alternative music; Played; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Variety; WRFL

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Musicians; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; Television; Television programs; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: So as you, um--how would you characterize your, uh--it, it's interesting 'cause you came to UK and to WRFL at practically the same time.

Segment Synopsis: Owens talks about the influence of RFL in the context of attending the University of Kentucky. Owens was exposed to RFL at about the same time as when he started going to UK. He talks about how RFL helped the UK campus seem smaller. He also talks about his academic interests at UK and what he ended up studying.

Keywords: College life; Experiences; Hands-on; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Social; University; WRFL

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Engineering; Engineering--Study and teaching; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Musicians; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Did, uh, let's see--do you remember, um--well just as long as we're on that topic I'll just go ahead and throw it out there.

Segment Synopsis: Owens talks about the lessons that he has learned by being a part of WRFL and how WRFL has influenced his life. He claims that WRFL did not help him develop any professional skills but it did help him develop more as an amateur disc jockey. He talks about how Jack Kirk, the production director at the station, was able to teach Owens how to be a disc jockey and the importance of that aspect of his life.

Keywords: Accents; DJs; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Employment; Influences; Jack Kirk; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Shows; Skills; WRFL

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: And I'll just tell that little story if you want to hear it since we're in the ramble fest.

Segment Synopsis: Owens talks about being a disc jockey at WRFL. He would typically do the overnight shift from two am to six am and play dance music. He talks about what that was like, the difficulties he would have working that shift, and why he ended up working that shift.

Keywords: Beat bash; Block shows; Brian Parker; DJs; Dance; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Left; Mixed music; Overnights; Playbox; Records; Shifts; Shows; Teachers; Two to six

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Musicians; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: And I think--I want to make a point here because, um, it's, it's easy to be confused when you're talking about, um--talking to you in particular, about deejaying.

Segment Synopsis: Owens talks about the differences between different types of deejays. Being a disc jockey at a club and doing turntable deejaying are different from being a disc jockey at a radio station. Owens explains the differences among those mediums and what you can do with each of them.

Keywords: Beatbash; Beats; Clubs; Compact discs (CDs); DJs; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Listens; Mixes; Records; Skills; Turntables

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Musicians; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: And just for the record, uh, y, you're still DJ Cosmic, is that right?

Segment Synopsis: Owens tells the story of how he got his disc jockey name, DJ Cosmic. The same friend who introduced him to WRFL also introduced him to deejaying. Owens talks about how his friend described one of his mix tapes as "cosmic" and that's how he came up with the name "DJ Cosmic."

Keywords: 1988; DJs; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Eighty-eight; Involved; Mixing; Raves

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Oh, I get stumped every now and then.

Segment Synopsis: Owens and Jeffries talk about the social groups they were associated with during their young adult lives. Both of them would hang out with different groups of people in high school and college and hence would never be devoted to one type of group. They discuss this in the context of WRFL and talk about what made the RFL group attractive as a social group.

Keywords: "Freaks"; Crowds; Friends; Fringes; Groups; Hang out; High schools; Parameters; People; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Tendencies; WRFL; Yes

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Well and you know an interesting aspect to it and I--is that as the station was developing in the Student Center, that kind of became a hang out spot for everybody who was in that group.

Segment Synopsis: Owens talks about hanging out at the station and writing record reviews. In order to be able to play on the air, all of the disc jockeys had to write record reviews. Owens recollects typewriting reviews, listening to different artists, and being excited to write reviews for certain records.

Keywords: Bill Widener; Handwriting; Record reviews; Records; Reviews; Spots; Types; Typing; Writing

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Musicians; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Do you have any, um--just before--we're, we're running out of time here.

Segment Synopsis: Owens talks about the staff at WRFL, specifically the leaders at the station and the way the staff operated. He talks about the meetings at WRFL and one of his most vivid recollections of those meetings. He also talks about the couples at WRFL and about how many of the staff members were part of a couple.

Keywords: "Seaweed story"; Couples; Jobs; Kakie Urch; Kathleen "Kakie" Urch; Leadership; Mark Beaty; Meetings; People; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Relationships; Seaweed; WRFL

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Just in summing up, I guess, uh, um, is there anything that you would like to share?

Segment Synopsis: In this closing segment, Owens talks about the personal impact WRFL has had on him. Even though he did not learn anything from WRFL that directly translated into his career, it helped him develop his hobby better. Finally, Owens talks about the impact that WRFL has had on the community and his surprise at the success that WRFL has had in the community.

Keywords: Aspects; DJs; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Hobbies; Impacts; Influences; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Surprising; Values; WRFL

Subjects: College students; College students--Kentucky--Lexington--Societies, etc.--History.; College students--Social life and customs; Lexington (Ky.).; Music; Musicians; Radio; Radio broadcasters--Interviews; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Radio--History.; University of Kentucky