Interview with Donna Jo Thorndale, February 26, 2009

Partial Transcript: This is, um, a phase two interview, uh, for the WRFL oral history project.

Segment Synopsis: In this opening segment, Jeffries and Thorndale discuss the roles that they both held during their college careers at WRFL. Both of them worked in different managerial roles as well as general assistant roles. They spend the first two minutes figuring out who worked in which roles and when they did so.

Keywords: General managers (GM); Music directors; Positions; RFL; WRFL

Subjects: Broadcasting.; 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: Um, let's see, so, uh, one of the things that's come up in the course of these interviews and, uh, that makes you, uh, uh...

Segment Synopsis: Thorndale talks about her early exposure to music and how her interests developed as she got older. She talks about the local music scene and where someone could go to find music. She also talks about the political scene at the time and how politics shaped the way that music developed.

Keywords: Bands; Dead Kennedys (Artist); Local music scenes; Places; Types

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

Partial Transcript: So theses places, um--I'm curious about, you know, like as we were talking about kind of, uh, this, this, this kind of this, this underground culture that existed in Lexington.

Segment Synopsis: Thorndale talks about the role that the local high schools played in the local music scene. There were a couple of local bands that originated in high schools. In addition to that, the high school students were particularly interested in music and would seek out music to listen to at concerts and in music shops.

Keywords: Henry Clay High School; High schools; People; Richard Hell; Scenes

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: One of the--so one of the things I, I keep wondering about and I'm trying to sort of get to is, okay Lexington, Kentucky is--it is a college town.

Segment Synopsis: Thorndale talks about the media outlets that existed in Lexington and the role they served in the community. The music stores did not just serve members of the underground music world but also served the local community. She also talks about the role that the University of Kentucky had on the underground music world.

Keywords: Cut Corner Records; Outlets; Records; Scenes

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.; Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Do you remember when you first heard about the, the radio station, this plan to do this radio station or anything?

Segment Synopsis: Thorndale talks about how she initially learned of WRFL through flyers and through Jeffries. She also talks about the vision that the members of RFL had for the station and what they had to do to prove the validity of the station to the University of Kentucky administration.

Keywords: Involvement; Mark Beaty; Mick Jeffries; Outlets; RFL; Shows; WRFL

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

Partial Transcript: And I also recall in the early days there being some suggestion that perhaps we would just broadcast on campus.

Segment Synopsis: Thorndale talks about the early idea of broadcasting the station through a carrier current to the University of Kentucky dorms. Thorndale explains that the carrier current idea was rejected due to the nature of the UK community. She explains why the carrier current would not have been able to reach all of the UK population adequately because of diverse student population.

Keywords: Carrier currents; Communities; RFL; UK; WRFL

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

Partial Transcript: We're talking about community and I'm curious about your, um, um--we've talked about--I see like two c, I see two communities.

Segment Synopsis: Thorndale talks about the local music scene and its attitude toward WRFL. The local music scene was highly supportive of WRFL and the work that they were doing. In return, the radio station played a lot of local music and helped its listeners learn more about the scene.

Keywords: Bands; Local music; Playing music; RFL; Scenes; Shows; WRFL

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

Partial Transcript: Um, okay so, let's see, I have this kind of funny general question that sort of popped into my head...

Segment Synopsis: Thorndale talks about the influence that WRFL had on her individually and on the local music fan base in Lexington. She learned what it what like to be part of a group that created something and she learned that she was able to contribute to help build something. The local fan scene got more actively involved in music as a result of WRFL and they helped spread the news about what good music was being made.

Keywords: Creating; Fan scenes; Fans; RFL; Reviews; Scenes; Serving; WRFL

Subjects: Broadcasting.; 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: I, I, I love what you just said Donna. I thought it was very poignant and, and, and and one of the things that occurred to me...

Segment Synopsis: Thorndale talks briefly about her belief in the power of music. When WRFL was being made, there were a lot of people from a lot of different backgrounds who came together for the sake of music. She talks about her philosophy about music and how that philosophy has played out in her life.

Keywords: Parents; People; RFL; Socioeconomic classes; Together; WRFL

Subjects: Broadcasting.; 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: I just want to ask you one more thing.

Segment Synopsis: Thorndale talks about the uniqueness of the music scene in Lexington. Bands would come to Lexington specifically to play in Lexington. Thorndale talks about why this may have been the case and the different music locations that used to exist in Lexington.

Keywords: Bands; Playing music; Scenes

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, I, I, I know that you've got stuff to do and so, um, I want to, uh, I want to thank you for sharing this stuff.

Segment Synopsis: In this closing section, Thorndale talks about the lasting impact that the RFL group had on her development. Different members of RFL introduced her to different types of music and shared their music and their memories with her. She claims that WRFL definitely shaped her life and helped her become the person she is today.

Keywords: Lasts; RFL; Scenes; Talks; WRFL

Subjects: Broadcasting.; 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