Interview with Kathleen "Kakie" Ruth Urch, June 10, 2009

Partial Transcript: This is a continuation of an oral history project on the, um, early history of WRFL FM, the University of Kentucky student radio station.

Segment Synopsis: In this opening section, Urch talks about what brought her to the University of Kentucky. Her family originally lived in Connecticut. After her father passed away, her mother moved down to Kentucky and offered to pay for Urch's tuition.

Keywords: Moms; Mothers; Moved; Worked

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

Partial Transcript: And then returned to campus and it was in that year that I took up writing for the Kernel.

Segment Synopsis: Urch talks about writing for the Kentucky Kernel and some of the topics she covered. She enjoyed writing music reviews and a lot of her work was about that. One article focused on Martha Layne Collins wanting to install a tanning bed in the office.

Keywords: Kentucky Kernel (newspaper); Newspaper columns; Topics; Writing

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

Partial Transcript: I was gonna, uh, sorta side step a little bit and ask you about your interest in, um, quote unquote "alternative music" and sort of where, where do y--where--do you have a recollection of sort of how that began?

Segment Synopsis: Urch talks about her introduction to alternative music. From off topic radio deejays to Kinkos to records shops, Urch got a lot of exposure to the alternative music industry despite the fact that there was no alternative radio station in Lexington.

Keywords: Cut Corner Records; Fired; Kinkos; Records

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: What was it like, um--what was your--how did you feel about Lexington when, when you came here, uh, from where you came from?

Segment Synopsis: Urch talks about her first impressions of Kentucky and how her opinion about Kentucky has changed over time. She came to Kentucky and believed the stereotypes about Kentucky. After living in Kentucky and meeting some of the people from Kentucky, she changed her mind.

Keywords: Places; Promotion; Reports

Subjects: Appalachia; 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: Okay, so let's see. Let's, let's, let's talk about UK some more.

Segment Synopsis: Urch talks about the local music scene. Not only did she hear about many of the artists who played in Lexington, but she knew a lot of the people who performed. She talks about the different bands, where they played, and what influence they had on her musical tastes.

Keywords: Cafes; Good; Kinkos; Locals; Paul Kopasz; Recorded; Shows; Works

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: So like, um, the Concert Committee is actually kind of a major topic.

Segment Synopsis: Urch talks about Concert Committee and the connections that may have existed between this organization and RFL. Both organizations held similar values and so it made sense that people who were interested in music would join both groups.

Keywords: Committees; Concerts; Openers; Playing music; RFL; Shows; Sting; 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

Partial Transcript: Um, what do you--let's see.

Segment Synopsis: Urch talks about the article she wrote in which she argued that the students needed another radio station. She talks about some of the points she used to get her point across, what she hoped to gain from the article, and who helped make the article a success.

Keywords: Coupons; Editors; Ideas; Moments; Newspaper columns; Strong

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

Partial Transcript: But I mean the first shocking conversation I had about it was I was just you know going about my business in the student center...

Segment Synopsis: Urch talks about Theo Monroe and his contribution to the radio station. She talks about his academic achievements, why he became involved with the station, and what he offered to do to help the radio station.

Keywords: Frequency; Searches

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

Partial Transcript: Who, who else was there?

Segment Synopsis: Urch talks about the earliest contributors to the radio station. Some of these included herself, members of concert committee, people who enjoyed listening to music, and people who were looking for higher academic achievements.

Keywords: Committees; Concerts; Cyndi Weaver; Theo Monroe

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: Okay, so what's--what, what, what continued to happen as this--as it was--started to happen and what continued to happen?

Segment Synopsis: Urch talks about establishing an identity for the radio station. The group initially started calling themselves Radio Free Lexington. It was not until they got the radio station that they started calling themselves WRFL.

Keywords: Free; Meetings; Names; RFL; 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; University of Kentucky. Kentucky Kernel.

Partial Transcript: So, um, the, the, the, um, the UK organization...

Segment Synopsis: Urch talks about the student leadership that existed at the time when the radio station was being developed. She talks about the leadership that existed in the RFL group and the leadership that existed in the Kentucky Kernel. Finally, she talks about how significant the Kentucky Kernel was due to its high quality.

Keywords: Kentucky Kernel (newspaper); Licenses; RFL; WRFL

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

Partial Transcript: Um, let's see, I think we're about out of time for this session.

Segment Synopsis: In this final section, Urch talks about the reasons she had for giving up the column. There is a high level of ethics in the newspaper world and she did not feel comfortable working to get a radio station that she would have been promoting. She talks about how difficult is was to give up the column, as well as what she did afterwards.

Keywords: Ethical; Newspaper columns; People; Writing

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