Interview with Mark M. Beaty, July 5, 2009

Partial Transcript: Um, so my name is Mick Jeffries and this is a continuation of a oral history project about the, uh, the embryonic stages as I like to call it of, uh, the creation of WRFL, the University of Kentucky radio station.

Segment Synopsis: In this opening section, Beaty introduces himself and talks about how he got started with WRFL. Jeffries informs Beaty about the people he has already spoken to, and then begins to ask questions. Beaty goes on to talk about coming to Kentucky and the earliest days of RFL

Keywords: Cities; Meetings; People; Student Government Association (SGA); Talking

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--Administration; University of Kentucky. Kentucky Kernel.

Partial Transcript: The student government connection is much less clear to me.

Segment Synopsis: Beaty talks about the stations earliest connections the radio station had with other student organizations on campus. There were a couple of connections with people in other student organizations when RFL first got started but none of the organizations were completely on board with what RFL was trying to do.

Keywords: Boards; People

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--Administration; University of Kentucky. Kentucky Kernel.

Partial Transcript: Well, so, let's talk about, um, again just to help me review then, when you came to campus your first exposure to WRFL was?

Segment Synopsis: To begin, Beaty very briefly talks about how he learned about WRFL. Beaty talks about the different fundraising methods RFL used to get the radio station started. The radio station would use phone-a-thons and benefit concerts to raise money for the station. Beaty talks about the effectiveness of each of these methods.

Keywords: Benefits; Books; Concerts; Money; Phone-a-thons; Phones; Shows

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

Partial Transcript: Um, so in the sort of, I guess in the vaguest of terms, I'm wondering, um--I say vaguest not, not for what I'm asking from you but from what I'm telling to you.

Segment Synopsis: Beaty talks about the role that Kakie Urch's article had on the student population versus the role Kakie Urch intended her article to have. Beaty believes that the article was meant to pique the interest of the university administration and inform them that students wanted a radio station. What it actually did was cause some students to ask why UK did not have a radio station which in turn created the RFL group.

Keywords: Articles; Columns; Kakie Urch; Kathleen "Kakie" Urch; Meetings; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Talking; WRFL

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: Uh, when did you become premed?

Segment Synopsis: Beaty talks about the leaders at WRFL and the roles they played in building and running the station. There were many people who contributed to the station and helped develop the sound of the station. Beaty talks specifically about the production of the station.

Keywords: Bruce Lorch; Jack Kirk; Jack Smith; Kakie Urch; Kathleen "Kakie" Urch; Leadership; News; People; Productions; Sounds; Starts

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 this kinda br--begs another question which is so much of the radio station, um, was, was, was DIY.

Segment Synopsis: Beaty talks about the independence of the students at RFL and the initiative they took to get the radio station. The RFL group did not use the faculty very much because the group figured out a lot of problems themselves. Beaty talks about the amount of time that many of the students spent at the station because of how invested they were in the station.

Keywords: People; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Time; 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--Administration; University of Kentucky--Faculty

Partial Transcript: So how many--(coughs)--do you remember any instances when--I, I can imagine that there could have been situations where you sort of were required to work with people...

Segment Synopsis: Beaty talks about having to work with the University of Kentucky administration to get the radio station up and running. Beaty claims that there was very little outside involvement with the radio station or if the administration did get involved, he did not participate. Beaty and Jeffries also discuss Beaty's jeans and their popularity.

Keywords: Interested; Jeans; University administration

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.; Singletary, Otis A.; Universities and colleges--Administration; Universities and colleges--Administration--United States; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Administration; WUKY. (Radio Station: Lexington, Ky.).

Partial Transcript: When you were at, uh--was it Chapel Hill?

Segment Synopsis: Beaty talks about his role at the Chapel Hill radio station, and briefly about how he got the position of program director with WRFL. Beaty talks a lot about how the staff for WRFL was chosen by the administration, as well as how the staff was chosen for the Chapel Hill radio station.

Keywords: Bruce Lorch; Chapel Hill; Involved; Involvement; Paula Anderson; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Staff; Student Government Association (SGA); 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--Administration

Partial Transcript: Now I have talked to Scott.

Segment Synopsis: Beaty talks about Scott Ferguson and his impressions of Ferguson as a general manager. Beaty originally thought Ferguson was the wrong choice for this position and that someone else might have been more qualified for the position than him.

Keywords: Aspects; Choices; General managers; Interests; Kakie Urch; Kathleen "Kakie" Urch; Leadership; Scott Ferguson; Surprises

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: Um, we've just got about ten minutes left.

Segment Synopsis: Beaty talks about some of his specific memories from building the station. He talks about the car rides he took with members of the station, a softball game between WRFL and the Kentucky Kernel, and having to take certain shows off of the station.

Keywords: Kakie Urch; Kathleen "Kakie" Urch; Looks; Philly Rocker; Running; Shows; Smoking

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: Well, which brings me to one of the things that, uh, Jack Blanton said that I thought was really interesting...

Segment Synopsis: Jeffries talks about some of Jack Blanton's observations and expectations for the station at the time it was created. The station was not expected to do as well as it did, primarily because it was run by college students. Beaty and Jeffries talk about some of the reasons people had for doubting the station and what the station might have done that made it persist.

Keywords: "Freaks"; Airing; Christmas; Jack Blanton; Medical; Organizations; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Shifts; Surprises; 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.; Singletary, Otis A.; University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Administration

Partial Transcript: Um--(coughs)--we're pretty much out of time...

Segment Synopsis: Beaty talks about Kakie Urch, who she was, and some of the memories he has of her. Beaty and Kakie Urch were dating at the time the station went on the air and they were both heavily involved in the station's development.

Keywords: Kakie Urch; Kathleen "Kakie" Urch; People; Person; Radio Free Lexington (RFL); Relationships; Rights; 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: Uh, anybody--any, any, any, any favorite person you think's been left out that I--have I missed?

Segment Synopsis: Beaty talks about some aspects of news broadcasting through WRFL. He talks about Paul Miles and the sports broadcasting he did. He also talks about Pacifica Radio and some of his memories about the show.

Keywords: Airing; News; Pacifica Radio; Paul Miles; People; Programs; Shows

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

Partial Transcript: Well, just in closing, um, what aspect of building a radio station do you think, uh, um--what, what a, what aspect of a, of a university education was that?

Segment Synopsis: In this closing section, Beaty talks about the education he received through building the station. He claims that most college education in general takes place outside of the classroom. This was especially true in his case since WRFL was built outside of the classroom.

Keywords: Classrooms; Learning

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