U: university. We are located on the campus of the University Of Minnesota, Morris. We operate under the auspices of the UMM Student Activities Office. Most of our staffers attend or work at this university, but we strive to stretch our impact and outreach well past the edges of campus.
90: FM dial position nearest our frequency. We broadcast at a frequency of 89.7 MHz. The FCC was discontinuing the low-power license that KUMM held. Without a transmitter power increase, KUMM could be bumped all over the FM dial like a Gremlin in rush-hour traffic. The University administration did not initially believe that KUMM was something that should be heard outside its meager broadcast range, which, at that time, barely covered the campus. After a couple of years' worth of negotiation and convincing, the station assumed its Class A license at 223 watts and 17 meters above terrain. This power level assured the station would stay put at 89.7 and reach an audience up to six miles out from Morris. Partially due to this new responsibility, the station's programming became less sporadic and somewhat more formatted, though not devoid of KUMM's trademark controversy. Soon, the power will increase as a tower project 7 years in the making is almost complete.
Alternative: music and information that is not part of the mainstream. This is our programming philosophy. Our program hosts choose their own music, which is increasingly rare. We also feature alternative public affairs programming.
a
