The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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Volume XVI, Number 40
Bo Pittman
WFAE Manager Takes New Job
By Kathy Merritt
Carolina Journal Staff Writer
After serving as manager of WFAE
for the past four years Robert “Bo”
Pittman has resigned to become dir
ector of radio services and general
manager of WUAL at the University
of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.
Pittman has been instrumental in
bringing WFAE to a 100,000 watt
National Public Radio affiliate from
its beginnings as a 10 watt student
station, WVFN.
Calling the move a promotion for
his career, Pittman said, “The
University of Alabama is a much
larger school, plus the school of com
munications is a continuing source of
funding for WUAL, an area where
WFAE has had problems.” Pittman
said, however, that his main reasons
for moving were that he will be able to
get his masters degree at the Univer
sity of Alabama and will also be
teaching communications there.
“When I made my decision to go, I
made it on two levels,” said Pittman.
“Professionally, there was no ques
tion in my mind,” But, he said, his
“emotional tie” to UNCC and WFAE
Charlotte, North Carolina
made his decision “gut-wrenching.”
According to Pittman, getting back
on the air this spring also made his
decision difficult. “It hurts a little bit
to leave so close to sign on,” he said.
But he said the move was “good for
him and good for the station” because
it will allow a new period of growth
for WFAE. He said he has faith that
people involved with the station will
continue its progress.
Pittman became involved with the
radio station as a student at UNCC in
1972 when it was 10 watt WVFN. Pit
tman said he became involved in
management in 1975 in a somewhat
illegal manner. Because WVFN was a
student station the student body
elected the general manager. Pittman
ran .for the position and was elected
but was not eligible. During the
semester he ran for office, he was not
enrolled as a student but was a stu
dent when he served as manager.
Pittman helped renovate the stu
dios and get new equipment for
WVFN. After graduating and leaving
Charlotte for a year Pittman returned
to find the radio station locked and
off the air. UNCC hired Pittman to
get the station back on the air.
On February 8, 1977, WVFN came
back on the air at 10 watts for three
hours a day, five days a week. Accord
ing to Pittman, the community res
ponded and by the time WVFN went
off the air on January 1, 1979, it was
operating 12 hours a day, seven days
a week. The station will return to the
air this spring as WFAE at 100,000
watts. '
Pittman said UNCC will conduct a
nationwide search to fill the position
he’s vacating. A strong foundation,
excellent facilities and people, and
good community support, he said,
will attract applicants. Plus, he said,
“Charlotte is a quickly growing
market.”
Pittman said he wants to continue
in public radio because “it offers
things of lasting human value” where
as commercial broadcasting looks for
“the lowest common denominator” to
attract people and make money.
Public radio is “cultural, educational
and informational while being highly
entertaining,” said Pittman.
Monday, February 9, 198(T
Photo by Debbie Miller
Bo Pittman
Carolina Journal vs. BSU
Campus Affairs Hears Case On Newspaper
By Chip Wilson
and Cary Jimenez
Carolina Journal Staff Writers
The Campus Affairs Committee of
the Student Legislature heard the
petition of the Black Student Union
(BSU) calling for an investigation in
to the Carolina Journal at a meeting
Thursday.
However, as legislators and rep
resentatives from both sides walked
into the conference room, Committee
Chair Sharon Chisolm was already
writing on a chalkboard the results of
a previously conducted analysis.
The committee’s investigation, con
ducted on Carolina Journal issues
from May 26, 1980 until Feb. 2, 1981,
determined that five percent of all the
stories related to blacks, compared to
1.2 percent on commuters and 2.2 per
cent on fraternities and sororities.
Despite the survey’s immediate
presentation, BSU President Michael
Kemp and student legislator Baker
Smith questioned Rick Monroe, ed
itor, why more black coverage was not
occurring.
Reggie Nelson, a BSU member, ask
ed Monroe, “How do you feel the
Carolina Journal is covering black-
related issues?”
Monroe answered, “The problem we
have with covering black issues is the
lack of black input into the staff, and
right now we don’t have any black
reporters. Because of the lack of in
put, we really don’t know what’s go
ing on in the black community. As a
result, we don’t have enough contact
with the black community.”
Assistant Dean of Students Frank
Joseph said he gets many complaints
from different groups and organiza
tions on campus who don’t feel they
always get the coverage they deserve.
“UPB, the Residence Hall Associa
tion and fraternities and sororities
have come to me on several occasions
with their complaints. It’s tough
enough for a professional journalism
organization to get coverage, so it is
not an easy task for the student news
media,” Joseph said.
When asked by Kemp what his ex
periences with black staff members
has been since he has been editor,
Monroe responded, “My experience
with black staff members simply has
been a short tenure . . . they have not
stayed very long but I don’t know
why.
“The biggest advantage to us
would be to have black reporters
down there to write and decide what’s
most important in the black com
munity,” Monroe said.
Kemp said he had spoken with
blacks who had worked on the Caro
lina Journal staff in the past. “They
said the atmosphere down there was
not conducive to having blacks work
there.”
Joseph said working on a
newspaper requires a commitment
that many people, not only blacks, are
not willing to make.
“You have to be dedicated and a lit
tle crazy to work there,” he said.
Kemp presented the investigation
request to the full Student Legisla
ture in early December. After it was
referred to Campus Affairs, the in
vestigation was held up by the winter
break, according to Chisholm.
In addition to a look into the alled
ged discriminatory practices, Kemp
also requested an exploration into
creating an alternative newspaper.
“I think on a campus of this size,
we need another source of news. It
would give our present media some
competition.”
Another request asked the legis
lature to pass a constitutional amend
ment taking away voting authority
from editors and chairpersons of cam
pus publications.
Chisholm said a documents review
.panel was considering that request in
hearings on proposed changes in the
Student Body Constitution.
One committee member said each
member would present his or her opi
nion before the entire panel presents a
report to the full legislature.
Rick Van Pelt, a member of the
Campus Affairs panel, said he would
not recommend a further investiga
tion.
“The content analysisthat Sharon
(Chisholm) and I did was pretty com
plete,” he said. “I think we should
look at the Carolina Journal next year
and see if both sides have been mak
ing the attempt to have more black
coverage.”
We Were
Wrong
In the January 29 Carolina Jour
nal we incorrectly reported the
Cercle Francais club received a
$500 allocation from the Student
Legislature. The club actually
received $125. The Carolina Jour
nal regrets the error.