To the editor:

We are writing in response to Erik Hoversten’s column, “Public access says a lot about Ames” (April 10).

As people who have been highly involved with ISU9, we would like to clarify a few issues.

First of all, Hoversten asserted that ISU9’s programming should reflect the fact that this university is regarded as a “technological powerhouse with a terrific journalism department.”

ISU9 is a student organization, completely funded by GSB. “InCYde Out,” the daily interview program, is a production of two journalism classes at Iowa State with the assistance of volunteer hosts.

The rest of our programming is 100 percent student-driven, without personnel or direct funding from the university. Many of our producers aren’t even journalism majors. Students from engineering, business, computer science, art and meteorology all use ISU9 as a means for a creative outlet.

Hoversten suggested that ISU9 could tape plays and concerts for air on our channel. In fact, journalism and ISU9 have taped all of the ISU Theatre productions this year as a service to the theatre department.

Because those plays (and most musical pieces performed by Iowa State’s bands and choruses) are written by artists, we are unable to air those works on our cable channel without obtaining (and paying for) permission from the copyright holder.

We’d love to do live broadcasts; however, we don’t have the technical capability to do so without paying a substantial fee for each connection — a fee that doesn’t fit into our GSB budget.

And, by the way, there are few other student stations in the country producing as much original programming each week as ISU9, especially including a news and information show that airs live five days weekly through the entire semester.

We’re sorry you’ve tuned to ISU9 and been disappointed with the content; you’ve apparently missed “1800 Seconds,” “Cog TV,” “Full Access,” “Video Plus,” “ISU Archives,” “Sleepy Jungle Village,” “Cy’s Eyes on the Skies,” “Space Rocket,” “Out of Hand,” “Chuckle McBuckle’s Dirty Laundry,” and “Triple Threat,” all of which are being produced this semester.

If you’re unhappy with the programming on ISU9, we welcome you to throw your ideas into the ring. We’re always happy to have new producers.

Dan Mundt

Temporary instructor

Journalism and mass communication

Faculty adviser

ISU9

Jennifer Spencer

Senior

Journalism and mass communication

Public Relations

ISU9