Dubbed “Ames’ only alternative,” the student-run radio station KURE is actually “Boone’s only alternative,” “Webster City’s only alternative,” and “Marshalltown’s only alternative”— that is, if you don’t count the Jewel/Spice Girls-dominated KKDM.

KURE, now kicking out over 250 watts, has just enough power to be heard in some of the larger surrounding cities, reaching as far south as Ankeny. Located in the Friley Residence Hall, the station plays music 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Really, we have a fairly broad listening base,” programming director Dave Gugliotta said. “Those people that know of us always find themselves listening to us. Sometimes the phone rings off the hook with requests, and sometimes I’ll do a shift, and nobody will bother to call in. It just depends on the day.”

The station has faced a number of difficult obstacles in previous years. In October of 1995, what was then KUSR was forced to shut down because of problems with its FCC broadcasting license.

Questions of whether the station would return emerged when its outdated material began breaking down. The staff slowly slipped to just a handful of students, while the station continued to receive little support from the university.

But the few volunteers left were able to convince GSB to pay for the station’s new license and equipment, and the station re-opened last fall under the new call letters KURE.

A year later, the staff is up to near full-force and has become one of leaders in the developing local music scene. This fall, the station will broadcast a local rock show featuring nothing but Iowa bands.

“There has been a lack of new CDs by local bands lately,” Gugliotta said. “But if they will send us their music, we will probably put it on this show. It’s all up to band participation.”

Last spring, the station did some participating of its own as KURE helped sponsor the Reggae Sunday Festival at the arboretum in downtown Ames.

Currently, the station promotes acts that will appear at the M-Shop by giving away free tickets and mentioning concert dates frequently.

“We’ve always had a good relationship with the M-Shop,” Gugliotta said. Workers at the station have even talked about introducing bands as they come onto the stage, he said.

But local music is not the only thing KURE has supported. The station has a broadcasting area set up in Jack Trice Stadium to cover all of the home football games.

“I’d like to broadcast all of the away games as well,” Gugliotta said. “But again, we are low on funds and can’t afford to do that.”

Another thing the station would like to do is hold a mini-festival featuring local talent. “There are a lot of cool things we’d like to do if we had more money,” Gugliotta said. “Maybe we could do it some day.”

In the meantime, KURE has to rely on its programming. The night time shifts will be extended from two hours to three hours to create “a more professional atmosphere and better sounding program.”

There will also be several speciality shows including Cosmo’s House of Ska and Punk, Metal Works, Outer Limits, International Voices, and the popular urban contemporary show, Straight No Chaser with DJ Rum.

“We also play more jazz and blues than any other station in Iowa,” Gugliotta said.

“Really, there is no station in this state that has more variety than we do.”

That is why last year’s decision not to go with KURE as the official radio station of Veishea was so extremely disappointing to workers at the station.

“I’d like to have it happen fairly soon in the future,” Gugliotta said. “But I really don’t expect it to. I wish the community would open their eyes and see what they are missing out on.”

Gugliotta urges anyone with questions regarding programming times to contact the KURE office at 294-4332.