RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Deejays past and present ham it up in the vinyl vault at KTUH radio in Hemenway Hall at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Spinmasters
get a move on

'We start from where we are."

It's a written reminder to the student and alumni deejays gathered last Saturday afternoon at the University of Hawaii at Manoa radio station KTUH's "live room" that now's the time to put across their best effort in preparation for its upcoming radiothon that starts Sunday.

KTUH FM 35th Anniversary Radiothon Heard at 90.3 Honolulu, 91.3 North Shore, 89.7 Hawaii Kai, or digital cable TV channel 843 When: Sunday through Oct. 9 Info: 956-7431 or online at ktuh.org

It's evaluation time for the eclectic FM station -- and what better way to do it than to tie it in with a weeklong fund-raising drive.

General manager Jay Chrisman says this whole process is "more like an introspective look, taking stock of what we have to offer. But we're also telling the general public we're a 3,000-watt radio station that plays all kinds of music and we want you to start listening to us."

Ever since mid-August of 2001, when the college radio station went from a light-bulb-like 100 watts to 30 times its original signal strength thanks to a then-newly erected tower on campus, a potentially larger listenership can dig into the wide-ranging specialty program blocks of rock, rap and soul, world music, blues, jazz, reggae, country and folk, Hawaiian and genre-busting freeform, 24/7.

And with the upcoming radiothon, Chrisman and his staff of devoted "music snobs" are hoping both regular and new listeners will donate a buck or two to projects like moving KTUH's Hawaii Kai transmitter tower over to the underserved Windward side.

"We provide what other radio stations don't, which is variety," Chrisman said. "You can always expect to hear something new when you tune into us. As opposed to Hawaii Public Radio, which is pretty much jazz, blues and classical, we're also hip-hop, hard metal and punk. But our daytime programming appeals to the older generation as well, and late in the evening, on our 'Monday Night Live,' we've had guests like Henry Kapono and the Cruzes.

"In the long view, we want to be more competitive, and things like the tower move, getting better equipment and possibly getting scholarships for the deejays would help in that direction."

While about a dollar from each UHM student's total fees goes to the station, KTUH can use the additional financial support from its outside community listeners. Besides taking on-air pledges during the radiothon, tax-deductible donations of at least a dollar will be accepted online at ktuh.org/donate, which will then redirect the contributor to the UH Foundation's URL at www.uhf.hawaii.edu/givetoktuh.

RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM David Lum, aka DJ Rhombus, is no square in the broadcast studio at KTUH.

FOR THIS WRITER in particular, my musical education started with FM radio in its "underground" heyday of the late 1960s, and continued through my stint with partner Burt Lum at KTUH a decade or so later.

Since we determined the format of our show "Rough Take," the music ran the range of the indie rock of the day to us being one of the first people to play the groundbreaking hip-hop music coming out of New York. What we may have lacked in "professional" on-air chat skills was certainly made up by our unabated enthusiasm for the music.

And that's what today's KTUH deejays bring with them as well. "It's the freedom to play what I want," said Lillian Tsang. "I'm the one in control. I enjoy putting out world music over the air. I feel it's a need I'm filling. With this kind of radio, I can express myself, and also create an on-air persona of myself, letting the listeners imagine who I am." (Tsang is Ling, whose show "Planet of Sound" airs Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m.)

Jolene Miyaji, aka Opium of the Saturday evening show "Pompous Pop," is a station alumnus two years removed, and is also a former music director at KTUH. "When I held that position, I learned how college radio in general works, and how other stations around the country play more specialized music. For us to be not formatted, it's amazing that it's lasted all these years. The station really works as a democratic process.

"When I first started, doing a freeform show from 3 to 6 in the morning, it was kind of nerve-wracking. I wouldn't know how to answer the phone. But after the second show, I started getting a couple of regular listeners, and they told me how much they liked what I was doing.

"The station's like its own little university," Miyaji said. "It was like doing a part-time job. I feel I really earned something over the two years I was here."

Another former program director was jazz deejay Blackbird. "This place was my home," she admitted. "I missed the station when I left, so I'm glad to be part of it again, and during the good vibes of the radiothon will create.

"I remember being really excited and super nervous when I first went on the air. It was something I always wanted to do. It was at its best when I could get rid of the standard on-air technique and become like 'zen radio deejay,' where I can just concentrate on the music and build a rapport with my listeners.

"It's good that more people have access to KTUH, both through the airwaves and on the Internet. Everything has its time and season. I want everyone to tune in to our good shows, and help build an awareness of what this college radio station is all about, where alternative voices come on and use it.

"But you learn as a deejay here that you have to earn your keep and place, and because of that effort, people here truly love being here."

RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM KTUH celebrates its 35th anniversary next week. Pictured, David Lum, aka DJ Rhombus, works in the broadcast studio in Hemenway Hall at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

KTUH FM 35th Anniversary
Radiothon

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Heard at 90.3 Honolulu, 91.3 North Shore, 89.7 Hawaii Kai, or digital cable TV channel 843

When: Sunday through Oct. 9

Goal: To receive donations totaling $35,000 to help improve broadcast range, particularly on the Windward side; obtain much-needed equipment and technology upgrades; and to achieve another 35 years through more radio training and alternative radio programming for the students and general community

Info: 956-7431 or online at ktuh.org

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Special Events

» 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. today -- Current and alumni station deejays spinning at the Green Room and Opium Den at Indigo downtown, with proceeds benefiting KTUH. 21 and over.

Radiothon Highlights:

» 9 a.m. to noon Sunday: The return of the popular weekend morning jazz show hosted by "the Jazz Bro," alumnus Rob Peterson

» Noon to 3 p.m. Sunday: "Graduation in Zion" with three decades of KTUH Rasta deejays

» 11 p.m. to midnight Monday: Special live performances from local groups Linustheband and Black Square, and a live mix session from Shane of Club Rebel Rebel! on "Monday Night Live."

» 3 p.m. to midnight Tuesday: Nine-hour turntablism, hip-hop and soul event, hosted by alumnus Kavet the Catalyst

» 6 p.m. to midnight Wednesday: Alumni deejays guest on the "Sound Travels" and "Confessions of a Shopaholic" shows

» 9 a.m. to noon Thursday: Current and alumni jazz deejays on "Thursday Morning Jazz."

» 9 p.m. to midnight Thursday: A special "So Very" show with DJ Ms. Angel and guests, her fellow Sisters in Sound

» 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 8: "Friday Afternoon Bashment" host Loriel and the Empire Sound Crew team up with G-Spot on his "Under Ground Sounds Show" for a special mix session

» 6 a.m. to noon Oct. 9: Blues-jazz auction with The Doc ("Democracies & You") and Natalie ("Straight No Chaser")

» 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 9: Mad Mohammad and Tim Baltzer return for "Radio Democracy Revisited"

In addition, listeners can expect to hear the best of their favorite shows, such as:

Kahikina's "Kipuka Leo" (an all-Hawaiian language program), Ling's "Planet of Sound" (which you may have read about in the summer issue of Hana Hou Magazine), Janet Kelsey's "Friday Morning Jazz," Caju's "Axˇ Brazil" and much more ...