Since 1969, Jazz 89.5 WMOT has served as the premier jazz station for Murfreesboro and surrounding areas. It has also allowed Middle Tennessee State University students a chance to gain hands on experience in a professional, functioning radio station. However, with budget cuts across the state and as much as $19.3 million slashed from MTSU’s new operating budget, the station may go silent the year of its 40th anniversary.

“We are on both of the lists of the committees making suggestions on what programs can be trimmed or eliminated completely. There’s an $11 million cut list and there’s a $19 million cut list, and we’re on both,” WMOT News Director Randy O’Brien said.

Just how deep the cuts will be is still up in the air. At minimum, the school faces an $11 million shortfall, but the word is still out on whether or not federal assistance will keep that number from rising to $19.3 million. On average, WMOT is budgeted over half a million annually, with the station earning roughly a third of their budget from fund raising and underwriting.

“There are no sacred cows. They’re looking at everything, and everything is still very much up in the air,” MTSU News and Public Affairs Director Tom Tozer said.

Many feel the committees are focusing their cuts on non-academic programs to spare cuts to the traditional academic curriculum. However, O’Brien says it’s a misnomer to label WMOT “non-academic.”

“There’s a misconception that the radio station is purely non-academic. People have graduated and told us that their professional development has been vastly improved by putting the academic theory to practice here at WMOT,” O’Brien said.

“I’ve learned so much from WMOT just from having worked here and being able to ask them questions. It’s totally different from taking a class because you actually get to do something. It will hurt the Mass Communications department and the students if WMOT is cut,” WMTS General Manager Alli Scott said.

Though the news is gloomy, the station’s supporters have not given up. WMTS, the jazz station’s student run sister station, has a fund-raiser slated for WMOT on Feb. 5 at 527 Main Street. The bill features a number of jazz acts, including the MTSU Salsa Band.

“I really feel like, if WMOT goes off the air, WMTS won’t be far behind it. People don’t realize how integral WMOT is in supporting our own station. [WMOT Chief Engineer] Gary Brown has helped us stay up and running from day one,” Scott said.

In February, WMOT has another benefit planned with Victor Wooten “and other artists that have been featured on the station in the past.”

These fund raising attempts, combined with student rallies, may be the only shot WMOT has at staying on the air.

“If that station and the university don’t have some form of programming on the air, they loose the license. The license and the frequency are worth millions of dollars. If they lose that, any company can come in and claim that because the Nashville dial is already quite crowded,” O’Brien said.

Essentially, the cost of WMOT reestablishing itself after the university’s budget situation improves would be prohibitively expensive.

Regardless of the station’s chances, O’Brien said he isn’t willing to give up yet, and put the issue as plainly as he could.

“To our listeners who have supported us in the past, I feel a big thank you is in order. However, if you want us to remain on the air, you’ll need to write a very big check and send it in. That’s just the bottom line.”

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