To the Editor:
The story on Dartmouth TV and Dartmouth Broadcasting was fascinating ("Armed with $400, DTV battles to find audience, April 28). The juxtaposition between community programming and commercial media enterprise is interesting for two reasons. First, Dartmouth has so few profitable media outlets that WFRD's very existence is a puzzle worthy of some inquiry. Second, the article seemed to connect success with commercial revenue, something few academic media outlets do.
Currently, WFRD 99.3 FM may "merely fill a position for its sponsors." However, many academic FM stations are a bit more ambitious. Non-commercial educational stations, the standard arrangement among universities and colleges, allow reduced costs and expanded programming options befitting a diverse and vibrant school like Dartmouth.
To "go it alone" as the Ivy League's only commercial rock station is admirable, but since when is Dartmouth a vocational school for the radio business?
