 "Photo: Mike Mangum")
Sara Olivera, a junior in political science and mass communication, has been chosen to be the station manager for KUTE next year.
Olivera became involved with KUTE in May 2008 and later became a DJ for the U’s student-run radio station in August of that year. Current station manager Sean Halls asked her to apply for the position because of her qualifications, including her experience at the station. Olivera ran against Jon Abbott, a current DJ for KUTE, for the position. However, there aren’t any hard feelings between the two.
“She knows what she is doing and has a clear vision,” Abbott said. “She is not afraid to delegate jobs to other people who have better expertise in an area. She is good at fully maximizing all the resources.”
Abbott said he is hoping to become the assistant station manager next year.
“I would like to see (KUTE) get more in touch with the student body and the local community,” Abbott said. “The next few years are critical, and I would like to see KUTE better serve the community.”
Olivera said she is excited to take the position next year and has already started to make KUTE a more recognized and respected radio station. Olivera and Halls have been getting together to figure out plans to raise the number of listeners for next year and to become a bigger part of the university.
A challenge for KUTE has been the number of listeners the station gets. KUTE hit 250 listeners Thursday. Before, it had been averaging around 100, a number Halls previously said the station should improve. To keep that number rising, Olivera said they are “trying to do stuff on campus and around the Salt Lake community to let them know that KUTE is on the air and that they should check it out.”
KUTE has had its share of problems. Last year, the station was off the air after Union employees found empty beer cans in the trash can and that DJs were propping open doors after hours. Olivera said it is one of her goals to gain the trust back of the Student Broadcast Council, which oversees the station, with new policies that have been put into place.
“Right now we have taken the first steps by having a security camera in there and, I am not sure if this will be put into place, but a zero-tolerance policy with the DJs because they did sign a contract,” she said.
Her long-term goal for KUTE is to make it an award-winning radio station with award-winning programs, “and that people can graduate with KUTE on their résumés and employers will be ‘OK, come work with us because we know you worked with them and they are (of) good quality,’ ” Olivera said.
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