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About Us.
KBOL Radio is a new
community-based Low Power FM radio station
operating out of the historic Black’s
Building in downtown Waterloo. Out of 149
state-wide applicants, KBOL Radio is one of
only 13 to be approved and broadcasting.
On-air since February 2004, KBOL Radio works
to Engage, Enlighten
and Empower the greater
community through interactive multi-media.
A subsidiary of 501© 3, Community
Educational Outreach, Incorporated (CEO,
Inc.), KBOL Radio represents the harmonious
marriage between music and information
with social capital, not financial revenue
being the main focus.
Not bound by musical constraints experienced
by most commercial stations, KBOL Radio uses
this advantage to expose its listening
audience to both popular and non-traditional
genres of music including local and
independent artists, reggae, Latin and most
notably, hip hop. In the truest spirit of ‘edu-tainment’,
KBOL Radio also uses the draw of quality
music and celebrity appeal to promote civic
and social responsibility to its
often-captivated listening audience. KBOL
Radio primarily covers Waterloo and Cedar
Falls, Iowa but extends into Hudson and
Evansdale as well. Additionally, KBOL Radio
reaches a national audience through its
on-line broadcast and electronic newsletter
at
www.kbolradio.com.
Although, KBOL Radio has a diverse listening
audience that transcends racial and
socio-economic boundaries, our average
listener is between the ages of 13-40.
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The Beginning.
Community Educational Outreach, Incorporated
was initially developed by Michael Muhammad
in 1998 to address the needs of at-risk
youth in the Cedar Valley community. In an
attempt to explore unconventional methods of
reaching a disenfranchised segment of young
people, CEO, Inc. employed strategies
originally modeled by youth street workers
circa 1960. By approaching and connecting
with young people where they were,
individuals, community leaders and mentors
were able to interact with at-risk teens in
their more familiar and thus more
comfortable surroundings. And, by
establishing mutual respect, the youth
street worker technique proved that positive
relationships and influence could be
obtained in even the most unorthodox and
informal settings. Responding to calls and
concerns regarding the offerings of local
radio stations, Mr. Muhammad sought
assistance from a friend to complete the
licensing application. Months later during a
political event, Michael Muhammad and
co-founder Telisa Burt discussed the
potential possibilities and a new alliance
was formed. Up against an FCC imposed
deadline of one year, the pair worked
diligently to get the station up and
running. On February 4, 2004, KBOL Radio
breathed fresh life into Cedar Valley's
airwaves. The first broadcast featured an
old school hip hop mix, the first show of
its kind throughout Northeast Iowa.
Now as the face of
Iowa’s demographic changes, so does the need
for alternative means of communication.
Throughout Iowa’s history, there have been
few minority-owned stations to serve the
existing market through progressive urban
contemporary formatting. This void enables
KBOL Radio to capture a significant portion
of the market and garner national attention
as more than a novelty, but as a station of
substance and innovation. By peeking the
interest of nationally recognized artists
and industry executives, there become
opportunities tourism and economic support
for the Cedar Valley will undoubtedly be
impacted. Using hip-hop as a social tool,
KBOL Radio seeks to bridge the generational
gap creating a stronger, more cohesive community.
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The Power of Hip Hop.
Hip-hop
is a
cultural
movement of expression that began in the mid
70’s amongst urban African American and
Hispanic youth in
New York
and includes three elements: rap music,
graffiti art and dance. The most recognized
element of the culture is Rap, which is the
vocal expression of lyrics (poetry) in sync
to a rhythmic beat.
Like its rock
counterpart, which embodies multiple sectors
within (punk, pop, grunge and heavy metal),
rap also possesses a variety of styles
within its genre. Transcending
racial lines, a recent Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA) report
confirmed that white youth account for over
66% of rap music sales.
Although traced back
to the griots of West Africa,
traveling singers and poets whose musical
style is
reminiscent of today’s music.
Hip Hop
music’s influences can be found in academia,
movies, video games, clubs, cars,
clothing
and in the attitude of youth from Germany to
Japan; making it an international
multi-billion dollar industry.
Revenues are estimated at $10
billion per year, according to a Feb. 11,
2004 CBS News report. And as a means of
reaching these consumers, who are as diverse
in economic and educational status as they
are in race, major companies spent over $150
billion in advertising in 2001. This
according to multimedia research firm,
Wilkofsky Gruen Associates. These groups of
urban youth have also been targeted by
millionaire industry moguls like Sean Puffy
Combs, who raised almost two million dollars
for New York City Public Schools and Russell
Simmons who registered thousands of youth
voters through his Hip Hop Summit Action
Network.
But despite these
mobilization efforts, today’s rap music (as
well as film and television) seem to portray
a darker side of urban life, glorifying
violence, materialism, illegal activities,
and misogyny. Some artists believe that they
are telling their personal story to those
who may relate while others simply spin
tales of fantasy and see themselves as
comparable to actors who portray characters
in movies, like Al Pacino in Scarface.
Currently, our young people
remain subjected to the seductive influences
of media imagery without adequate support to
decipher reality from fantasy or barriers
from opportunities. These pervasive
images are often replicated in the personal
relationships and general attitudes of our
young people and greater community. By wielding it effectively
and from a point of social responsibility,
Rap music can be used to invigorate even the
most disenfranchised.
For most
radio stations, community programming are
temporary projects, for us its an ongoing
mission.
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Contact Us.
KBOL Studios
501 Sycamore Street, Suite 733
Waterloo, Iowa 50703
Studio Line
(319) 433-1311
Office Email Directory.
Email:
Michael Muhammad,
President/CEO
Email:
T. A. Burt, Vice
President/Public Affairs
Concerns/Feedback
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