BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Kutztown University sophomore Devon Koch remembers very clearly the moment the college’s KUR student broadcasting team heard its name called at the prestigious 85th Annual Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Awards ceremony in New York City this month.
“We all sat in a row with our fingers crossed,” Koch said from the campus Thursday. “And once we heard ‘Kutztown University,’ we all screamed.”
Koch, a 2022 Liberty High School graduate, is a sophomore at Kutztown majoring in Animated Arts and minoring in Cinema, Television and Media. She is a student broadcaster for the college’s radio station, KUR, 1670 AM.
Other area members of the winning team were Jack Heym of Schnecksville and Kaylee Brulliea of Quakertown.
“When our club president, Linda [Zuniga, also a student] brought the trophy back to us, we passed it down the row, each getting a chance to hold our award and take a picture,” Koch said.
The award was among the earliest announced, she said, so she just remembers sitting in her chair buzzing with excitement for the next hour of the ceremony.
Competing against student radio stations from around the world, KUR won the coveted golden microphone trophy on March 21 for the Best On-Air Pledge Drive category.
Achieved the goal
Known as the 1866 Challenge and named for the university’s founding year, the fundraiser is held every alumni weekend in October.
The challenge is to see how much is raised in the first 1,866 minutes — that’s a little more than half of the two-day weekend of events.
In the first 1,866 minutes, supporters raised $403,472.
Koch was among KUR’s members who stayed overnight in the radio station to keep the live broadcast going.
According to its website, the final total was $428,468, with the balance being generated over the rest of the weekend. The money directly supports more than 70 athletic, academic and organizational programs.
Every club, sports team, dorm and department takes part in the challenge to raise money for their organizations. KUR submits its 1866 Challenge to the IBS each year, though Koch said it’s done mainly to fundraise for the radio club.
"One of the aspects of our event was the sheer uniqueness of an 1866-minute continuous broadcast by the same group of students who either did not sleep for 1,866 minutes or took turns on-the-air to give their friends a rest," Executive Director of Communications Bryan Salvadore said.
"Our goal was $1,000 and we actually raised $1,000."
Philanthropy through media outreach
In a news release Thursday, the college said the marathon event not only showcased the students’ broadcasting prowess but also their dedication to engaging with the community and promoting philanthropy through innovative media outreach.
“I’m extremely proud of the crew here at the radio program for their ambition and dedication to wanting to help a college program they strongly believe in and love through creative broadcasting,” campus Radio Manager Michael Regensburger said.
KUR received seven nominations in various categories, reflecting the station’s broad talent and diverse programming, which ranges from smooth pop and R&B to in-depth political news coverage and engaging talk shows.
When I’m doing my show, I love it. Before I even got to Kutztown, I wanted to join their radio station…Devon Koch
Koch’s own radio show, "Movie Music Mayhem," challenges listeners to guess the movie or show from which the songs she plays originate. It airs at 9 p.m. Mondays from the basement of the McFarland Student Union.
"When I’m doing my show, I love it," she said. "Before I even got to Kutztown, I wanted to join their radio station…to share music with people and develop my public speaking skills in a non-scary way.
“I’m so glad that I joined. It’s such a great community, too, and it’s wonderful to be a part of.”
KUR, staffed by more than 50 students, airs on 1670 AM and can be streamed live at http://nap.casthost.net:8047/kur64, or KU-TV Apogee.
