KVLU公共广播电台 ushers in new era after naming new 站 manager
从2023年初开始, there has been a large void that can be felt through the halls and offices of the KVLU公共广播电台 站. 现在, that void has been filled with the announcement of their new 站 manager.
Following the retirement of longtime KVLU 站 manager and 十大电子游艺网站排行 mainstay Byron Balentine at the end of 2022, the 站 began their search for Balentine’s successor. 瓦伦丁留下了一双大鞋子要填补, as the longtime voice of KVLU served the 站 for nearly 50 years in a number of roles and serving as 站 manager for 17 of those years.
接管瓦伦丁的办公室不是一件容易的事, 但经过几个月的面试和思考, the committee behind the search found the person they believe will honor the 站 and those that came before them in KVLU’s now-former production director, 杰森•米勒.
“It’s a great feeling and a great honor,” said 米勒. “Being here for so many years and seeing so many changes over the years from technology to radio to new media and with university things changing and growing, it’s an honor to be able to steer the ship now with resepct to everyone that I’ve worked with and to Byron who became a strong mentor and friend.”
安卢校友, 米勒 has been a part of KVLU since 1997 after learning of a part-time job opportunity from a friend who knew 米勒 was interested in radio. At the time, he was working at another 站 in the area. 米勒, having been aware of KVLU already due to their consistent broadcasting of jazz music, decided to take on the opportunity and began paying his dues by sitting in at the board, 推了八首歌却没说什么.
他在伦敦大学的学业即将结束, 米勒 began to receive opportunities to read the weather and promos. 毕业后, 米勒 began a teaching career and working for a newspaper, but he never left KVLU as he had a passion for the 站 and radio as a whole. So, he kept taking on any work they offered him, eventually leading to a full-time position.
“我一直在为KVLU做些事情，”他说. “我总是轮班工作. 我大部分时间都在上爵士晚班, and then there was an opportunity to return to LU full time as production director in 2005.”
The work that 米勒 had done as a student and following his graduation is what prepared him to take on his full-time role at the university. 不仅如此, but his experience as a teacher has helped him blend the two passions as he is able to teach new students in radio and to provide them the same opportunities that were provided to him.
米勒 had been production director for his entire full-time tenure at KVLU. 现在, he has been given the chance to get behind the wheel and to guide the 站 into its new era, a role that he said was made possible to due the leadership and mentorship he has received over the last 18 years.
“这是一个渐进的过程，”他说. “It progressed along with the experience through the mentorship and through being more confident in how things work and seeing myself in that role. It’s easy to come into something right away and thinking ‘I want to run this thing,’ but it was about humbling myself and learning and then gradually coming into it.”
米勒 emphasized the importance of Balentine and the impact he has made on him throughout his time at KVLU, crediting Balentine with giving him the tools and confidence to step into the 站 manager role.
“A lot of thing things is just sheer knowledge of the business that he has,” said 米勒. “He was also very encouraging of trying ideas for shows, programming changes and stuff like that.”
米勒 said that Balentine’s open-door policy and always being available, 和希望, to talk about ideas or general conversation is something that has inspired him and is something he plans to keep going as 站 manager.
“It was the friendship that developed to be able to just talk and pick his brain and to be comfortable to share stuff that was really awesome,他说.
现在, as 米勒 takes his first steps as the captain of KVLU公共广播电台, he says that there are a lot of things that excite him. From being able to manage to new technology to building on the brand of KVLU and NPR, 他已经做好了很多准备. However, the biggest thing that excites him the most isn’t the title change or responsibilities. Rather, it is being able to lead and to continue working with his team.
“I’m looking forward to working with our team,他说. “Sitting down with everybody and just saying ‘let’s go’ and ‘let’s see what we can do’ and just taking this team and serving the Southeast Texas community and LU the best we can. 我最尊敬的是那些人, and I just reall want to be able to work together and collaborate with them.”
The feeling is mutual throughout the rest of the 站. 他们已经准备好去工作了.
Balentine’s retirement left a large void in the 站 of KVLU公共广播电台, but 米勒 intends to fill that void and to continue moving forward with a staple of the Southeast Texas community.
要了解更多关于KVLU公共广播电台的信息，请访问 拉马尔.edu/kvlu