Hello! We are Team KTRU, and we’re really excited to be working on a project tasked with improving vinyl play at Rice’s student radio station: KTRU 96.1. On the team is Taylan Tuncata (junior studying Cognitive Science and Film), Toprak Eraslan (junior studying Material Science and Nanoengineering), Yunmin Oh (senior studying Cognitive Science and Psychology), Melissa Rusagara (freshman studying Political Science and Economics), and Irene Kwon (sophomore studying Bioengineering).

Our problem space is an important one as KTRU has so many amazing vinyl records that consistently do not get as much play as they perhaps should. There are numerous factors as to why this is the case, many of which we hope to identify in more concrete terms as we begin the design process. We want to ultimately find a way to make playing vinyls more accessible for the radio DJs, as an increase in vinyl play is an increase in the overall variety and flavor of the station’s musical content. We recognize KTRU is an really valuable resource for both the Rice and Houston community, and provides stakeholders with the opportunity to listen to new, eclectic, and underground music that normally would not receive radio play. By helping KTRU play more vinyl records, we hope to further the service that KTRU does for the community, and continue to spread underrepresented culture to those who are willing to listen.

We’ll be posting blog posts throughout the semester to keep you all updated on how the process is going. Stay tuned!