UC Merced student has broad vision for radio station

Ernesto Mora-Lua is bringing UC Merced's radio station, Bobcat Radio, back to life.

The 21-year-old mechanical engineering student said Bobcat Radio used to be a club. But as a club the station wasn't making much progress, he said. "They were doing things here and there, but it really wasn't going anywhere," he added.

Mora-Lua, who is a senior, became the general manager of the station in April, and since then he as been working hard to bring the station up to speed. "I restructured everything," he said. "To run it like a radio station."

The station is no longer a club, but a service under the Associated Students of UC Merced. Mora-Lua said he decided to make the changes because he felt the radio station was a good service for the university and for the community. He said he also wanted to find a way to connect the university to the community. "What better way of doing that than through the radio," he continued.

Since Mora-Lua began to lead the radio station, he also was able to make more ties with the administration at UC Merced to get their own livestream. People are able to listen to the station online or on iTunes as a podcast by visiting, Bobcatradio.ucmerced.edu.

But the station still has a long way to go. Mora-Lua said the station doesn't yet have a license from the Federal Communications Commission to go on the air. "Money is a big issue," he said.

The station also needs to be more established, he said. "We need to have more content, and we need a dedicated space," he continued. "Right now we have no space."

Mora-Lua said he and other students who are involved with the radio station, are working with people from the UC Merced student newspaper, The Prodigy, to establish a media board. The board would provide funding and oversee the station and the newspaper, he added.

Once the board is established it might be easier for the radio station to get the FCC license to go on the air, Mora-Lua said. "We want to go on the air to make an impact in the community," he added.

Meanwhile, he's planning to build a relationship with Radio Merced to see if Bobcat Radio can get on-air time with the station.

The ultimate goal of Bobcat Radio would be to provide a service that would help close the gap that exists between the community and the university. For example, Mora-Lua said members of the community sometimes are not aware of important research that professors at UC Merced might be working on. On the other side, students are not often aware of events that might be taking place in the community, he added. "They feel so isolated from each other, I think," he said. The radio station "would reveal what's behind the curtains."

Bobcat Radio is already taking action to make a difference in the community. Along with other student organizations, it will sponsor a Music Matters benefit concert from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the UC Merced Dining Center. People will be able to enjoy the event, where four local bands will perform, with only a $5 donation. Students get in for free.

Proceeds will go toward the Merced County Arts Council.

Reporter Yesenia Amaro can be reached at (209) 388-6507, or yamaro@mercedsun-star.com.