University 'Inaction' Bogs Building Plans

Andrew E. Newman '66, president of WHRB, charged Tuesday that the radio station's attempts to build new studios in the basement of Memorial Hall have been hampered by the Administration's tendency to "equate a friendly no-help policy with one of complete passivity."

"The University has failed to realize that inactivity is a powerful and destructive weapon, not a neutral tactic," Newman said.

In a report to the semi-annual meeting of the station's administrative staff, Newman attacked the University's failure to help WHRB. He charged that "to tear down a radio station's studios and not build them up again is aggressive, not passive."

WHRB's Dudley Hall studios were torn down two years ago to make way for construction of Phase II of Holyoke Center. At that time, the station was given "temporary" quarters in Claverly Hall with the understanding that the University would provide new space for permanent studios.

"Claverly basement is by no means an adequate location for a radio station," Newman said yesterday. "Our main announcing studio is a converted squash court and our workshop is the remains of a swimming pool, complete with a lion's head fountain," he added.

Of the two sites offered for the permanent WHRB home, the station chose the basement of Memorial Hall, underneath Sanders Theatre.

The other choice, the space above the masters' garage at the corner of Mill and Plympton Streets, was rejected because soning regulations interfered with building plans. "We want a square studio," Newman said. "It would have had to be U-shaped to be legal in that location. Once the site of the studios had been established, the question of monetary aid from the University became a problem.

Newman pointed out that the University doesn't want to help an undergraduate organizations with operating expenses. "There are 83 such organizations," he said. "If they helped one, they'd have to help them all."

He went on to state, however, that the issue is not one of operating expenses. "WHRB makes a profit every year," he said. "We can handle operating expenses and some capital expenditures, but not the cost of completely relocating our studios.

$65,000 Cost

Newman estimated that the cost of building the new studios would be about $65,000. The station has already spent $11,000 on the temporary Claverly quarters in order to make them suitable for broadcasting purposes.

Dean Watson said last night that allocating unrestricted University money to WHRB would be a "departure from regular procedure, since such funds are