Vivian Lehrer, CC '02, left, and Michelle Thompkins, CC '03, cohost "Art Attack," Friday nights 10- 11 on WKCR-89.9 FM

Philipp Kuecuekyan, GS '02, was sitting in his film studies class last spring when a friend asked if he might want to use his interest in cinema as a talk show DJ for WKCR-89.9 FM. Kuecuekyan, a native of Berlin, Germany, hadn't thought much about the medium of radio before and didn't feel completely confident with his interviewing skills. Still, the idea intrigued him and he agreed at least to try.

Today, Kuecuekyan is a host of "Film Focus," an independent film show that airs Monday nights from 9:30 to10:00 on the student-run radio station and includes reviews, interviews and previews. Kuecuekyan has scheduled and interviewed directors such as Jacque Rivette ("Va Savoir"), Griffin Dunne ("Lisa Picard is Famous") and Ang Lee ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") as well as actors like Marissa Tomei, Mira Sorvino, and Mathieu Kassovitz.

He's even exchanged on-air insights with Columbia film professors Richard Peña and David Sterritt and New York Times critic Janet Maslin. In fact, Kuecuekyan's interviews have built such a following that he's now inundated with inquiries by publicists and filmmakers alike. "I have so many requests, I don't have time for them all," he says.

Not bad for an undergraduate film student who wasn't sure he could pull off so much conversation in a non-visual medium. And though he easily spends 10 hours a week preparing for his 30 minutes of air time, Kuecuekyan doesn't earn a dime or an academic credit for his show. What he does gain is an insider's view of the New York film scene, growing confidence in his skills and access to international filmmakers and actors.

The secret of his success? Kuecuekyan is part of a team—and a history—of equally enthusiastic undergraduate students, who, since 1986, have sustained the five shows that make up the art department of WKCR-89 FM. WKCR radio began at Columbia in the 1930s as a radio club and secured its FCC license in 1941. It adopted its call letters—KCR for King's Crown Radio—shortly after WWII when the FCC began codifying the formalities of FM radio stations. Soon, WKCR formally embraced the FM convention and aired Columbia classroom events, classical music and broadcasts of the United Nations. But in 1968, the station redirected its mission to present non-commercial programming of relevance to the entire New York City area. WKCR's identity evolved into "The Alternative" and has in the past few years gained a worldwide audience—thanks to the Internet—of listeners who tune in for programs they cannot get on other stations.

Enter WKCR-Arts. In addition to "Film Focus," other shows include "Art Attack," "Composed on the Tongue," "Studio A" and "Manhattan Theater of the Ear." Ten undergraduate students and two alumni comprise the current arts team and consistently bring their unique perspectives and personalities to the shows, according to urban studies major Vivian Lehrer, CC '02, who heads the station's art department and co-hosts "Art Attack."

Most students do not have radio experience before coming to Lerner Hall where WKCR—89.9 FM is now housed, nor do they anticipate radio careers after graduation. Yet Lehrer says all of WKCR—89.9 FM DJs have to attend three FCC training sessions and pass technical tests before earning on-air licenses. (Even the training sessions are run by students.) And like Kuecuekyan, none receive credit or pay, though they do receive first hand training in interviewing, public relations and an occasional ticket to a play or film. So why do they come week after week to host their respective shows?

"This show helps me keep my sanity," says Jennifer Martinez, CC '04, co-host of "Composed of the Tongue," which airs Sundays from 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. For the past year, Martinez has juggled her time at the radio station between her double major in political science and Latin American studies, a part time job and volunteering commitments for a number of non-profit organizations. But she says her time at the radio station every Sunday is "a break away from everything else."

Martinez celebrates the spoken word on her show by featuring weekly interviews and readings by poets who perform regularly at venues such as St. Mark's Poetry Project, 13 Bar Lounge and the Nuyorican Cafe. Martinez questions her guests on a range of issues revolving around the writing process. Then she asks them to read their works on air.

The result is a stimulating blend of academic insights and poetry slam. Martinez even interviewed Taylor Mali, an author and noted performance poet seen in the documentary "Slam Nation." "His energy in the studio was a highlight for me," Martinez said.

Other WKCR-Arts highlights have included a variety of artists in a variety of mediums. For instance, "Art Attack" co-hosts Lehrer and general studies major, Michelle Thompkins, CC '03, have interviewed an eclectic mix of artists like sidewalk chalk artist James De la Vega; Eduardo Machado, head of Columbia's graduate playwriting program; Reno, a comedienne and writer of several one-woman shows performed at La Mama, and Peter Plagens, Newsweek art critic, artist and novelist.

"Although certain big-name artists are great to showcase occasionally, I prefer to focus on emerging talent and lesser-known venues," Lehrer says. Thompkins agrees, and believes that her participation on "Art Attack" has introduced her to "all sorts of arts. I came from Sacramento, CA, and it doesn't have quite the same breadth as the New York art scene does."

Perhaps the most consistent personality on WKCR-89.9 FM has been Janie Iadipaolo, a Columbia alumna who enjoyed her on air interviews with artists so much she kept doing them each Sunday night from 9:00 to10:00 on "Studio A." In its tenth year, Iadipaolo's show has gained such a following that like Kuecuekyan, she often can't keep up with requests.

Part of the creative opportunities for WKCR-Arts happen because of the way the station is structured and supported by Columbia and CU listeners. The other happens because of these students' tenacious love for the arts.

"Being a non-profit really comes into play with arts in particular," Lehrer says. "We're free to operate without the normal restrictions of commercial stations so we promote what we like and think deserves free press, worthy of free coverage. Only in New York City, where the opportunities are unparalleled, could you have programming like this."