When I worked at KCOU, only a few people had keys to the building. Consequently, if someone had to leave a shift early and couldn't find a sub, the next DJ couldn't get into the building. The person scheduled after that usually wouldn't be able to get in, either. This chain reaction would sometimes go three or four shifts deep, leaving the station off the air for up to nine hours. The first week of a new school year was interesting, as well. The Summer schedule was still in effect for the first week of classes; inevitably, not everyone who had been available to do Summer shifts was available to work that week. Twice during one such week, this happened:
I'd turn on KCOU before going to sleep.
"Hmmmm," I'd think. There's no music. I'd go down there and sub, but I have to get some sleep before breakfast and class. I could unlock the station, but if no one can work the shift, the station will be left unattended. That's not an option."
Upon waking up, I'd turn the radio on again.
"Wow. No one's on the air," I'd think. "I'd sub, but I have to eat breakfast and go to classes. I won't be free for another three hours."
Upon returning from class, I'd turn on KCOU again.
"There's still just static," I would think. "Surely, when I get back from lunch, someone will finally be on the air."
After returning from lunch, I tuned into KCOU once again, only to hear static.
I thought, "Well, it's 10 minutes until noon, and I don't have to go anywhere for a while. I might as well sub."
I unlocked the station, turned on the transmitter, selected some albums for a shortened, hour-long edition of "Jazz Odyssey," turned on the mic at noon, and read the required sign-on, "KCOU Columbia now begins its broadcast day..."
