Marlborough’s student-led radio station KMBR has new rules and restrictions for what they can play on the air.
Created in 2018, KMBR features conversation and a mix of music selected by members of the club. KMBR has amassed a large audience of over 8,000 total listeners since it first started.
The hosts of KMBR broadcasts have a segment, which included a selection of music and audio of their choice. However, newly instated restrictions now limit what they are allowed to broadcast to the Marlborough student body.
Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Allison Ponzio said the process of implementing new rules is not unique to KMBR. New policies like these have already been implemented in other SPARC classes, such as The UltraViolet and The Sundial, to create clearer guidelines for how these publications should operate. Ponzio stated that beginning this school year, she and other members of the administration and SPARC team have been working to create some degree of structure for clubs like KMBR that had ambiguous rules in previous years.
The new rules and policies include having a clear purpose on their broadcasting intentions, prohibiting explicit language and making sure that any group of people they mention is inclusive and respectful. To ensure the audio complies with the new parameters, hosts must submit a preset playlist to be reviewed by either Ponzio, Media Program Head Erick Huezo or KMBR advisor Jena English at least 48 hours before air time.
Ponzio said the function of these new policies is not to criticize past actions but to create a general understanding on how to proceed.
“I want to say very clearly that we believe that KMBR is already doing these things, it’s just naming what has already been done and clarifying what might have been unclear,” Ponzio said.
Co-Leader of KMBR Anabel Adams ’25 said the structural changes encourage organization throughout the planning process. Previously, most KMBR members generate playlists about an hour before they go live, a habit that will change with the implementation of the new policies.
Despite the new guidelines, Adams said she hopes these alterations will have a impact on KMBR’s listener experience.
“I think people understand the value of keeping things appropriate and understand the reason behind everything they are implementing,” Adams said. “People are going to have a hard time adjusting to this new level of strictness, but it will work out in the end.”
