In a referendum Thursday, a majority of NIU students voted to pay a one-time maximum fee of $10.47 to support the proposed conversion of WKDI to an FM frequency.

A total of 1,004 students voiced their opinions at the polls Thursday. The outcome of the referendum broke down to 77 percent positive votes (754), 23 percent negative votes (231) and less than one percent invalid votes.

Student Association Treasurer Diana Turowski said the results of this referendum will show the SA that NIU students want the station changeover, are willing to support it and are willing to pay the fee.

Turowski said she will be presenting the results from the WKDI referendum to the activities fee study board this morning. “The proposal should not be any problem in passing the activity fee study,” she said.

The next steps for the changeover proposal will be presentation to the president’s fee study, which will meet Oct. 28, and to the Board of Regents, Turowski said.

WKDI faculty adviser Michael Lazar said the results of the referendum will be reported to the SA senate during its meeting Sunday.

“It will give the SA senate evidence that the students do want the station changed to FM and that the SA should continue to provide funding for WKDI legal fees,” Lazar said.

The process started in August 1987 when WKDI first filed for the frequency, he said. At that time, there were seven other applicants for the FM spot. The competition for the frequency now has dropped to four other applicants.

Lazar said the administrative law judge of the Federal Communications Commission, after a series of legal steps, will decide in early 1989 who should get the license for the frequency.

Turowski said that if the senate approves of supporting WKDI by allowing it additional funding in legal fees, that will give the station the go-ahead to participate in an Oct. 20 deposition.

Lazar said representatives of the four applicants would answer questions regarding their applications during the deposition.