KSLU (Saint Louis University)

Last updated

KSLU is a student media organization at Saint Louis University (SLU) in Saint Louis, Missouri. The organization, which is affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences' Department of Communication, provides "Saint Louis University and the St. Louis community with a student-run, tangible media outlet; providing new music, talk radio, written publication, as well as other student needs". [1] Its studios and offices are located in the university's Busch Student Center building.

Contents

KSLU traces its founding to the establishment of a carrier current radio station, that was set up at the university in 1949. As technologies for distributing audio programming have evolved, KSLU has employed, in turn, AM and FM radio broadcasting, transmission over cable TV channels, and, most recently, streaming audio and podcasts available over the internet.

Early history (KBIL)

Saint Louis University was a prominent pioneer in early radio development. The university began experimentation with spark transmitters in 1912, transmitted daily weather reports over station 9YK beginning on April 26, 1921, received a license for one of the first AM broadcasting stations in the United States, WEW, in March 1922, and began operating one of the earliest FM stations, WEW-FM, in 1947. However, the FM station was shut down in late 1949, and, in the mid-1950s, WEW, which was a faculty-run, religious station, was sold to a commercial operator.

Meanwhile, in 1949 the SLU communications department established a student-run carrier current radio station, operating on the AM band. (Information on the frequency used is scarce, but in 1970 the station was transmitting on 600 kilohertz.) Its description in the 1955 Saint Louis University Yearbook stated that the three main purposes of the station were to "provide a practical training ground for those who are training themselves for the radio profession", act as "an interesting and valuable extra-curricular activity", and provide "entertainment particularly designed to satisfy its student audience". [2] Because its signal was very low power, providing service only to the university campus and immediately adjoining areas, the station did not need a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license in order to operate. In addition, as an unlicensed station, it was never assigned official call letters by the FCC. However, for identification purposes, the moniker "KBIL"—referring to the school's "Billiken" mascot—was adopted for use on the air.

Although KBIL rarely received attention beyond of the confines of the SLU campus, it did briefly gain national attention in February 1955, when Dave Lukefahr and Joseph Kessler played a Betty Clooney record, "So All Alone", 1,323 times over a 60-hour period, surpassing by one hour the old mark for repetitive airplay. [3]

Evolution (KSLU)

In 1983, a recently established FM station in San Angelo, Texas, that had been officially assigned KBIL (now KDCD) as its call letters by the FCC, complained about the duplicate use of its callsign by the SLU operation. As a result, the SLU station moniker was changed from "KBIL" to the still-used "KSLU".

KSLU's AM band carrier current transmitter was eventually taken out of service, and a low-power FM transmitter operated until the mid -1990s. Its programming was later made available as background audio over cable TV channel 12, followed by the establishment of online streaming. [4]

Between 1992 and 1998 KSLU expanded its activities, publishing Fiber, a college music magazine, and hosting concerts at the Reinert Pub, a student tavern on the ground floor of Reinert Hall. An attempt in 2000 to return to the airwaves as a low-power FM station was unsuccessful, however, the development of internet streaming means that over-the-air broadcasting is no longer needed for it to reach its audience. KSLU added a Sports department in 2007, with sports talk shows and live broadcasts of SLU Billikens sporting events.

Today

KSLU currently broadcasts 24 hours a day, over cable channel 18 on the SLU campus and online. In addition, it offers a mobile disc-jockey service for on-campus events, publishes Already Bored (a successor of Fiber and The Amp), and organizes music events. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KUOM</span> College radio station of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities

KUOM – branded Radio K – is a daytime-only non-commercial educational college/alternative rock radio station licensed to serve Minneapolis, Minnesota. KUOM covers the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, and extends its reach with three low-power broadcast relay stations and one full-power repeater that also allow KUOM's programming to be heard 24 hours a day. Owned by the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, the station is operated by both faculty and students. The KUOM studios are located at the Rarig Center on the University of Minnesota campus, while the station transmitter is in Falcon Heights. Besides a standard analog transmission, KUOM is also available online.

Carrier current transmission, originally called wired wireless, employs guided low-power radio-frequency signals, which are transmitted along electrical conductors. The transmissions are picked up by receivers that are either connected to the conductors, or a short distance from them. Carrier current transmission is used to send audio and telemetry to selected locations, and also for low-power broadcasting that covers a small geographical area, such as a college campus. The most common form of carrier current uses longwave or medium wave AM radio signals that are sent through existing electrical wiring, although other conductors can be used, such as telephone lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTXT-FM</span> Student radio station at Texas Tech University

KTXT-FM is a non-commercial educational college radio station licensed to Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, United States. KTXT-FM is licensed to broadcast 35,000 watts of power to Lubbock and the surrounding South Plains of West Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNUR-FM</span> Radio station at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois

WNUR-FM is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Evanston, Illinois and serving the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the student radio station of Northwestern University and has a college radio format, mixing different styles of music with news and commentary.

WPGU is a fully commercial, student-run college radio station on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, Illinois. It broadcasts an alternative rock radio format and other programming throughout Champaign-Urbana and surrounding communities. It is owned independently from the university by the Illini Media Company.

WHUS is a non-commercial educational FM college radio station. It transmits with 4,400 watts on 91.7 MHz from the University of Connecticut (UConn) in Storrs to audiences in Connecticut, southern Massachusetts and western Rhode Island. WHUS operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year as a community radio station that features members of the student body and the local community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WZBC</span> Radio station in Newton, Massachusetts

WZBC is a radio station broadcasting an Alternative format. Licensed to Newton, Massachusetts, United States, the station serves Boston and its western suburbs. The station is currently owned by Boston College.

WMUC-FM is the student-run non-commercial radio station licensed to the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, broadcasting at 30 watts. It is a freeform radio station staffed entirely by UMD students and volunteers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KWUR</span> Radio station at Washington University in St. Louis

KWUR is a college radio station in St. Louis, Missouri located at 90.3 MHz FM. KWUR was founded on July 4, 1976, at Washington University in St. Louis, and represents one of the last remaining independent and fully student-managed radio stations in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLSO</span> Radio station in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Laker Radio is an internet radio station in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, United States. Broadcasting a college radio format, The 46th Parallel Radio is the campus radio station of the city's Lake Superior State University, and also provides mobile DJ services for on-campus and Sault Ste. Marie events. From 1993–2017, the station broadcast at 90.1 on the FM dial with the call sign WLSO, before becoming solely an internet radio station during the 2016–2017 school year.

WEW (770 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve St. Louis, Missouri. Owned by Birach Broadcasting Corporation, the station features a brokered ethnic format, except for a midday show which features a mix of easy listening, adult standards and big band music. WEW's daily schedule consists entirely of programming provided by Overcomer Ministry. The studios are located on Hampton Avenue in St. Louis, and its transmitter is located in Caseyville, Illinois. The station now airs Brother Stair 24/7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WERW (student radio)</span> Radio station in Syracuse, New York

WERW is an independent student-run, free-format radio station at Syracuse University that broadcasts on the Web. The station programs an eclectic format similar to many other college radio stations in the United States of America, with blocks of programs featuring underground rock music, world music, folk music, occasional news, and some political or public affairs programs. The online station can be streamed at its website.

WIKD-LP is the radio station of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. The station broadcasts in the Daytona Beach area as a LPFM, covering about a 5- to 7-mile radius from the transmitter site, with a coverage of roughly 120,000 people depending on time of year not including online streaming. The station is non-profit, entirely student run, and does not have a fixed format, however focuses on Top 40, indie, and alternative rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCDB</span> Radio station in Albany, New York

WCDB is a college radio station located at The University at Albany in Albany, New York. WCDB currently broadcasts at 90.9 FM with a signal covering the Capital District and reaching parts of Western Massachusetts. The station is staffed completely by students and student alumni, operating on a 24/7 schedule. WCDB's programming includes a wide range of alternative music programs. The station is available worldwide via streaming on their website.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WIUX-LP</span> Radio station in Bloomington, Indiana

WIUX-LP is a student-operated low power FM college radio station in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. The station is owned by Indiana University Student Broadcasting with the slogan 'Pure Student Radio'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WONU</span> Christian radio station of Olivet Nazarene University in Kankakee, Illinois

WONU is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Kankakee, Illinois, United States, and serving the region south of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is a non-profit, listener-supported station owned and operated by Olivet Nazarene University, which is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It airs a Christian Contemporary Music radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCVF-FM</span> Radio station in Fredonia, New York

WCVF-FM is an FM radio station in Fredonia, New York. Licensed to the State University of New York at Fredonia, the station broadcasts on 88.9 MHz on the FM dial. "CVF" stands for "Campus and Community Voice of Fredonia," the station's slogan. The station primarily features "alternative" rock, but includes an eclectic mix of genres at consistent times throughout the week. Listeners can catch blocks of Polka, Spanish, Blues, Jazz, Folk, Reggae, Hip Hop and anything in between. Live programs hosted by student and community jocks can be of any format/genre from talk, music, to radio drama. WCVF also covers local sports and includes live broadcasts/commentary for several Blue Devil teams. Our music director reports to College Music Journal for charting, and devotes time slots for new music sent to the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KLPI</span> Radio station at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana

KLPI is a non-commercial educational college radio station owned by Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to broadcast at 89.1 MHz with an effective power of 4 kW. It is also licensed to operate a studio to transmitter microwave link, call sign WHQ444. KLPI is student-operated and allows any Louisiana Tech student to become a member of the radio station. The music selection is primarily a mix of alternative rock, college rock, indie, and mainstream rock; however, requests from almost any genre are also accepted.

WXCI is a student radio station broadcasting an educational format. Licensed to Danbury, Connecticut, United States, the station serves the Danbury area. The station is owned by Western Connecticut State University.

References

  1. ↑ "Busch Student Center", The University News, accessed January 23, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Station K.B.I.L.", Archive 1955 (Saint Louis University Yearbook), page 212.
  3. ↑ "Disc Jockeys Break Record" (AP), Danville (Virginia) Bee, February 28, 1955, Second section, page 1. Six copies of the phonograph record were worn out in the process. This account also noted that KBIL's "range is limited to the mid-town area in the vicinity of the university".
  4. ↑ KSLU History
  5. ↑ "KSLU Facebook page".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.