KRLX-FM and Carleton College Presented by Cameron Nordholm Station Manager, KRLX-FM 88.1 June 22 nd , 2005
KRLX-FM and Carleton College
Presented by Cameron NordholmStation Manager, KRLX-FM 88.1
June 22nd, 2005
1. Introduction
2. Part of the liberal arts
3. More than a “student org”
4. Our plans and direction
5. Why your help is necessary
6. Conclusion
Outline
Introduction
A not-for-profit, educationally licensed FCC station
Carleton College’s largest entirely student-run operation
One of Carleton’s oldest institutions, founded in 1948
Headed by the Board of Directors
Open to all Carleton students, faculty, and staff
A source for music and educational programming
A community-oriented production unit with local news
and documentaries in its repertoire
A tremendous resource for academic departments, other
student organizations, and the college itself
Available worldwide
What is KRLX?
1. Introduction
2. Part of the liberal arts
3. More than a student group
4. Our plans and direction
5. Why your help is necessary
6. Conclusion
KRLX supports, with air time and / or production facilities, the following academic departments at Carleton College:
Political Science
Music
Theater
Spanish
Russian
German
Chinese
Japanese
Cinema and Media Studies
African American Studies
Environmental and Technology Studies
Supporting academic departmentsPart of the liberal arts
“Producing [Recycled Air] has not only enhanced my communication abilities, but it has introduced me to a whole new side of Carleton I did not understand before….
Hosting the radio show has taught me how to ask the right questions…. I have started to make some big life choices and I now am looking into radio journalism.”
- Emily Schwing, ‘06
Supporting academic departmentsPart of the liberal arts
Journalism and research
Pre through post production
Public speaking and reading
Introductory training program
The KRLX Operator and Production handbook
Classroom taught training sessions
Professionally-taught seminars
Providing education & toolsPart of the liberal arts
The liberal arts demand independent media
Exercise the right to BE the media
Completely independent and non-profit
Local and regional music
Independent news
Free thinking, free actingPart of the liberal arts
1. Introduction
2. Part of the liberal arts
3. More than a student group
4. Our plans and direction
5. Why your help is necessary
6. Conclusion
1. KRLX involves more students than any other
student group. Over 200 are involved every week.
2. Skills learned in radio will reach into the professional
lives of those involved
3. KRLX is accessible by the Northfield Community, current
Carleton students, prospective students, alumni, and
anyone with a high-speed internet connection
4. Involvement, whether as a DJ, assistant engineer, news
production team member, periscope production, or
member of the board of directors, is open to all
5. As previously noted, KRLX currently or has recently
involved 11 academic departments
Broader reachMore than a student group
Campus-wide involvementMore than a student group
1642 258
Students involved weeklyNon-KRLX students
Over 13%of the student body
F2004-S2005
1. KRLX involves more students than any other student
group. Over 200 are involved every week.
2. Skills learned in radio will reach into the
professional lives of those involved
3. KRLX is accessible by the Northfield Community, current
Carleton students, prospective students, alumni, and
anyone with a high-speed internet connection
4. Involvement, whether as a DJ, assistant engineer, news
production team member, periscope production, or
member of the board of directors, is open to all
5. As previously noted, KRLX currently or has recently
involved 11 academic departments
Broader reachMore than a student group
“My experience at KRLX made me comfortable with public speaking, broadcast equipment & technology. Due to this I received two coveted internships at Portland radio.
I later went on to work for Portland's PBS station then for Bloomberg News in New York. The broadcast experience also helped me when I forayed into TV with Bloomberg and with my current position at Reuters News.
Without the access to KRLX and the experience I gained there, I likely wouldn’t have the career I have now.”
- Chelsea Emery ‘91
Real world experienceMore than a student group
“KRLX is a significant part of student life and the college experience. It creates an outlet for students to grow personally and professionally as it allows for the development of skills students can apply to future jobs when they leave Carleton. It does not matter if they choose to have a career in radio.
I'm a social worker now and feel that I utilize the skills I gained while a DJ on KRLX every day in my interactions with others.”
- Kasia Augustine '00
Real world experienceMore than a student group
1. KRLX involves more students than any other student
group. Over 200 are involved every week.
2. Skills learned in radio will reach into the professional
lives of those involved
3. KRLX is accessible by the Northfield Community,
current Carleton students, prospective students,
alumni, and anyone with an internet connection
4. Involvement, whether as a DJ, assistant engineer, news
production team member, periscope production, or
member of the board of directors, is open to all
5. As previously noted, KRLX currently or has recently
involved 11 academic departments
Broader reachMore than a student group
Northfield Population (2000) 17,127
FCC contour map
KRLX is available over the public airwaves for the entire cities of Northfield and Dundas. Including outlying rural areas, the 100 Watt signal reaches an audience of roughly 27,000 citizens in the community
More than a student groupFM coverage
“KRLX is a unique institution at Carleton. More so than any other Carleton student activity, it reaches beyond the campus and throughout the surrounding community.
In theory, non-Carleton folk could attend plays, movies, art exhibits and such on campus, but they are not normally advertised very much beyond the campus community. Radio knows no boundaries. It reaches into people's homes, cars and lives.
Radio provides a way to connect Carleton with the surrounding area, be it Northfield, St. Olaf or Dundas.”
- Professor Daniel Bass ‘95
Connecting with communityMore than a student group
Internet listeningMore than a student group
On CampusOff Campus
Internet listeners
Over 8,000 off campus listeners reached in 15 months from 6 different continents
Internet listeningMore than a student group
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
20000
Spring '04 Fall '04 Winter '05 Spring '05
Internet listeners
58,320 listeners in 15 months
Internet listeningMore than a student group
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
Spring '04 Fall '04 Winter '05 Spring '05
On CampusOff Campus
Internet listeners
“My name is Eric Rivas and I am a prospective Carleton student from Waikiki. On Sunday night I was listening to the Carleton radio station on the Internet and you played a song that I fell absolutely in love with….
I want to work for KRLX if I am accepted to Carleton. How difficult is it to get your own radio show? I eagerly await a response! I love your radio station.”
- Erick Rivas, Prospective StudentWaikiki, Hawaii
Representing CarletonMore than a student group
1. KRLX involves more students than any other student
group. Over 200 are involved every week.
2. Skills learned in radio will reach into the professional
lives of those involved
3. KRLX is accessible by the Northfield Community, current
Carleton students, prospective students, alumni, and
anyone with an internet connection
4. Involvement, whether as a DJ, engineer, news
production team member, periscope production, or
member of the board of directors, is open to all
5. As previously noted, KRLX currently or has recently
involved 11 academic departments
Broader reachMore than a student group
1. KRLX involves more students than any other student
group. Over 200 are involved every week.
2. Skills learned in radio will reach into the professional
lives of those involved
3. KRLX is accessible by the Northfield Community, current
Carleton students, prospective students, alumni, and
anyone with an internet connection
4. Involvement, whether as a DJ, engineer, news
production team member, periscope production, or
member of the board of directors, is open to all
5. As previously noted, KRLX currently or has recently
involved 11 academic departments
Broader reachMore than a student group
1. Introduction
2. Part of the liberal arts
3. More than a student group
4. Our plans and direction
5. Why your help is necessary
6. Conclusion
Emphasize and actively recruit professors and students
to host education-focused programming
Share Carleton resources and values with the
community via the public airwaves
Present the college in an accurate, positive manner
Broadcast Carleton convocations, concerts, seminars,
and even selected classes live on-air
Obtain a membership to Public Radio Exchange (PRX),
possibly in conjunction with the CAMS department
Capture the classical music audience left by WCAL by
employing the music department to a greater extent
Education, philosophy, and focusOur plans and direction
Install new information delivery computers in FM studio
“Podcast” all production and news pieces to be on the
cutting edge of broadcast technology
Upgrade our current internet streaming capabilities and
lay the foundation for the eventual shift towards time-
shift broadcasting and network delivery
Create online to on-air community content delivery
service
Aggressively advertise services to the school and
community
Information & deliveryOur plans and direction
Obtain additional production and office space
Obtain wire news service for the news department
Upgrade production computer system and add an
additional workstation
Install computer-based playback systems to compliment
digital audio editing
Install remote audio mixers and microphones
Install audio switching capabilities for remote lines
Install a transmitter controller & logging printer
Facilities and resourcesOur plans and direction
1. Introduction
2. Part of the liberal arts
3. More than a student group
4. Our plans and direction
5. Why your help is necessary
6. Conclusion
Financial breakdownWhy your help is necessary
EquipmentEngineeringLegalOther
Over 70% of KRLX’s annual budget goes directly to engineers, legal representation, and equipment costs
Funds allocated to KRLX-FM 2005-2006 by the Carleton Student Association totaling $9,800
The KRLX budget, from 1985 to 2003, fell from over
$13,000 to just over $3,000
This fall in the budget represents a loss of tens of
thousands of dollars that should have been used to
upgrade and repair equipment and facilities over the
years
Streaming capabilities and digital audio editing were only
made possible by the Alumni Association
KRLX is in need of digital audio delivery systems, a
reliable year round operation mechanism, and up to date
FCC logging equipment
We have fallen behindWhy your help is necessary
1. Introduction
2. Part of the liberal arts
3. More than a student group
4. Our plans and direction
5. Why your help is necessary
6. Conclusion
Academic support
Educational training
Real world experience
Outreach into the community
Independent, Carleton media
A legacy
KRLX is importantConclusion
Carleton radio must enter the 21st century with new
equipment and ideas in order to remain relevant
A paradigm shift is now possible but must be backed by
a significant change in the way it is perceived by the
school, namely as more than just a student group
We seek to implement capital improvements with the
help of the college and establish a set of costs that are
more appropriately funded by the college as they do not
fulfill specific student activity functions.
KRLX needs helpConclusion
Thank you
Strategy for development 1. Build support for change
2. Formalize philosophical statement
3. Implement programming directives
4. Get the word out