Campus radio station wants to stream music through the sound system
By Michael Houston
Let's face it: The Cove can get kind of drab sometimes. The only thing usually heard over the football game (courtesy of the blaring TV in the corner) is "44, your cheeseburger is ready" over the loudspeaker.
KDUP is trying to change what you listen to while sitting in The Cove.
Cole Vonder Haar, KDUP's general manager, said the radio station is trying to coordinate streaming its shows through the speakers at The Cove.
Currently, KDUP's AM frequency can reach The Cove, but the sound quality would not be as high if the shows were streamed through the Web.
A new i-Pod or a computer placed in The Cove could be hooked up to the current sound system in The Cove to provided streaming radio throughout the day.
Funds for the new prospect will come from some reallocated funds that KDUP receives from ASUP. KDUP staff members intended to attend a conference this semester, but due to schedule changes, it fell soon before finals week.
Vonder Haar said KDUP should have enough money to bring streaming music to The Cove, as long as it doesn't need to upgrade the existing sound system.
"The biggest issue is the amp (in The Cove)" Vonder Haar said.
If the outdated amp spells trouble, they may not be able to pay for a new one.
While streaming KDUP music in The Cove is a great potential opportunity for the radio station, Vander Haar said they will need to keep tighter control on their quality.
"We don't want prospective students hearing something terrible," Vonder Haar said.
Radio DJs would need to be extra careful about monitoring the songs they play during their shows.
KDUP may need to implement a new training program with more specific codes of conduct while broadcasting.
Most of the time, from about noon to midnight with some gaps in between, volunteer DJs have broadcast shows, presenting both talk and music radio.
After hours, KDUP's library of albums cycles through one of the computers in the small studio on the bluff.
KDUP hopes to be up and running in The Cove by the beginning of next semester. The winter break would give the group some time to work out logistics while most students are off campus.
