A dark and stormy night, an Italian mystery, and limited funding are all reasons why KSCL — your favorite alternative rock station broadcasted live from Centenary College — has been down from May to just last week. But, have no fear! Station Manager Elena Hibbs reported the station is now broadcasting further than a mile-radius thanks to a new transmitter!
91.3 FM initially went down because of an electrical storm in May that caused a part of the transmitter to malfunction. They shipped it off to be repaired and switched to a lower power transmitter. But as fate would have it, when the transmitter returned to the station, another part of it failed only an hour after they were back on the air. They were forced to go back to broadcasting only on Centenary’s Campus and online.
The staff then made the decision to order new parts from Italy, where the transmitter originated.
“From the beginning, the hope was to save as much money as possible, because we have limited funds,” explained Hibbs. “The transmitter was designed in Italy and parts for it are exceptionally hard to come by. Not to mention, the company that makes it could not readily find an English speaker to assist us.”
Tragedy struck again, a few months ago, when the station was told that the Italians would be unable to fix the transmitter. At all.
Hibbs then decided that it was time to invest in a new transmitter. Luckily, Centenary’s media department had enough money saved up in their emergency fund.
Listeners can also expect exciting new changes for the station, according to Hibbs: “We just rolled out a new music library that focuses more on Shreveport-Bossier artists. We love our locals! In addition to that, while we worked to get back to full signal, the staff and I have taken time to really focus on where we hope to see the station going and use this relaunch to revive it. We’re working to build up student and alumni involvement as well as our own presence within the Shreveport arts community. We’ve also had some fun revamping our old tower logo in honor of our new transmitter.”
Keep an eye out for the benefit event the station is planning at Rhino Coffee this January. “We want the event to be a ‘New Year — New Us Celebration.’” And, of course, don’t forget to look out for their annual Battle of the Bands hosted in Centenary’s Shell this spring.
Part of KSCL’s revamp starts at Handmade Holiday @ Rhino Coffee on Sunday, December 14 (with giveaways, of course)!