Radio has changed a great deal at Ball State University since David Letterman studied it here almost 40 years ago. Over the years, BSU's station, WCRD, has grown.
Last year the radio station bought its own signal and transmitter.
This spring, WCRD will use a new transmitter that will greatly enhance the strength of its signal.
The current transmitter was purchased last spring from Muncie Southside High School along with the signal. Prior to this, WCRD shared the signal, simulcasting with the high school.
WCRD Production Director Ben Ericsen said the upgrade is causing a kind of renaissance at the station.
"Things are more organized now than I think they've ever been. We've brought in a lot of advertisers, and we've been able to manage our money." Ericsen said.
In the past, WCRD has not been able to reach a large portion of its intended audience over the radio due to a weak signal. Two years ago, the station began relying heavily on Webcasting to reach its listeners.
"The Internet has saved us. Everybody can hear us, and the signal is clear." General Manager Colleen "Bunny" Haney said.
The Web broadcasts are especially popular with BSU sports fans, who can listen in on athletic events from across the country, Haney said.
However, WCRD's Web listenership is not limited to sports fans. Music shows have also expanded their audiences.
"I had someone call the other night from Arizona," disc jockey Ben Cleland said. "They said they were listening to it on the Internet."
One reason people listen to the station is that there are a limited amount of commercial interruptions, Cleland said.
Another reason is the playlist itself.
"We don't just go for the big names," Cleland said. "We play good bands, you know? Bands we like; bands that deserve to be heard."
It is common for record labels to test drive new bands by sending out albums to college stations, dj Alex Graessle said.
"The labels don't want to spend money on something they're going to lose money on," he said.
"We were playing The Killers last year," dj Alex Graessle said. "They're only now starting to get big."
Examples of college radio success stories are easy to come by. R.E.M., Avril Lavigne and the White stripes all appeared first on college stations, Graessle said.
WCRD Music Director Drew DeBoy decides which bands make it on Ball State's radio station.
"Basically we just try to find stuff we think 20-something college-age kids will want to listen to," DeBoy said.
DeBoy said one thing Ball State 20-somethings want more of is local music.
"We like to support the local music scene, there are some really great bands here that people might not get to hear other places," he said.
Lately, WCRD has worked not only to promote local bands but to promote itself as well. Sponsoring local events, putting up ads and doing remote broadcasts are just a few ways the station tries to spark the public's interest, Ericsen said.
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