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Contact: David West
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
9/18/98
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES - Northwestern State University's campus radio station, KNWD-FM, has expanded its broadcast range to cover the entire world. The student-operated station has made its programming available on the Internet.
The station went on-line earlier this week at http://.vic.nsula.edu/knwd. Those wishing to listen to the broadcast will need to download free RealPlayer software from www.real.com.
KNWD has a 250 watt over-the-air signal that covers the city of Natchitoches.
"Broadcasting on the Internet will be a great marketing tool for KNWD and Northwestern," said station manager Casey Shannon, a senior hospitality management and tourism major from Durham, N.C., who is in his second year of running the station. "We will increase the number of listeners and awareness of the station."
KNWD is on the air from 9 a.m. until 6 a.m. when classes are in session. The station has a modern rock/alternative format during the day and specialty programs featuring formats including jazz, urban and classic rock in the evening. A morning show from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. features music, talk, news and weather.
"Already we've gotten a good deal of feedback in the few days we've been on the Internet," said Shannon. "Students and faculty have told us what they liked and have also given us constructive criticism that will help us."
Currently, only one other college radio station in Louisiana is broadcasting over the Internet. A number of stations have web sites, but have not set up the technology to make their signals available.
"Not many colleges are doing this. We are among the college stations who are pioneering this," said Shannon. "This will be a powerful marketing tool for the station, the Department of Journalism and Northwestern because people can hear what they do."
Shannon believes the Internet presence has increased student interest in KNWD.
"We're getting better DJ's. The people who are volunteering to do shows are more serious. Maybe they realize their parents could be listening," he said.
According to Shannon, the Internet presence is also helpful in dealing with record companies and promoters.
"We don't pay for the music we program. We depend on record companies and promoters. Now they can hear us and know we are a serious operation," said Shannon.
Several promoters have set up links to the KNWD site, Shannon said.
He also thanked Dr. Anthony Scheffler, assistant dean of graduate studies and research and acting director of the computer center, along with Roy Davis and Phillip Gillis of the Office of Academic Computing for their assistance in launching the web broadcast.