FM Radio on the LBCC Campus

Good morning LBCC!! That’s what could be heard on the FM radio air waves around South Albany, Tangent, and maybe the entire Mid-Willamette Valley.

Photo by Dale Hummel

A few months ago it was thought that  political science instructor, Doug Clark, said that in 1978 there was a radio station on campus that didn’t quite make it to air. There was an assumption that there was a studio, antenna, and everything still on campus.
A member of the LB security office was summoned to open the room. As we walked to the door there were visions of  ancient tape decks, turntables, and mixing boards covered in inches of dust. As the door swung open, and the room was inspected, the visions diminished. There were only shelves containing gallon jugs of cleaner and the floor was sparsely covered with mops and buckets. No studio! Mr.Clark was miss-understood, but he likes the idea of a radio station on campus and still hopes in can be a reality.

The idea of a radio station at LBCC first started in 1977 by a committee of staff members and volunteers, according to “The History of Linn-Benton Community College”, a book by Rosemary Allen Bennett. For six months the committee worked to create a station that would best serve the needs of the college as well as the community.

photo by Dale Hummel

By the fall term the idea of a radio station had went from a dream to the planning stage. By July Doug Clark, with the help of Jim Dunn, who was the manager of the successful KLCC radio station at Lane Community College, submitted the proposal to the LBCC board.

From the beginning, the board was hesitant and skeptical about a radio station on campus. The board feared that it would be a waste of tax payer money. They also didn’t think it could be directly linked to an instructional program, and that there was not enough interest in the station.

Because of these decisions, the radio station on campus never became a reality.

Bing images

The first person to successfully demonstrate the controlled transmission and reception of long-range radio signals was Guglielmo Marconi in 1895. Today Marconi is known as the father of radio. In 1907 American inventor Lee De Forest was responsible for making it possible for longer audio radio transmissions. More radio history can be found at www.earlyradiohistory.us

Radiotimeline.com

Civilian radio actives were suspended during WWI, however, the military used and improved on the existing industry and thousands of troops were exposed to the technology and entertainment of radio. After the war several small broadcasting companies began to pop up and by the 1920s there were about 500 small stations playing a chaotic collection of programming.

A time line on the “golden age” of radio can be found at www.digitaldeliftp.com/LookAround/la_gaspot_timeline.html

Radio has changed by leaps and bounds since the turn of the century. Live broadcasts on small, privately owned stations have given way to the phonograph, then to tapes and CDs. Now, most radio stations are owned by a few communications conglomerates and use automated computer software with satellite syndicated broadcasts. Nearly every radio station in the country has a web site and many stream their broadcasts online.

photo by Dale Hummel

Perhaps the automated software and the large corporate feel have taken the romance out of what the radio used to be. The funny local disk-jockey, the favorite song played at request, the local news, sports and weather played seemingly just when you need it have all been lost under the immense pressure of the big communications companies.

The “golden age” of radio can flourish at LBCC. Live and recorded music of any kind, broadcasted theatre plays, events, news, sports, weather. Even political and religious debates and issues can be broadcasted from the heart of the Mid-Willamette Valley, including emergency announcements and Amber Alerts. Anything the Federal Communications Commission, (FCC) will allow can and should be heard from an LBCC radio station.

Just imagine it, a streaming radio station operated by, to and for the Linn-Benton Community College students, faculty and staff. The possibilities are only as limited as our imaginations. People on and around campus can be informed, enlightened, instructed and entertained with an operational FM radio station.

Several students have voiced their approval of an FM radio station on campus by signing a club registration form. Most of these people are quite excited about the idea.


To be apart of what could be something great, or just for information on setting up an FM radio station on the LBCC campus, send an e-mail to LbccFmradio@yahoo.com or go to Lbcc FmRadio on Facebook.

Links:
LbccFmradio@yahoo.com
LbccFmRadio@Facebook.com
www.digitaldeliftp.com/LookAround/la_gaspot_timeline.html
www.earlyradiohistory.us