Hello, and welcome to the second installment of Culver Has It, a column outlining student organizations one might not expect to be present on a campus the size of Culver-Stockton College.

This time, we’re covering our on-campus radio station, KCSW, which can be found on 97.1 FM. At the moment, the station exclusively offers music, covering a “plethora” of genres. Historically, the station has made air time available to student-hosted shows, an option which is ready to be revived by any interested students taking the radio practicum. However, much as the Megaphone has transitioned to the Wildcat Wire, much of the focus of the class has shifted to new media formats, including podcasts. The content currently produced in the radio practicum, the “PodCats” and “On the Hill” podcasts, cover sports and student life respectively, both being available under the KCSW tab on the homepage of the Wildcat Wire.

Currently, plans exist to provide more student-run shows, and further transition to online mediums. Recently, a Twitch.tv channel named “Wildcat Network” has been created, which should be carrying a number of shows broadcast live in the future. Though the Twitch channel is still a work in progress, and set to private at the time of writing, keep an eye out for new developments.

The station was first granted a low-power license in 1998, giving the station a broadcast range of ten miles. At its inception, it was hosted in Johnson Hall, beside student life’s former location. Currently in basement of the Gladys Crown Student Center, looking out over the Cat’s Pause dining area. As the station took off, it developed a library consisting most of classic rock, and current pop, but has expanded to many genres over the years. Many students had their own shows on the air through the college’s history. Though the station has provided a method of listening options throughout its history, such as an online stream and live broadcast on Channel 2 of the campus’ cable TV service, both methods have been lost in recent years due to hardware difficulties and the removal of cable television from student dormitories.

The station and radio practicum are overseen by Tyler Tomlinson, Lecturer in Communication and Women’s Soccer Coach. Having a long history with the station, he recalls being a junior when it first went on the air. The radio itself is managed by Carter Knake, a sophomore and Media Communications major serves as the current Radio Manager, updating schedule and lineup for the station, on a pre-planned monthly to bi-monthly schedule. However, the position is expected to change hands by the semester, to help provide more students experiential learning, and help to develop a wide skillset in their field.