Campus DJs broadcast wide range of musical tastes
March 19, 2008
As many people already know, Simpson has its very own radio station, 88.9 KSTM, where students are able to hone their skills in the field of broadcasting. Each week, students are able to design their own shows to broadcast. Students are given the opportunity to get involved in broadcasting whether they are majoring in communications or not.
KSTM can also be a way for student disc jokeys to become more familiar with the field of broadcasting. Currently, there are about 12 different DJs for KSTM.
Chad Roberts, instructor of communication studies/student media specialist, is in charge of the radio station along with sophomore Courtney Davis, music director for KSTM, who helps the station decide what to air each week. DJs usually work in pairs to prepare their shows for the following week.
Senior Amanda Botts, a journalism and mass communication major, has been involved with Simpson radio for the past two years.
Botts felt the station would be something that she would enjoy, and now usually broadcasts with senior Nicole Condos, a fellow KSTM DJ, on Thursday nights.
During their show, titled “ANFM,” Botts enjoys playing a lot of indie and alternative rock, but admits it can sometimes be hard to choose which songs to play, as the station receives so much music before each show.
“We have 100s of CDs sent to us each month,” Botts said. “We will usually pick one [artist] with one or more CDs.”
KSTM deejays try to mix up their shows with music from both popular bands and local bands that they have gone to see. According to Botts, one recent show consisted entirely of selections from five local bands, allowing for more variety into their shows.
Listeners may have also heard seniors Tracy Robson and Laura Hupp, hosts of the “Emo Hour.” Two other DJs include junior Justin Mark and senior Paul Steeve. Mark prefers to play country while Steeve has a different interest.
“I enjoy playing [and] listening to classic rock,” Steeve said.
Mark and Steeve also have their own band, “FTD” and are members of Kappa Theta Psi. The radio nickname they go by when broadcasting is the “Straight Jackets.” They tend to include a lot of rock and country in their shows.
“We try to do a lot for our listeners,” Mark said. “[We] gave prizes out each week before Christmas, for the [listener who called in with the] worst Christmas gift.”