It sounds like Albion...
By Audra Quinn
Staff Editor

Nestled quietly in the corner of the Kellogg Center’s second floor once sat an untapped resource.

It was the dormant, dusty dwelling of Albion’s own radio station, WLBN.

While the location hasn’t changed, the station certainly has, and it will continue to do so while under the control of some extremely eager and experienced student staff.

WLBN is on the rise as new blood pumps life back into the station. With fresh ideas, 24-hour live Internet broadcast, and a brand new website, the station is increasing awareness, involvement, and most importantly, listeners.

“Our goal is to advance the station to the point where it actually serves the campus instead of being just an extra,” said Evan Hawker, Brighton sophomore and WLBN Station Manager.

WLBN was established in 1966, involved a mere 2 to 4 students, and was broadcast only a few hours a day. Today, over 25 students are involved in the 24 hour a day broadcast of this completely student-run station.

Until this year, WLBN was only available on Channel 6 of the Albion College television system. As of this fall, however, WLBN hit the web, allowing for 24 hour, world-wide access.

Amy Nelson, Grand Rapids sophomore, Program Manager and Web Director of WLBN, says of the site, “It’s not only my baby, it’s also very important to the expansion of the station. By streaming live on the Internet, anyone, anywhere, with internet access can hear our shows live.”

The site, which can be found at www.albion.edu/wlbn, contains links to contests, live updates on Albion news, sports, and weather, pictures, a schedule of the DJ’s, “Deep Thoughts by Amy Nelson,” plus links to the live broadcast.

With all of the advancement came an expansion of the WLBN executive board, which now includes a public relations director, treasurer, booth manager, and coordinator.

WLBN is also looking to promote awareness of this resource among students, not only to listen to and utilize, but to be a part of.

“I’d like to ask anyone with any connection or desire to do radio to contact me. We want you on WLBN!” Hawker said in response to an inquiry about DJ selection.

“Right now we have lots and lots of slots to fill,” Nelson said. “WLBN is the outlet where you can have your voice . . . heard.”

When asked of his goals for the semester, Hawker replied, “I really want to fill all our weekly slots and be consistently broadcast and heard.”

His long term goals include one day having an actual radio antenna on top of the Kellogg Center to broadcast signals throughout Albion and getting a webcam for the studio.

Under the advisement of Fred Mooney, director of the Kellogg Center, the students are given training, and the freedom to make the station what they want it to be.

“He is really an amazing director. He gives us ample leeway to make the station student-based, not run by the administration,” said Hawker.

“Albion College’s radio station provides valuable experience to students who plan on a future in broadcasting, programming, or communications,” Nelson said. With one year of experience on WLBN, she landed a weekend DJ spot on the number-four radio station in Grand Rapids, 96.1, also known as I-96.

“I get paid to go on the beach, the auto show, I get free tickets to concerts and go backstage. It’s an awesome job,” she explained.

WLBN is made of the students, for the students, and by the students, but is, ironically enough, suffering a lack of students.

In the words of Ty Gasper, Greenville sophomore and WLBN DJ, “We are out to stimulate the music sense in the average listener. We just need an average listener.”