When listeners tune their radio dials to 88.9 more than a mile or two from campus, they often receive static. Since Dec. 11, MSU’s student-run radio station, WDBM (88.9-FM), has encountered a limited broadcast range because of issues with the apparatus dedicated to broadcasting the station.
Ed Glazer, Impact’s general manager, said the problem stems from damage the station’s transmission line sustained halfway up the transmitter’s tower. He said the station hopes to have the issue repaired within the next week.
Until then, there isn’t much the station can do except continue to broadcast at 3 percent of its capacity. Glazer said the issue has limited the station’s range to between two and five miles from its transmitter at the south end of campus, and coverage varies as a result of changes in elevation.
“You may not be able to pick us on Harrison (Road) north of Michigan Avenue, but I can pick us up on the east side of Lansing,” Glazer said.
Initially, the transmitter shut off completely.
“It was a very cold night, I remember that much,” student general manager Sam Riddle said. At about 12:30 a.m., he discovered the station was off the air.
Riddle said there was “definitely a little bit of panic,” until they could resume broadcasting later that night.
“Our chief engineer was able to kind of finagle something to get minimum power,” Riddle said.
Glazer said the specialists who needed to evaluate the problem and locate its source were not available right away, causing a significant delay in repairs.
Now that the problem has been diagnosed, Glazer said the station has ordered replacement parts and is looking for a team to make the repairs. The parts will cost Impact in excess of $1,500, but Glazer said he didn’t know how much the repairs will cost the station.
Despite the misfortune, Riddle said there have been positive aspects to Impact’s “quiet hour.”
“We’ve actually had a ton of support,” he said, noting that many people have reached out to the station, asking why they appeared off the air. “Once we fill them in, they’re a little more understanding. We’ve been extremely thankful and appreciative of the way the community has rallied around us.”
Riddle said Impact has received more traction on the station’s online stream, which is “kind of inspiring us to push that in different ways once we are back.”
Maris Ryckman, a freshman in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, listened to Impact until the station didn’t come up on her radio in December.
“I like the music, it’s definitely not just all mainstream rap,” Ryckman said. “I’ll still listen to them when they come back on.”
Support student media!
Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Discussion
Share and discuss “Impact faces issues with transmitter” on social media.
