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Happy birthday to us

05/07/2012 - 11:00 AM

St. Cloud, Minn. – St. Cloud State University’s public radio station, KVSC 88.1 FM will celebrate 45 years on the air May 10. The station first signed on May 10, 1967.  At that time the station was limited to a 10-watt signal, which covered a radius of about five miles.  Its original dial position was 88.5 FM. The switch to 88.1 FM came Feb. 8, 1983. The call letters KVSC were chosen as an acronym for the “Voice of St. Cloud.”

Today, the station broadcasts on 88.1 FM at a power of 16,500 watts (since Sept. 24, 1992) and reaches about 70 miles. KVSC-FM offers a blend of progressive rock, jazz, folk, reggae, world, blues, Minnesota music, educational programming like Minnesota History in 90 Seconds and Earth and Sky, eight daily newscasts and much more. 

In the past year the station has taken home nine Associated Press Awards and a Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence award.  

The station celebrated its 20th year of Monday Night Live, a show that invites local musicians to perform live on the radio. The show is simulcast with video on UTVS Charter channel 21.  On April 23, Monday Night Live went “on the road” as Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps performed for a live audience at the Pioneer Place on Fifth (in addition to the radio and TV broadcasts).  Additionally, the station held a show starring Minneapolis-based hip-hop collective Doomtree April 26. 

KVSC held its 33rd annual 50-hour trivia marathon Feb. 10-12.  This year’s theme was “Trivia Long Play 33 1/3, to reference the contest’s 33rd year and also the fact that the station still plays vinyl records.

Other milestones in KVSC’s history include:

1978 – Began broadcasting in stereo

Feb. 5, 1980 – The debut of Trivia Weekend

Feb. 8, 1983 – Moved to 88.1 FM and increased power to 5,200 watts

Feb. 1991 – 3,000 community members sign a petition to save the station from the threat of university budget cuts

1995 – KVSC.org is launched

1999 – KVSC begins streaming live on the Internet

Sept. 2008 – KVSC receives its first grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

July 2009 – First broadcast live from an international locale (the Winnipeg Film Festival)

August 2009 – KVSC receives its first Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund Grant from the state of Minnesota.

More information on the station’s history visit http://www.kvsc.org/milestones.php and http://www.kvsc.org/history.php 

KVSC Wins Associated Press and SPJ awards

04/05/2012 - 9:00 AM

KVSC Wins AP and SPJ awards

St. Cloud, Minn. – Students and an alumnus from KVSC 88.1FM brought home eight Associated Press awards and one Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Mark of Excellence award at the Midwest Journalism Conference in Bloomington, Minn. March 30-31. 

Former KVSC News Director Chris Duffy, who now works as an account executive for Goff Public Relations in St. Paul, found his experience at KVSC to be important to his development, both personally and professionally.  He said, “The documentary I produced about Somali refugees in St. Cloud was a life-changing experience because I was able to immerse myself in a foreign culture that’s right in our backyard.  It’s a testament to the opportunity KVSC provides to each student, not only to build his or her skills in radio, but to grow as a person.”  Duffy’s story, “The Journey: From the Third World to Middle America” won both first place from the Associated Press and the SPJ Region 6 Mark of Excellence Award.

The Minnesota Associated Press Broadcasters Contest takes place annually with awards given to broadcasts from the previous year. The Midwest Journalism Conference plays host to the Minnesota AP Awards and is one of the largest regional journalism conferences in the country, attracting hundreds of journalists from Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska.

Multi-Track Makeover

01/18/2011 - 10:00 AM

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Operations Director Jim Gray and his team of students and staff worked tirelessly over St. Cloud State University’s winter break to completely overhaul the multi-track studio at KVSC. The $45,000 upgrade was spent mostly at local businesses and includes all new equipment and furnishing. The main upgrade is the new 60-channel audio console with dual 46-inch monitors.

This huge upgrade was made on a tight budget and included extreme penny pinching methods in sourcing the equipment, including Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals and negotiations with vendors. The project would not have been possible without the $18,000 worth of equipment donated from alumni and others. 

Some of the key highlights include the ability to record 24 channels simultaneously into Pro Tools 9 Software, multiple monitor mixes and headphone mixes for performers and the new display monitors use an electronic lift system to maximize space and ergonomics.

The main purpose behind the multi-track studio is for live performances (namely Monday Night Live), recording and mixing for musicians and common audio productions. 

Interesting facts:

• • 21.7 miles of wiring installed
• • 392 connectors on the board
• • Hundreds of hours donated by students and staff
• • Audio board is nine feet long