Baker University’s student-run radio station, 89.7 KNBU-FM “The Edge,” celebrated the new year with games, prizes and music Friday in Harter Union.
Dominique Adkins, KNBU student station manager, said they had a game of edge pong set up. Anyone who got a ping pong ball in a cup was awarded a prize.
“A lot of local businesses donated stuff. It was really cool of them,” Adkins said.
Wheat State Pizza, Seventh Street Hair, Mr. Goodcents, the Baldwin City Market, the Baldwin Athletic Club, Kwik Shop and Joyce’s Strictly Antiques were among the businesses who made donations, which Adkins said consisted of gift certificates, soda and bracelets.
Staff member David Cooper said the Lodge gave away some free games of miniature golf and the station handed out free CDs.
Adkins said she was happy with the event’s turnout, which was held in hopes of raising awareness about the station.
“We had a lot more people than we anticipated,” Adkins said.
Cooper said a lot of people stopped by on their way to lunch to see what was going on. He said it was a good way to advertise the station.
“I have KNBU on all the time in my room, and I think that other people should to,” he said. “We’re not a bad station.”
Last year, the station shut down overnight and on Fridays and Saturdays, but Adkins said one thing that the station will be doing differently this year is it will be on air 24 hours every day of the week.
“We have automated hours running that we schedule in advance,” she said.
Program Director Lesley Gill said the event was held to let everyone know that the station is back on the air.
“We really just want to let students know that if they’re up until 4 a.m. working on a paper, they can just turn on the station and hear great music to keep them company,” she said.
Gill said the station’s brand new transmitter is allowing it to be on 24 hours a day. She said the extra airtime has given the students an extra workload.
“For every hour that’s not a live show, we have to program a song that plays at a certain time,” Gill said.
Adkins said the station is an alternative station that plays a wide variety of music. The station is run solely by about 20 students, of which 12 have a show.
“Faculty has no say as to what goes on the air,” Adkins said.
Gill said the students who have shows get to pick the time and type of show they have, as well as if they have a solo show or if they pair up with someone.
“They get to decide what kind of show they want to have, what music they want to play … It’s their show,” she said.
Cooper said KNBU is a good way for students to know what is going on with their friends and what is going on around campus. The station broadcasts things from new music to sporting events.
“Everything that deals with Baker and Baldwin, we want people to have a chance to be involved in that and KNBU makes that possible,” Cooper said.