Campus Radio Station Features Student Reporters
Minnesota State University, Mankato’s public radio station, KMSU “The Maverick,” is a volunteer-run, listener-supported, free-form radio station on the FM dial as 89.7.
KMSU’s programming is very diverse. Its current programming schedule contains everything from talk shows/interviews to locally produced music for a variety of different genres.
Morning show hosts Tim Lind and Shelley Pierce are known to say “Nobody plays fewer hits!”
Students can get involved in KMSU in a variety of different ways.
KMSU currently has a student-run program called “Radio ala Carte.” This program features multiple MNSU students as hosts. Some of their current hosts include Wyatt Gag, Jonathon Fjeld, Charlie Groebner, Olivia Daniels and others, including some students from the music industry program on campus. This program airs weekdays during the noon hour (prior to COVID it aired live from Centennial Student Union).
“I’ve had many different majors working at KMSU — many mass communications students, but also chemistry, engineering, creative writing, business, etc.,” says KMSU Operations Director Karen Wright. “Many of the students say it’s a great way to learn about what’s happening on campus; they get to talk with people they might never have otherwise met (like the university president, faculty, etc.) and it’s a fun job.”
Wright hires students to write and produce campus-related stories. These stories include: how fellow students are handling the pandemic; Maverick sports; financial issues facing students; campus hunger, and more.
“We are always looking for more students to get involved in the radio station, whether that’s as student reporters, or as volunteer DJs”, says KMSU General Manager Dwayne Megaw. “We have recently opened up some late-night hours to give students more opportunities to host their own shows.”
Because of the pandemic, KMSU has embraced the use of technology for their DJs. Now DJs can create their content at home and share their completed show as an audio file.
“This has really benefited our student DJs as not all of them can come to the radio station during the Noon hour to do the live show,” states Megaw.
Alumni of KMSU have ended up in jobs including television, radio and newspaper reporters, and magazine editors.
“We have more than 50 volunteers from around southern Minnesota including Mankato, St. Peter, Austin, Albert Lea, etc.,” says Wright. “A couple of our hosts have volunteered for over 35 years.”
KMSU has a fall pledge starting Oct. 21-30. Although KMSU’s license is held by Minnesota State University, Mankato, they also need the funding support from the local business community as well as their generous listeners.
“This is a wonderful example of the public-private partnership that is KMSU,” Megaw says. “It’s during our Pledge Drives that we all come together and make this happen. As we like to say, Together, we make great radio!”
Header photo courtesy of KMSU.