HECTOR HERNANDEZ | staff writer

This semester, expect a more “personal” spin to the campus radio station, KAPU. After listening to the suggestions of their student listeners, KAPU has decided to hire more student disc jockeys and take music requests while on air.

“We took a poll last semester and an overwhelmingly high amount of people wanted to personalize the station and that’s what we’re here for,” sophomore music composition major and KAPU program director Austin Cross said.

The station is making itself more accessible for the audience by taking requests through AOL Instant Messenger. Now with the screen name KAPU1047 the audience can make requests to the live DJs.

“Before it was a little harder, normally people would write on the back of a Den card, they’d write ‘play this song by such and such!’ and put it up to the window and maybe the DJ would be able to do it,” Cross said.

The new system will also allow those listening online and outside the Den to take part and make their own requests, helping them to interact.

“The off-campus listener doesn’t get to come into the Cougar’s Den and listen to music,” senior communication studies major and DJ Andrew Palmer said. “So I think the Internet listener base is now going to get to interact with us.”

The student-run radio station believes student interaction key to its success.

“The station really belongs to the students,” Faculty Advisor for KAPU Paul Creasman said. “We think of the station as an artistic outlet for students to introduce music to other students and learn how to do radio.”

Senior communication studies major Lisa Pinson is the station’s music director and helps decide which new albums make it into the stations’ library.

“It is student run so anyone can participate and they can make it their own station. I want it to be our own,” Pinson said.

The student participation creates the character of the station as the DJs share new and different music with their classmates.

“People can explore music,” Pinson said. “This is an outlet to play music you may not hear otherwise.”

The radio station plays music for the college age group and introduces the music of new bands. The station has music programs that play independent, folk, rock, classic rock and rhythm and blues.

“I think this is the best time, best age group to discover new music,” Pinson said. “It’s just a great format to discover new music.”

Students also participate in the coverage and broadcast of APU sports. The sports coverage will grow increasingly important this semester as the basketball season progresses.

The station can be heard live in the Cougar’s Den, the dorms at 104.7FM, the Shire mods at 530AM and online at kapuradio.com. The station provides a variety of music shows and the exclusive live radio coverage of APU sports.

“Last semester we had only a few DJs but we got the highest listener rates,” Cross said.

With 19,221 online listens this Fall, KAPU had one of their most-listened semesters in the station’s history. When the station began taking listener ratings in Jan. 2000, the Fall rating was 9,467.

To add to the student participation and the personalization of KAPU the station is looking for new DJs to add to the diversity of the station’s shows and the sharing and exploration of music. KAPU is eager for student participation and makes it easy for students to get involved.

“KAPU is currently looking for DJs regardless of major, gender or genre of show so if anybody is interested they have to e-mail us and we’ll get the ball rolling,” Cross said.

Those interested can contact Cross at kapu@apu.edu. Once trained by an experienced DJ, students will be given a time slot to host their own show.