KSUA: The People's Radio

So you're cruising around the Fairbanks area and you can't seem to find a radio station that's right for you. All the songs on the pop station you've heard a thousand times, at least; the rock station is full of commercials; and the talk show hosts just don't understand life as a student. You may be thinking it's about time to give up and just put in your favorite mix-tape of the month... But wait! Crank your dial to 91.5 FM instead. There you'll find the widest variety of shows any one radio station can possibly offer. From rock to politics, from car talk to smooth jazz, KSUA has it all; all day long, seven days a week.

As KSUA is known as "The People's Radio," it has been owned and operated by the students of UAF ever since it's humble beginnings in the 70's. On March 5th, 1972, the decades-long journey to the modern-day KSUA began when the progressive rock station KMPS came on air for the first time. This station, however, could only be heard in dorms and other campus buildings, and by the mid 70's, KMPS decided to start the shift to becoming an open-air broadcaster; meaning it would be heard everywhere in Fairbanks, like any other radio station. Finally, the student workers of KMPS made the switch and on September 6th, 1984, KSUA-FM became one of the first commercial college stations in the nation. Not long after coming on air, KSUA became the most popular station in the Fairbanks area. Unfortunately, KSUA ran out of funding and had to shut down in March of 1993. Over the next 9 months, KSUA went under some structural adjustments and even got some new equipment. This time, the students of KSUA refused to let this station fail. On December 2nd, 1993, KSUA came back online. For good this time.

No longer a commercial station, KSUA now relies on student volunteers to make and run their own programs and keep the station going. You could be one of those student volunteers! No experience necessary. One of the main missions of KSUA is to provide broadcasting experience to students interested in the field, regardless of prior education. So, if you've ever been interested in the broadcasting industry, there is no better time than right now right here at UAF to get involved. If you've got a sweet idea for a show, you can apply online for a time slot to DJ at http://www.ksuaradio.com/dj-application/ . Or if you're just interested in the behind-the-scenes work of broadcasting, stop by the office in the top floor of Constitution Hall and see what KSUA has to offer you.