UPR broadens range of listeners
Utah Public Radio, and its student-run Aggie Radio, will now be heard in more areas in Utah than ever before, UPR Program Director Tom Williams said UPR “unofficially” began its expanded broadcast from its new, full-power transmitter in Vernal, Utah on Friday, Sept. 24,
“It’s really a big deal because Utah Public Radio covers more areas in Utah than any other station,” said UPR News Director Kerry Bringhurst.
The new transmitter tower cost about $80,000 to complete, UPR Interim General Manager Nora Zambreno said. Financial backing came from federal grant funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which will fund similar upgrades planned for Richfield and Moab.
These changes came about due to the federal mandate for television and radio broadcasting institutions to upgrade to digital, she said. UPR upgraded to digital in Cache Valley a little over two years ago.
“The most important thing, I think, to our listeners is we are now more permanent,” Williams said. “We are no longer a translator or a repeater, we are a station; we are a permanent fixture.”
The opportunity to expand to a permanent, full-power service first came about three years ago when the Federal Communications Commission opened up a filing window, UPR Broadcast Engineer Friend Weller said. Translators help carry a radio signal to an area that cannot receive broadcast from the original transmitter.
The problem with translators is that they can be “bumped,” which means a station broadcasting a full-power signal takes precedence, Weller said.
The FCC has a designated non-commercial educational frequency (NCEFM) which is set aside for religious, community, college and university broadcasters, he said. UPR applied for these in Vernal, Richfield and Moab.
“We can expect good, solid coverage in Vernal,” Weller said. “We’ve actually been surprised with how good the coverage is that we’re getting.”
The new Richfield signal, after it’s completed, will make broadcasts available to listeners in Manti, Ephraim and the Snow College area. Weller said UPR has never been available in those areas before.
It is important for UPR to keep up with technological changes, especially because of all the various forms of media available, Zambreno said. There are potentially 42,000 statewide listeners estimated weekly, and they can hear three different streams of broadcasting from UPR through digital radio.
UPR can be heard on 88.5 FM with traditional analog radios, Williams said. Listeners with digital radios can access the HD1, HD2, and HD3 (Aggie Radio) signals, which are also available online.
“I think our focus as a public radio station is first to get the best programming, and to get as many options out to the listening audience,” Zambreno said. “Anyone can listen on the new KUSK frequency.”
Students attending the Utah State regional campus, in Vernal, can now get a feel for campus life in Logan by listening to Aggie Radio, Bringhurst said. The students interested in transferring to the main campus, can now hear what their peers are listening to.
UPR airs some syndicated shows produced by National Public Radio (NPR) and BBC, but its signature show is “Access Utah,” Zambreno said. “Access Utah” is a call-in show which is broadcast on weekdays from 9-10 a.m. The show usually features guests who are live, on location and available to field listeners’ questions.
“Access Utah” emphasizes on what is happening in Utah, she said. Content ranges from hard news or entertainment and the arts, to public affairs and sometimes local tragedies.
“It’s about keeping Utahns informed about what’s happening,” Zambreno said. “Our real strength is in telling our own story through our listeners.”
Local programming is largely important to the success of UPR, she said. The station has done two surveys to research which programs work and which ones do not. Zambreno said she hopes to coordinate another listener survey within a year.
Listeners contribute up to one third of the station’s budget, Zambreno said. The journalism and communications department and ASUSU also help to fund the student-run Aggie Radio.
Student volunteers are strongly encouraged to take JCOM 4530, special topics radio, in order to familiarize themselves with the radio station, she said. The class provides an overview of radio, and students use the production studios to complete some assignments.
“Two paid internships were granted this year,” Zambreno said. “The Frischknecht Scholarship, granted through the JCOM department, gives students the opportunity to get hands-on experience in a public radio station.”
“There are a lot of things we’re learning, we’re learning as we go,” said Weller, who teaches the special topics radio class. “It’s very much a new science, and we’re discovering new things about it, what we can do and what we can’t do,” he said, about the new digital upgrade.
– dan.smith@aggiemail.usu.edu