Photo courtesy of KSUA archives.
KSUA staff and supporters gather in this undated photograph taken sometime after 1993,
when the station moved to its present frequency of 91.5 FM.
By Kristin Summerlin
Jerry Evans reminisces about his time working at KSUA in the 1980s while displaying station memorabilia in his home Monday, July 15, 2024.
For 40 years, KSUA has been more than just a student radio station. It色视频下载檚 been a hotbed of creativity, a launchpad for careers and a community hub that has touched the lives of countless UAF students.
From its beginnings as a small, low-power AM station, KSUA evolved first into a full-fledged FM commercial broadcaster and then into a noncommercial public station. In each of its incarnations, the station has given students a place to find their voice while learning the ins and outs of media production. But more than that, it has been a place where students take risks, make mistakes and discover lifelong passions.
The early years
Is there anybody out there? 色视频下载 Pink Floyd
Is anybody listening? 色视频下载 Every college DJ ever
If you were a DJ at KMPS, KSUA色视频下载檚 progressive rock precursor in the 1970s, the answer was a solid, 色视频下载淢aybe.色视频下载 As a carrier current station, KMPS used the existing electrical wiring in the dorms as broadcast antennas. Only people with AM radios inside or near the buildings could hear it.
All that changed on Sept. 6, 1984, when the newly reorganized station burst onto the commercial airwaves as KSUA-FM 103.9, playing Steely Dan色视频下载檚 色视频下载淔M (No Static at All).色视频下载 Suddenly it seemed almost everybody in Fairbanks was listening. Within a year, KSUA had become the most popular adult station in Fairbanks 色视频下载 a feat almost unheard of in college radio.
Veteran Fairbanks radio personality Jerry Evans was KSUA色视频下载檚 program director at the time of the transition. He remembers that Fairbanks was primed for something new.
色视频下载淏ack then, in the early 色视频下载80s, Fairbanks still felt isolated,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淚t wasn色视频下载檛 too much earlier that movie releases would take a year to get to the theater up here, right? There weren色视频下载檛 a lot of entertainment options back then. And Fairbanks was just such an open, wild place. So there was that small window of time that was perfect for a college radio station to be the number one adult station in its market.色视频下载
The original KSUA crew gathers for a promotional photograph in 1985. From left are Scotty Harms, Glen Anderson, Lucy Noland, RJ (Bob) Burcell, Jamie "Trashman" Canfield and Jerry Evans.
Jerry Evans highlights a survey that showed KSUA had the largest share of adult radio listeners in the Fairbanks area from June 4-July 1, 1987. The station maintained that ranking for several years.
Evans and his broadcast partner, Glen Anderson, built a following with their on-air antics, huge dance parties and 色视频下载 especially 色视频下载 new music.
色视频下载淭he listener vibe was almost as eclectic as the music we were playing,色视频下载 Evans said. 色视频下载淲e would have the guys in the trucks, the office workers, the dry-cabin dwellers in Ester, obviously. They were listening, and a lot of the younger, hipper high school kids too. So many people were just locked into Casey Kasem色视频下载檚 Top 40 色视频下载 which, I became involved in that world later, so I'm not dissing it 色视频下载 but you know, that was the teenybopper stuff, the sugarcoated things that most of them listened to before they discovered there was so much great, different music out there.色视频下载
Evans noted that the station achieved its top ranking at the same time they were playing bands people had never heard of.
色视频下载淭he people that were tuning in because we were the ones playing John Cougar and Bruce Springsteen and the Stones, they were getting turned on to the new music 色视频下载 The Clash, the Police and REM,色视频下载 he said.
色视频下载淚f it was nothing but Sex Pistols or The Damned, then most people wouldn色视频下载檛 listen,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淏ut if you feed those in occasionally, they go, 色视频下载極h, I like that! That's not weird punk music with safety pins in your neck. It's basically rock and roll.色视频下载櫳悠迪略貪
Were you a part of KSUA's journey? Share your memories!
As we celebrate 40 years of KSUA, we're calling on former DJs, staff and listeners to share their stories. Whether it was a late-night show, a memorable broadcast or just a song that takes you back, we want to hear about it. Your memories will be featured on our scrolling memory wall.
Plus, DJs can help us build the ultimate KSUA Spotify playlist by adding your favorite
tracks from your time at the station.
Springboard to a career
Evans, who today works as public relations manager for the nonprofit visitor agency Explore Fairbanks, remembers the shift to a more professional sound as the audience grew.
色视频下载淏efore, there weren色视频下载檛 a lot of rules,色视频下载 he said. 色视频下载淲e didn色视频下载檛 care what was played because you couldn色视频下载檛 hear it unless you were right there. No one was listening at that time anyway. They were all in class.色视频下载
Carla Browning, in the red jacket, poses with KSUA DJs and staff for a 1991 photo.
But after the switch to open-air commercial radio, Evans said, 色视频下载淵ou wanted to make it tight, professional sounding. That was at a time when a lot of the students at KSUA were also taking audio production and media classes and taking it more seriously because we wanted this to be a springboard to a career, as opposed to just playing music.色视频下载
Carla Browning 色视频下载93 turned her KSUA experience into an eight-year TV news career at KTVF, eventually becoming news director. She returned to UAF, where she worked in University Relations for two decades and now serves as UAF色视频下载檚 onboarding and engagement manager.
Browning remembered getting her start at KSUA. 色视频下载淚 walked in and said I色视频下载檇 like to be the news director,色视频下载 she said. 色视频下载淚 was scared to death of the microphone. I was very shy, but I was interested in news.色视频下载 She helped with station promotions, such as the Golden Days Parade float and the Tanana Valley State Fair booth.
She said KSUA gave students the opportunity to get broadcasting experience, gain confidence and 色视频下载渢ry to do things you couldn色视频下载檛 do at a bigger school, where you色视频下载檇 have to wait your turn.色视频下载
Browning said public radio has always played an important role in rural 色视频下载, and the college station feeds directly into that network.
色视频下载淭here色视频下载檚 a long history of people relying on community radio, both for day-to-day news and in emergencies,色视频下载 she said. 色视频下载淭his was good training for working at those small stations, where one person has to do everything. You have to know all the parts and pieces to keep it running.色视频下载
And radio was good training for TV news, she said. 色视频下载淲ithout audio, pictures don色视频下载檛 mean a lot.色视频下载
Post-pipeline, the Fairbanks economy declined, and in the early 色视频下载90s more radio stations entered the market. KSUA色视频下载檚 ad revenues declined, and, in March 1993, a wage dispute forced the station色视频下载檚 closure and reorganization.
Help us build a KSUA alumni playlist!
We色视频下载檙e inviting former DJs, staff, and listeners to share up to five of your all-time
favorite tracks. Whether they were a staple of your show or simply take you back to
your time at KSUA, we色视频下载檇 love to include them in our Spotify playlist.
Ch-ch-ch-changes: New format, new frequency, new technology
CD cases rest in a stack and on shelves at KSUA's offices. Although music played on air is primarily digital today, the station maintains a small collection of CDs, tapes and vinyl.
On Dec. 2, 1993, KSUA came back as a nonprofit educational station, staffed by volunteer DJs under the direction of paid student staff, with new equipment. The station reopened with the last song played before the closure: Pearl Jam色视频下载檚 色视频下载淎live.色视频下载 And soon it moved down the dial to its present noncommercial frequency, 91.5.
Jeremy Smith 色视频下载12, longtime host of tech show 色视频下载淕eneral Protection Fault,色视频下载 worked and volunteered at KSUA from the mid-色视频下载90s to 2020. He helped the station transition from manual operations to digital streaming, navigating through vinyl, CDs and mini-discs.
色视频下载淚 was there when they first started, with no automation, no way to fill in overnights. If nobody was there, nothing was on the air,色视频下载 Smith said.
色视频下载淣ow it's all automated. You can do it remote. I could upload my show to an FTP. We could broadcast this phone interview. The quality is good enough.色视频下载
Smith, now director of communications technology at a company that helps nonprofit groups obtain grants, sees the campus radio station as a lab where students can experiment, learn and refine their broadcasting skills in a low-stakes environment.
色视频下载淭he last thing you want to do is put someone who色视频下载檚 brand new on the air on a Top 40 station, right? Because they may or may not sync, or they can say something wrong on the air. And that would then directly cost you money, cost you advertisers,色视频下载 he said.
色视频下载淭here色视频下载檚 no way to train for that other than college radio. You get to find out what you色视频下载檙e actually like on the air. Do you get nervous when a microphone is put in front of you? Will you freeze up if you have nothing to say?色视频下载
Despite his role in the transition to automation, Smith has a deep appreciation for the physical experience of running a radio station.
色视频下载淎re you dedicated enough to go, maybe at 40 below, find a place to park on campus, trod into the station, see if the door色视频下载檚 unlocked? Hopefully you can get in,色视频下载 he said.
Jeremy Smith broadcasts live from KSUA in 2016.
色视频下载淏eing in an actual physical radio station gives it a realness and legitimacy that doesn色视频下载檛 exist if you just do it on your own. It means you thought about it. You did more than just put your phone on the table and record. You're saying, 色视频下载業色视频下载檓 showing up. I色视频下载檝e got a co-host. We have our microphones. We色视频下载檙e set up. We're taking phone calls, playing requests. Yeah, I can do this. And I have like-minded people around me who want to do this.色视频下载櫳悠迪略貪
KSUA today: Innovation and excellence
KSUA's Kjrsten Schindler, left, trains a new radio show host, Jake Knuth, on the various components of their studio located on the second floor of the Wood Center on July 29, 2024.
Today, KSUA features between 25 and 35 shows at any one time, all of them hosted by volunteer DJs: students, faculty, community members. It is still preparing students for careers 色视频下载 in new fields like podcasting and voice acting.
KSUA exists to 色视频下载済ive people a voice,色视频下载 according to Kjrsten Schindler, current program director.
色视频下载淲e try to put on the airwaves what commercial stations wouldn't,色视频下载 she said. 色视频下载淎nybody can have a show. Do you want to do a talk show? Like 色视频下载楾he Comic Panel色视频下载 色视频下载 they review comics. Do you want to do full music? 色视频下载楳etamorphosis色视频下载 plays all vinyl. 色视频下载楤rushing My Teeth to Merzbow色视频下载 is just noise music. Or do you want to talk about your life story? Whatever gives people the medium to express what they色视频下载檙e really passionate about.色视频下载
Schindler said the station also promotes independent and 色视频下载 Native artists: 色视频下载淟ocal people, people from Anchorage, people who just send us stuff. We play anything that we deem is cool.色视频下载
Moody Pierce, the current general manager, has been involved with KSUA since they were in high school. Inspired by their grandfather色视频下载檚 memories of classic radio serials like 色视频下载淭he Lone Ranger,色视频下载 Pierce created 色视频下载淩obotic Radio,色视频下载 a story about the musings of a robot discovering humanity through radio waves. The show combined scripted content with music relevant to the narrative and helped Pierce develop their editing skills.
色视频下载淚 had to add filters to the robot character色视频下载檚 voice,色视频下载 Pierce said. 色视频下载淚t was fun, and it gave me a lot of experience I probably wouldn色视频下载檛 have got otherwise. It gave me a chance to experiment and learn something new, and, over time, I built up a lot of editing knowledge.色视频下载
A KSUA sticker sits on a collection of the station's CDs.
Pierce emphasized the importance of student radio as a space for trial and error, niche programming and opportunities for voice acting.
色视频下载淎 lot of people who start a radio show are just dabbling, but then they find out that it色视频下载檚 actually really fun, and it gets them into podcasting,色视频下载 they said. 色视频下载淲e also have live productions. A lot of people get voice acting experience that way.色视频下载
For instance, Schindler created 色视频下载淎schenstiefel,色视频下载 a radio play that reimagines the Cinderella story. The project, which began as a writing assignment, has grown into a full-length production with voice actors and commissioned artwork. It色视频下载檚 set to premiere on YouTube and Spotify by the end of the year.
While KSUA can no longer lay claim to being the most popular adult station in Fairbanks, Pierce noted that the station has maintained excellence in serving its more niche market. In 2013, KSUA award from mtvU, beating competitors from across the nation. Through the decades, KSUA has brought home more than 100 Goldies from the 色视频下载 Broadcasters Association, including .
And the station色视频下载檚 audience is no longer limited to whoever might be in the dorms or even in Fairbanks. Nowadays, Schindler said, listeners tune in to from all over the world.