McNeese radio station KBYS 88.3 provides ‘real-world experience’ to students
Published 6:00 pm Thursday, June 14, 2018
Megan Holmes / The American Press
Tom and Maddy Landry co-host “Rock ’n’ Roll Gumbo” 7-11 a.m. Saturdays.
KBYS-FM (88.3), a college-community radio station, just celebrated its fourth anniversary broadcasting at McNeese State University.
David Wynn, operations manager, said the station — on the air 24 hours a day — is the only one of its kind in Louisiana.
“You can get real-world experience over here that you can’t get anywhere else,” Wynn said.
Inside the station is an array of different rooms, he said, including two studios, a production room and a general meeting room that is typically used as a classroom for students to learn about the different aspects of a radio station.
The production room and one studio have been converted to digital, and the station has a brand-new transmitter, which has boosted its output from 1,000 watts to 4,000 watts.
Longtime local radio personality Gary Shannon volunteers at KBYS.
Wynn said McNeese students are welcome to visit KBYS and get started with internships that will teach them all about on-air personas, media production, marketing, engineering, sales, social media and community outreach.
He said commercial radio has been the same for hundreds of years.
Wynn said KBYS is in the process of starting visual radio, where camera systems will be set up in every studio.
He said that during radio shows, the cameras will move around and provide insight on the broadcasting process.
Wynn said KBYS is trying to involve the university and its departments more.
He said students from the mass communication department could learn about editing, production, creative writing, copywriting, camera work and production at the station.
He said upgrades in the radio station are the main focus for now, but that he plans to recruit more students by advertising the improved student studio.
He said that publicizing the improvements will steadily increase student involvement.
Wynn said KBYS is still in the process of perfecting its radio station, but that the improvements will help to increase its listener base and get the younger generation more involved.
KBYS is funded through the McNeese Foundation.
Listen online: www.kbys.fm.
