Three student radio station operators, the staff advisor, and the broadcast engineer from KRUA visited our studio last week. KRUA is the student-run radio station at UAA. The idea of a visit started because a board in one of their studios died. They needed a new sound board. We happened to have a spare board because of a recent upgrade. They came to check out the board and see our operations. And maybe just go home with that spare board.
Radio folks love to talk shop when they get together. And we had cool stuff to show off. We had upgraded the sound board and Studio Transmitter Link (aka STL) in our broadcast studio.
Our conversation went beyond the basics. It was a fun, wide ranging discussion.
We were interested in their opinion about the upgrades to our broadcast studio. We have replaced the analog board and its manual faders. Our new sound board is a digital touch screen. It’s state of the art. It still wows us. It wowed the visitors.
Of course, the true test comes in its use. We can operate the touch screen and control the broadcast studio from a distance. That means answering the phones, being part of a live broadcast, turning microphones on and off, and adjusting all aspects of the broadcast remotely. It means being able to do everything as if we were in the studio.
Mike and I had an unexpected trip outside last month. We tested the system because we had to. And it worked. We were able to do almost everything as if we were in the studio.
Cutting back to the verdict from the visitors: We were able to demonstrate the conversion of one studio to a state of the art digital operation. They applauded our work. Our operations manuals continue to be a work in progress. However, they are well on their way to guide new operators. And the questions the students asked pushed us to clarify explanations and think about next steps.
We also impressed them with our diagrams of the equipment connectivity and the flow of the audio from a DJ at the mic to the transmission towers. And the labels on all cables and individual electronic components really wowed them.
The KRUA students left with big smiles on their faces. It was like Christmas. They took a few pieces of used equipment, including the needed sound board. Those pieces will find a good home at KRUA.
And the students left us with observations about our operations that will inform the next evolution.
Thank you KRUA for taking the time to collaborate and make both of our stations better and more awake and aware .
In other news the borough assembly has two meetings tomorrow. At 4 p.m. they will hold a special meeting for the annual evaluation of the borough clerk. The regular meeting is at 6 p.m.
The school board meeting scheduled for Wednesday has been cancelled. The school board will meet again in August.
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This Page Two article was reported by Mike Chmielewski and produced by yours truly, Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Monday June 15, 2026.
