By Derek J. Brennecke

   Kutztown University Radio went live early this February. Students all across campus will be counting their blessings after a long winter break of generic morning radio shows and listening to Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” five times every hour.

   There seem to be a myriad of reasons why our ears should be perking up for the return of KUR. With the introduction of an updated automation system, students can now tune into KUR in-between live shows and hear a variety of music besides the usual jazz.

   Maureen Dillon, KUR’s new president for spring 2015, is excited about some popular shows returning this semester. Colin Camp, the host of “Kutztown Thunder” airing Thursdays from 8 to 10 p.m. and Mike O’Mara taking over from 10 p.m. to 12:05 a.m. are just a few admired disk jockeys returning to KUR.

   As well as serving as president, Dillon hosts a show called “It’s Always Sunny in Kutztown” on Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. featuring indie/alternative music, classic rock and live bands on air.

   KUR is also happy to introduce freshman George Fladeland’s show “Kutztown Live” airing on Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m. Dillon said, “We’re excited to see what George does with this. He’s a very motivated and ambitious freshman and we are more than excited to have him a part of KUR.”

   Audio equipment upgrades in KUR’s studio consisted of new audio boards with audio level meters, replacing the ten-year-old analogue boards with digitally compatible ones. This purchase was made possible by special student government funding and will provide higher quality sound for listeners and more accurate broadcasting in general.

   KUR is aiming to appeal to every student at KU. Recent ratings show 52 percent of listeners tune into the daytime variety show “Café KUR” and 48 percent tune into student specialty shows. This illustrates the effectiveness of KUR’s mixed format programming.

   Following the objective of diversified programming is  “2cents Sports Talk”, a sports talk show hosted by Anthony Marchetto. “I pride myself on being a bit more diverse and I try to give a different perspective than your ‘suit and tie’ takes on TV”, said Marchetto. The Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems selected his show as a finalist for the “Best Sports Talk Show” award.

   KUR is back this spring with worthwhile content coming weekly from talented DJs. KU students should keep a look out for KUR events happening around campus.

   For a full list of programs and air times visit http://www.kutztown.edu/KUR and click “schedule” on the side menu. Listeners can also click the “listen live” button on the same website to hear KUR live.