Tune into the radio today and you're bound to hear a whole lot of the same music that you heard yesterday.

Stations that claim to play a large variety of songs are only comparing themselves to other commercial stations. KSTO, however, plays a large variety by any standard.

"A lot of people think radio and they think Brittany Spears, etc.," said junior Dave Beck, manager of KSTO. "But there are a lot of independent, up and coming bands that we play, and that's really different than most radio stations."

Shows and Music Variety

Music on the station ranges from jazz to punk to reggae, giving students many opportunities to broaden their scope of musical knowledge. Beck feels that this year's shows are good and the station in general is running smoothly.

"I'm very very impressed and proud of our DJs and the way it is going," said Beck. "Last year at this time I felt like the station was very disorganized. Time slots were not given out objectively, and management was falling apart. People were trying hard, but nothing was really happening."

The station is attempting to branch out onto the St. Olaf campus more this year and in the future. The staff would like to "get more into student life" by co-sponsoring concerts and other on-campus events.

Beck said that the new facilities in the Buntrock Commons have greatly helped the station to improve in organizing events and broadcasts.

Station Improvements

The station has much more space than in previous years. Beck said that they hope to utilize that space as well as possible, creating a public student lounge where the broadcasts would play and possibly buying new equipment such as turntables and computers. Beck wants to make these and other changes, but he said he's happy with the station's current status. "It's where I want it right now and it's nice," he said.

History of KSTO

KSTO was founded in 1965 as a medium for students' "progressive views." It was originally housed in the radio building, sharing space with WCAL. KSTO was not supported financially by the college at this time and, in the early 1970s, the station encountered financial and spatial difficulties. WCAL, which was supported by the school, was expanding into KSTO's space in the building.

Relocating

The station managers decided that they must find a new location for the station and asked to be college-funded. Their proposal was accepted and simultaneously the station moved into the basement of the old Student Center.

The station went off the air for the 1986-87 school year due to the deterioration of equipment but reopened the next year due to the efforts of dedicated students. The station was switched to a limited FM broadcast in 1997 and its office and studio were moved to the Buntrock Commons upon its completion. The station is now also broadcasting RealAudio over the Internet.

The station has gone through many changes over the years. Nevertheless, through all of its ordeals the station has and will stay committed to providing student DJ's with a voice and the general St. Olaf population with a unique variety of music.

The purpose of KSTO

"That's our main thing - we want to show students that there's a whole lot of music out there," Beck said. "But also, we want it to just be fun. You can have so much fun with the radio ­ good times."

Contact

People can feel free to contact KSTO by visiting the station's webpage (www.stolaf.edu/orgs/ksto) on the St. Olaf website or by calling the station's office at extension x3603. Anyone is welcome to have a show, although slots are limited.

If anyone has suggestions, comments, or concerns, KSTO Radio would be glad to hear them. Remember that KSTO is a student-run radio station dedicated to serving the St. Olaf College community.