Radio X was approved on Thursday, Nov. 8 for funding to purchase an automation system that will allow the station to be on the air when DJs are unavailable to broadcast.

The Student Finance Committee (SFC) approved Radio X’s budget of $11,185 solely for an automation system, said Todd Ward, general manager of Radio X. This system will have pre-programmed music from the studio’s library that can be played when volunteer DJs cannot make it to their shows, Ward said.

The studio plans to have the system up and running by the beginning of the winter semester, Ward said. The station had been trying to get this system for months.

“We are very relieved. It’s a really exciting time,” Ward said. “There are a lot of really important changes going on at Radio X right now and I think probably one of the most important things happening at NMU in the next couple of years is getting this system.”

Radio X is also on the student ballot for April for an increase in the amount of money it receives from the Student Activity Fee. The station is hoping for a 56 cent increase from the $2.40 it currently receives. The added money would go towards new equipment not related to the automated system, he said.

The changes with the automation system and new equipment for the station are going to improve the way Radio X operates, Ward said.

“The automation system is going to help us serve the students even more than what we currently do,” he said. “This is going to help the station tremendously.”