Radio X, also known as WUPX 91.5, is celebrating its 48th anniversary as a student organization here at NMU. Over the past 48 years, music of all varieties has been served up on a daily basis, ranging from contemporary indie rock genres to epic doom metal.
Senior computer science major Daniel Saubert, the general manager at Radio X, knows the importance of diversifying your library in a competitive, yet stale radio market here in the Upper Peninsula.
“We are the only variety music station in a 60-mile radius,” Saubert said. “If you go on your radio dial and try to find the vast variety that we offer, you won’t find anything. That’s kind of the niche we fill. The weird, the fringe, and we try to cover it all. We play close to 60 genres every week.”
Saubert finds himself quite busy nowadays. Tuesdays starting at 7 p.m., local bands are invited into the station lobby to perform music broadcasted live on the Radio X air waves, a new event Saubert hopes will bring in listeners.
“Some of the bands that we’re going to bring are used to playing live shows, but might not be used to the amount of equipment that we have to offer,” Saubert said. “A lot of them are used to basement shows with 30-second sound checks and playing as loud as they can, where we give them 30 to 40 minutes to set up and get everything tuned really well.”
Radio X often supports events around the community, notably helping the Ore Dock Brewing Co. bring exposure to local artists through promotional spending and digital plays of the artists music on-air.
Senior media production and new technology major Donny Ede has been involved with Radio X for three and a half years and was recently hired as training director at the station. Ede began as a DJ and now trains new DJs into the station, making sure they know how to properly work the computer system and vinyl machines. There are rules the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has set in place that every DJ must abide by, such as ensuring any sort of profanity be kept off-air.
“You always want to run something in your head before you say it on-air, and keep an upbeat manner,” Ede said. “Just relax and have fun. When you’re having fun doing something you love and playing things you love, it’s worthwhile.”
Training is available to any NMU student, regardless of class standing or major. Freshman Ian Schenkel is an outdoor recreation major and hadn’t worked around radio production equipment before.
“The training period is pretty simple,” Schenkel said. “It’s all pretty much in a digital system, and they show you how to put it on the air. They walk you through how to use the mixer to broadcast your voice live, and how to alternate between the vinyl machines or digital computer.”
Schenkel added that he’s excited to broadcast his selection of music with his peers.
“This is my third week here. It’s a great way to not only play music that you find interesting, but a way to put NMU students in the Marquette community music scene,” he said.
NMU students can volunteer to become a guest DJ by submitting an application through the Radio X Facebook page or by picking up a physical copy at the Radio X studio, located in the University Center room 1204. After shadowing a current DJ during training, a time slot to broadcast your show will be set up with the station staff. Shows typically last an hour, but can be stretched longer if an open slot is available afterward.
