KTEQ
Encyclopedia
KTEQ or "K-Tech" is the campus radio
station of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
(SDSM&T) in Rapid City
, South Dakota
. The station's daily schedule consists of shows that are three hours in length. The music formats of the radio shows vary according to the tastes of the volunteer DJ's doing the shows. The only restriction that KTEQ places on the formats of the shows is that the music cannot be Top 40 music.
In August 2000, KTEQ temporarily discontinued broadcasting by radio. Since then the station's programming has been transmitted over channel 34 of the closed-circuit television on the SDSM&T campus and by Internet streaming.
In May 2011 the FCC granted a construction license to KTEQ .
.
The first broadcast by KTEQ-FM occurred on August 7, 1971, opening with "Also Sprach Zarathustra." The first voice to be heard on KTEQ was that of Gary Brown. Initially, KTEQ-FM broadcast at 88.1 Mhz with a power of 10 watts.
George McGovern
gave KTEQ an on-air interview during the 1972 election.
The studios of KTEQ were eventually relocated at the Old Gym building on the SDSM & T campus.
KTEQ radio broadcasts fell silent for a number of months during the mid 1980s. The station finally resumed broadcasts during the spring of 1987 at a frequency of 91.3 MHz. At that time, the station broadcast twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Later, the station removed all of the 3AM-to-6AM time slots from its schedule. For many years, the station's tower space was donated by KOTA-TV
.
In August 2000, KOTA increased its effective radiated power. As a result, KTEQ had to remove its transmitting hardware from the KOTA tower space, ending KTEQ's radio broadcasts. When KTEQ failed to resume its broadcasts within a year, the station lost its broadcast license in September 2001. New broadcasting hardware was purchased, but the FCC stopped accepting applications for non-commercial broadcast licenses in 2001. While KTEQ waited for the FCC to resume accepting non-commercial license applications, the station continued to transmit its programming over the Internet and over the closed-circuit television on the SDSM&T campus. By 2005, a new studio was located at Surbeck Center.
In May 2011, campus radio station's long wait finally appeared to be over. On May 3, 2011, SDSM&T was informed by the FCC that the university had beat out four other applicants for a non-profit radio license. The FCC awarded the radio station a construction permit to put up a new transmitter as well as a three-year timeline in which to re-establish the station. The station's administrative advisor believed that the campus radio station would be back on the air by the fall 2011 semester.
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a public institution of higher learning in Rapid City, South Dakota governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents. Founded in 1885 as the Dakota School of Mines, Tech offers degree programs in engineering and science fields. 2,354 students were...
(SDSM&T) in Rapid City
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. The station's daily schedule consists of shows that are three hours in length. The music formats of the radio shows vary according to the tastes of the volunteer DJ's doing the shows. The only restriction that KTEQ places on the formats of the shows is that the music cannot be Top 40 music.
In August 2000, KTEQ temporarily discontinued broadcasting by radio. Since then the station's programming has been transmitted over channel 34 of the closed-circuit television on the SDSM&T campus and by Internet streaming.
In May 2011 the FCC granted a construction license to KTEQ .
WCAT
The first campus radio station at SDSM&T was WCAT, which broadcast from September 1922 to 1952. The AM station was founded by students from the Electrical Engineering department. The station was licensed to broadcast at a wavelength of 485 meters at a power of 750 watts. Later, the station operated on 1200 kilohertz at a power of 100 watts. The station's call-letters, WCAT, were an abbreviation for "Wildcat Radio." Originally, the studios were located in the basement of the Administration building. In 1928, the studios were moved to the third floor of the Prep Building During the time that WCAT was on the air, the AM station's programming ranged from news to sports and music. In 1952, WCAT was forced to leave the airwaves as a result of pressure from a commercial radio station.KTEQ
Efforts to launch a new SDSM&T campus radio station started in 1969. With the assistance of announcer Greg Carey, student body president Jim McGibbney formed the Tech Educational Radio Council (TERC), the governing body of KTEQ. The first studio of KTEQ was located at Surbeck Center; and, tower space for the transmitter was originally donated by KBHE-FMKBHE-FM
KBHE-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Classical format. The station is licensed to Rapid City, South Dakota, USA, and currently owned by South Dakota Board of Directors For Ed. Telecommunications and features programing from National Public Radio and Public Radio International.-History:The...
.
The first broadcast by KTEQ-FM occurred on August 7, 1971, opening with "Also Sprach Zarathustra." The first voice to be heard on KTEQ was that of Gary Brown. Initially, KTEQ-FM broadcast at 88.1 Mhz with a power of 10 watts.
George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
gave KTEQ an on-air interview during the 1972 election.
The studios of KTEQ were eventually relocated at the Old Gym building on the SDSM & T campus.
KTEQ radio broadcasts fell silent for a number of months during the mid 1980s. The station finally resumed broadcasts during the spring of 1987 at a frequency of 91.3 MHz. At that time, the station broadcast twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Later, the station removed all of the 3AM-to-6AM time slots from its schedule. For many years, the station's tower space was donated by KOTA-TV
KOTA-TV
KOTA-TV, channel 3, is an ABC television affiliate based in Rapid City, South Dakota, USA. The station is owned by the Duhamel family of Rapid City...
.
In August 2000, KOTA increased its effective radiated power. As a result, KTEQ had to remove its transmitting hardware from the KOTA tower space, ending KTEQ's radio broadcasts. When KTEQ failed to resume its broadcasts within a year, the station lost its broadcast license in September 2001. New broadcasting hardware was purchased, but the FCC stopped accepting applications for non-commercial broadcast licenses in 2001. While KTEQ waited for the FCC to resume accepting non-commercial license applications, the station continued to transmit its programming over the Internet and over the closed-circuit television on the SDSM&T campus. By 2005, a new studio was located at Surbeck Center.
In May 2011, campus radio station's long wait finally appeared to be over. On May 3, 2011, SDSM&T was informed by the FCC that the university had beat out four other applicants for a non-profit radio license. The FCC awarded the radio station a construction permit to put up a new transmitter as well as a three-year timeline in which to re-establish the station. The station's administrative advisor believed that the campus radio station would be back on the air by the fall 2011 semester.
First Broadcast
The first broadcast was recorded off the air on a cassette recorder in the Connolly Hall dormitory. The quality is a bit "spotty" in places with a number of dropouts.External links
- KTEQ Campus Radio from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology- the official KTEQ website.
- History of KTEQ and an Early History According to Gary Brown- new website.
- "D.J.'s from Hell" Show website- an early 1990s radio show on KTEQ-FM.
- "The Toast of Tuesdays" - A current show on KTEQ, airing Tuesdays from 3pm-6pm MST