KLPI
Encyclopedia
KLPI is a non-commercial educational college radio station owned by Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana
. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to broadcast at 89.1 MHz with an effective power of 4 kW. KLPI is student-operated and allows any Louisiana Tech student to become a member of the radio station. The music selection is primarily a mix of alternative rock, college rock, indie, and mainstream rock; however, requests from almost any genre are also accepted.
KLPI was founded to maintain interest in radio as a communication medium. The radio station began as WLPI-AM in 1966 by a group of students in a graduate-level Electrical Engineering class. The students launched the experimental radio station to study carrier currents, the subject of their thesis paper. The Electrical Engineering students from the graduate-level class used their own money to rent an office on Railroad Avenue in downtown Ruston, LA and founded the start-up and operation of WLPI-AM. The letters LPI in the station’s call sign was selected to represent Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, the name of the university before it was renamed Louisiana Tech University.
After three years of operation, Louisiana Tech University and the university’s Student Government Association brought the radio station onto the Tech campus and housed them in a room in the Dramatic Arts building (now known as Howard Auditorium).
In 1972, the radio station began the transition from WLPI-AM to KLPI-FM. Over the next two years, KLPI-FM started broadcasting at 10 watts of power. WLPI-AM ceased operations in 1974 after maintenance problems developed with the carrier current equipment.
KLPI-FM moved out of Howard Auditorium in 1982 due to renovations at the auditorium. The radio station moved around several times on Tech campus that year until it moved to their new broadcasting home at 900 Gilman Street on Louisiana Tech's South Campus in Ruston.
KLPI is located at the southeast corner of the Student Center in the middle of the Main Campus at Louisiana Tech. The radio station currently broadcasts at 4000 watts of power.
Elephant 6 founders Will Cullen Hart
and Jeff Mangum
were associated with the radio station during their early period in Ruston.
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) to broadcast at 89.1 MHz with an effective power of 4 kW. KLPI is student-operated and allows any Louisiana Tech student to become a member of the radio station. The music selection is primarily a mix of alternative rock, college rock, indie, and mainstream rock; however, requests from almost any genre are also accepted.
KLPI was founded to maintain interest in radio as a communication medium. The radio station began as WLPI-AM in 1966 by a group of students in a graduate-level Electrical Engineering class. The students launched the experimental radio station to study carrier currents, the subject of their thesis paper. The Electrical Engineering students from the graduate-level class used their own money to rent an office on Railroad Avenue in downtown Ruston, LA and founded the start-up and operation of WLPI-AM. The letters LPI in the station’s call sign was selected to represent Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, the name of the university before it was renamed Louisiana Tech University.
After three years of operation, Louisiana Tech University and the university’s Student Government Association brought the radio station onto the Tech campus and housed them in a room in the Dramatic Arts building (now known as Howard Auditorium).
In 1972, the radio station began the transition from WLPI-AM to KLPI-FM. Over the next two years, KLPI-FM started broadcasting at 10 watts of power. WLPI-AM ceased operations in 1974 after maintenance problems developed with the carrier current equipment.
KLPI-FM moved out of Howard Auditorium in 1982 due to renovations at the auditorium. The radio station moved around several times on Tech campus that year until it moved to their new broadcasting home at 900 Gilman Street on Louisiana Tech's South Campus in Ruston.
KLPI is located at the southeast corner of the Student Center in the middle of the Main Campus at Louisiana Tech. The radio station currently broadcasts at 4000 watts of power.
Elephant 6 founders Will Cullen Hart
Will Cullen Hart
William "Will" Cullen Hart is one of the co-founders of the Elephant Six Collective, as well as the rock band The Olivia Tremor Control...
and Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum is a musician best known for being the lyricist, vocalist and guitarist of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, as well as being one of the cofounders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Mangum, along with the other founding members of the Elephant 6, attended Ruston High School in the late...
were associated with the radio station during their early period in Ruston.