KTRM
Encyclopedia
KTRM is an FM non-commercial/educational radio station operated by students at Truman State University
in Kirksville, Missouri
. The station features alternative
music, with specialty shows hosted in the evenings and on weekends. KTRM broadcasts at 2,500 watts power, covering Adair County
and rural areas within a 25-mile radius.
KTRM also streams online using QuickTime
.
. Because the power levels allowed by Part 15 only resulted in a small coverage area, transmitters were purchased for each residence hall.
The reception of the 1600 AM signal was not ideal in several of the brick and mortar halls. In February 1976, KNEU moved to 580 AM and rewired the transmitters in each building. In the late 1970s, KNEU added FM coverage, but students could only receive the 102.1 FM signal on-campus via Cable FM. KNEU also broadcast on the University's public service channels.
Ten years after an earlier attempt failed, the Department of Language and Literature filed an application with the FCC
for licensing. The Board of Governors approved the application's submission, and in 1996, Truman received a construction permit from the FCC. Because the KNEU call sign was used by a religious station in Utah, the University selected KTRM, representative of the University's new name.
At 2 p.m. on February 10, 1998, University President Jack Magruder flipped the switch, powering the antenna and bringing "Kirksville's Tru Alternative" online. KTRM broadcast from studios on the first floor of the Student Union Building prior to the building undergoing renovation after April 2007. KTRM and the rest of the campus media relocated to Barnett Hall, on the southern edge of campus, in fall 2007. While their counterparts Index
and News36 restarted operations at the start of the following semester, KTRM remained off the air until December because of delays in installing equipment that will make the station capable of broadcasting with a digital signal
. In December 2008, KTRM returned to the air with a higher power of 2,500 watts broadcasting in HD (KTRM and KTRM2).
With the aid of automation software, KTRM went to 24-hour operation in October 2006.
. J.P. Richardson (AKA The Big Bopper
) made his debut at that station in 1949 as an announcer before becoming a Top-40 performer. That station, broadcasting at 990 kHz, is now the Gospel Music station KZZB.
Truman State University
Truman State University is a public liberal arts and sciences university in Missouri, United States and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. About 6,000 students attend Truman, pursuing degrees in 43 undergraduate and 9 Graduate programs. It is located in Kirksville in...
in Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...
. The station features alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
music, with specialty shows hosted in the evenings and on weekends. KTRM broadcasts at 2,500 watts power, covering Adair County
Adair County, Missouri
Adair County is a county located in northeast Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 25,607. Its county seat is Kirksville. The county was organized in 1841 and is named in honor of Kentucky Governor John Adair....
and rural areas within a 25-mile radius.
KTRM also streams online using QuickTime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
.
History
KTRM was originally envisioned in 1975, when the Department of Language and Literature sought to establish a 100,000 watt FM station. The University, however, decided to pursue an unlicensed operation, regulated by Part 15 of FCC code. Under the letters KNEU (for Northeast Missouri State University, Truman's previous name), the station debuted in October 1975 at 1600 AMAM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
. Because the power levels allowed by Part 15 only resulted in a small coverage area, transmitters were purchased for each residence hall.
The reception of the 1600 AM signal was not ideal in several of the brick and mortar halls. In February 1976, KNEU moved to 580 AM and rewired the transmitters in each building. In the late 1970s, KNEU added FM coverage, but students could only receive the 102.1 FM signal on-campus via Cable FM. KNEU also broadcast on the University's public service channels.
Ten years after an earlier attempt failed, the Department of Language and Literature filed an application with the FCC
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...
for licensing. The Board of Governors approved the application's submission, and in 1996, Truman received a construction permit from the FCC. Because the KNEU call sign was used by a religious station in Utah, the University selected KTRM, representative of the University's new name.
At 2 p.m. on February 10, 1998, University President Jack Magruder flipped the switch, powering the antenna and bringing "Kirksville's Tru Alternative" online. KTRM broadcast from studios on the first floor of the Student Union Building prior to the building undergoing renovation after April 2007. KTRM and the rest of the campus media relocated to Barnett Hall, on the southern edge of campus, in fall 2007. While their counterparts Index
Truman State University Index
The Truman State University Index is a weekly student newspaper distributed at Truman State University and throughout the Kirksville, Missouri community. The publication is entirely student-run and funded mostly through its own advertising revenue...
and News36 restarted operations at the start of the following semester, KTRM remained off the air until December because of delays in installing equipment that will make the station capable of broadcasting with a digital signal
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
. In December 2008, KTRM returned to the air with a higher power of 2,500 watts broadcasting in HD (KTRM and KTRM2).
With the aid of automation software, KTRM went to 24-hour operation in October 2006.
KTRM (AM) Beaumont
The KTRM call sign was previously used by an AM station in Beaumont, TexasBeaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
. J.P. Richardson (AKA The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
) made his debut at that station in 1949 as an announcer before becoming a Top-40 performer. That station, broadcasting at 990 kHz, is now the Gospel Music station KZZB.