Due to lack of advertising, a vast majority of Long Beach City College students are unaware of campus radio station KLBC, and this needs to change because being a liberal-arts campus means inclusion of all arts in an effort to allow our academic environment to thrive.
Much like the glory days of radio, the Long Beach City College radio station, KLBC, seems to be forgotten by most, if not all on campus.
If you were to ask a random LBCC student if they are aware of our radio station, the chances of them actually knowing about it is slim to none.
That’s not to discredit the students currently enrolled in the program nor those who happen to be members of the radio club, but due to the lack of representation about campus, knowledge of the station could easily escape students in the very building that hosts KLBC.
KLBC’s production studio and classroom is located in the east wing of the I-building, on the northwest side of LAC campus, along with some offices, music classes and the TV studio we also have on campus.
Being in the far corner of campus isn’t a very good way to get noticed, but then again, few would be able to point out where the journalism program is located and even fewer would be able to do so without the banner hanging outside of the P-building.
Speaking of banners, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a poster, flyer, or any kind of advertisement for the radio station around campus like I’ve seen for real estate or career and trade education.
Advertisements can go a long way, I’m sure if you ask students about real estate they would be able to tell you that anyone is just a semester or two away from earning their broker and or sales certificate of completion.
Simply having posters around campus, flyers on bulletin boards, and maybe even a message on our LED display on Carson street can go a long way to raising awareness and possibly listenership.
Times are changing and many students, including myself don’t usually listen to the radio unless its a Breakfast Club clip on YouTube or Howard 100 on SiriusXM.
KLBC is fully aware of the change in radio culture and has been streaming online for several semesters now.
Having some technical difficulties with domains as of late, KLBC is in the process of reestablishing their presence on KLBC.org making it as convenient as it can be for possible listeners to tune-in.
Imagine being able to tune into a radio show of your liking knowing its based on campus and ran by students just like you. That could be what inspires someone to pursue radio, not knowing it was something they had an interest in, possibly creating a future radio legend.
Though creating legends is far-fetched, it’s what liberal arts is all about: the liberty to explore what piques your interest and even the liberty to explore what you didn’t realize piqued your interest, all in the name of a thriving academic environment.
With KLBC on the rebound, it is an optimal time to show your support by giving a listen or even joining their club.