KSCL 91.3-FM is the student-run College radio station broadcasting from the campus of Centenary College of Louisiana. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day to the cities of Shreveport, Bossier City, and other surrounding communities. KSCL was Shreveport's first public radio station. The station is located in the heart of Centenary's campus. The station prides itself in being a progressive station dedicated to community events and alternative music, from college rock and jazz to local Acadian music and zydeco. KSCL is a student-run radio station. The DJs are all volunteers, and the staff positions are filled by students of the college.
History
Dr. Webb Pomeroy, chairman of the Communications Committee, first proposed the idea of "Centenary Radio" in 1972. Four and a half years later, KSCL went live on March 19, 1976. The first Station Manager and co-builder of the station was Jay Reynolds. Reynolds said that KSCL would be "alternative" and "like no other station in Shreveport" and hoped that it would become as significant to community relations as Centenary basketball had been. KSCL was THE FIRST PUBLIC RADIO STATION in Shreveport. The original inventory contained 120 albums, several pounds of "worthless 45s", and two top quality turntables. Reynolds combed the community for out of date carpet samples which became the soundproofing for the original studio which used a 1940s vintage Gates "Yard" mixing board which was donated by KRMD-AM. The entire cost for the station was less than $700. The original transmitter, broadcasting at 10 watts, was a modified, surplus, Louisiana State Police radio. The initial operating hours were from 6pm-12am Sunday through Thursday, and 6 pm until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. The original ten-watt amplifier and antenna allowed a broadcast range of two miles and was hand built, as was the antenna by Doug Stewart, a gifted engineer for KSLA-TV. Being hand built, both designs had to be submitted to the FCC to be "type accepted" prior to us. Stewart had the idea to locate the antenna under the copper cupola at the top of the Student Union Building to increase the effective radiated power of the station without exceeding the permitted 10 watt maximum. The individuals instrumental to the birth of the station were Dr. Webb Pomeroy, Maurie Wayne, Lou Graham, Jay Reynolds, and Doug Stewart. During the beginning, a lot of help came from Ruston's college radio station KLPI. Their staff and adult-ers spent a lot of time helping the students understand the rules and regulations of the FCC along with the requirements for public stations. In 1982, KSCL's permitted broadcast wattage was upgraded from 10 watts to 150 watts. In 1988, manager Joya Misra oversaw KSCL's transition into a stereo station. In 1999, local public radio station Red River Radio proposed to buy a share of the station's broadcast time. The students and office of development clashed over the issue. It was finally decided that Centenary preferred to have its radio station run by students and students of Centenary, as opposed to those of LSUS, where Red River Radio is located. In 2006, KSCL expanded its broadcasting range to reach most of Caddo Parish and the other surrounding parishes.
