Students at Saint Louis University will have an alternative to Fox and ESPN’s pre-game reporting in the hours preceding the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 3.
KSLU will reach a national audience when XM Radio features Musical Director Christine Sanley on XMU’s “The Student Exchange Program,” at 3 p.m.
XMU, channel 43 on XM’s satellite network, features college radio stations once a month on the two-hour program.
KSLU’s Station Manager Kyle Lewis said that SLU’s student-run station was selected personally by the brass at the network: “They contacted us . They select a few [stations] that they think are of good quality to feature on XM.”
Lewis said that Sanley was an obvious choice to serve as the program’s DJ, “because she does so much for the station . It would only be appropriate for us to select Christine-We couldn’t think of anyone better to do it.”
XM Radio offers KSLU exposure that dwarfs the station’s usual target audience. Lewis said he hopes that the opportunity will help to showcase the station.
“Being on XM allows us the opportunity to enhance the awareness of what a good community resource and entertainment outlet we can be,” Lewis said.
Sanley was confident that KSLU was a worthy choice for inclusion in the XMU program. “We provide a good example of what college radio is.”
As the featured DJ, Sanley will serve as the national voice of KSLU. “I’m honored,” she said. “I’ve been really dedicated to this station [since my freshman year]. I’m really passionate about it and wanted to represent what KSLU is in a way that reflects the whole station and my personal tastes.”
The program was prerecorded in KSLU’s fledgling production studio, and Sanley believes that it will entertain students across the nation. “I worked really hard on the playlist to make sure that it kicked ass,” she said. “It’s two hours of awesomeness.”
Tailgating students can expect something to soothe their game-time jitters. “It’s upbeat, so it’s appropriate for pre-gaming for the Super Bowl,” Sanley said.
Lewis sees the station’s moment in the national spotlight as the culmination of a recent series of improvements.
“It shows how much we’ve improved over the last few years and reflects the talent of our music department,” Lewis said.
KSLU plans to follow this achievement with further development, Sanley said. “We’re focusing on getting our sound out to more locations on campus, as well as reaching out to the greater St. Louis community, primarily through KDHX community radio.”
Other improvements that are in the works include a new production studio, which would have the potential to “bring in touring artists for in-studio performances and interviews,” Sanley said.
Sophomore Andy Olsson will be tuning in to KSLU’s XM broadcast.
“I think that’s pretty cool,” Olsson said. “You always think of it as just [amateur] radio, but it’s more than that.”
Olsson sees the station’s talent as an important factor in its success. “I like that the shows are given to the students because they have the best perspective for what [other students] listen to.”
Fans can hear KSLU’s XM programming on XM Radio and DirectTV. They can also sign up for a trial subscription to XMU on the XM Radio website.
