Ahead of the fall 2025 semester at Luther, changes were made to the campus radio station, KWLC 1240 AM. The station, previously run by a team of salaried staff, has now shifted to become a student-run organization. The folks in charge of the station previously offered work study positions for students, but this year, work study for KWLC has been removed, and it is now run by a team of student volunteer officers.
Station manager, Lindsey Moseley (‘26), is leading the station through the change from a work study position to a student organization. Operation has remained consistent: the changes are largely structural, and have to do with student officers and a formal constitution, though there are other organizational changes in the works. KWLC plans to create an independent website for all information relating to the station, which includes DJ schedules, station events and ways to listen to radio shows. They also plan to create a merch line for the station, as well as a magazine. The AM Magazine is a “fun-sized” magazine that has been historically produced by the station, including DJ bios, art, album and concert review and more.
Moseley shared that 2026 is the 100 year anniversary of KWLC. The station hopes to bring back their annual block party with live music and sweet treats. Looking back 100 years, Luther students were just as passionate about sharing new music live through the wire, if not even more. Previously, KWLC had a wider reach on campus when physical media was much more prominent.
In a press release, the station said that “currently, KWLC is seeing a decline in student interest in both DJs and listeners, which is resulting in less air-time. Students are highly encouraged to sign up for a time slot.”
“That’s the point of college radio stations,” Moseley said. “College radio is super important to bring new ears and new people to local music. Any student can get on and play the music they want to play. There’s lots more variety and lots more individuals out there with stories that they want to share than you might think.”
DJ Noelle Hendricks (‘27) hosts a show on Wednesday nights.
“[KWLC] is a way for me to be involved in the Luther community that aligns with my interests and that isn’t overwhelming on top of my other commitments,” Hendricks said. “One thing that I really like about it is that it’s a weekly commitment that doesn’t have anything to do with my academic obligations, it’s just for me.”
College radio stations technically operate under FCC regulations, as they are the entity that owns and manages the radio waves. Because of the current government shutdown, KWLC is unsure of the operating changes that may potentially be ahead, but are currently running shows as usual.
KWLC also shares the air with KDEC 100.5, Decorah’s public radio station given that KDEC has multiple frequencies, KWLC shares only 1240 AM. KWLC has over 10 individual DJs with official live shows that can be found on the air at 1240 AM, at Luther’s Shoutcast page or the Tune-in mobile app. The schedule can be found on the KWLC instagram, @kwlc1240.
With KWLC’s transition to a student run organization, the students of Luther have proven that student run public media is still relevant. Even though many radio stations and media have gone digital, physical media and public broadcasting is just as alive today as it was 100 years ago.
“Student radio takes something that’s usually a solitary activity — listening to music — and turns it into a point of connection for the broader community,” Hendricks said. “I love it when I’m in the middle of a show and a friend texts me about the song I just played. Public media is about providing shared experiences and reminding us that we are going through life together. I think it’s really important to support that rather than just becoming more isolated. It’s always good to be able to listen to people who are really sincerely trying to process what’s going on in the world and how we can respond to it.”
