By Gary Chapman
gchapman@lc.edu
As the Lewis and Clark Community College (L&C) campus is opening, one of the programs allowed in is the Radio Program. With a major part of the program revolving around talking into microphones, they, of course, had to make some changes to how WLCA runs. Here are some of the changes:
1 Increased Sanitation
One thing that everybody who comes into the studio must do is sanitize. Everybody must sanitize before and after the shift using the cleaning fluid, which you spray on a towel or a wipe. They wipe down the mixing board, computer, phone, and keyboard, etc. They also must wipe down the seat and must wear a mask when another person is in the studio.
2 Changes in Operation
It used to be that the songs would go through one pot (the term used to describe the place that you control the volume) and the mic is another pot. Now the board is set up so that there are three inputs, where one program goes through one, and the next thing is through the other, etc. It makes it easier to have the song already ready for your set. Also, as with many things, all classes and meetings are done through Zoom.
3 Remote Shift
It is common in radio to do a shift from another place, usually as a promotional piece. Now, most people in the radio business are doing their shifts at home, and WLCA is no exception. The way they do it is using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to connect into the LC network, connect to the computer running WideOrbit, which is the program that plays and schedules the songs, use Teamspeak (to send the mic over and hear the station) and a program which tells the board how loud it should be and use that to do the shift.
And that is how WLCA is accommodating for the new guidelines. Sure, it might have its hiccups, but most people have gotten used to it, with Sports Director Ethan Hanneford saying that he “is just vibing [and] going with the flow.” It does take some getting used to, but as this seems to be the new normal, we better get used to it.
Featured image by Maria Martinez.
