WLNX
Encyclopedia
WLNX is a radio station
broadcasting an Alternative
format. Licensed to Lincoln, Illinois
, USA. The station is currently owned by Lincoln College, Illinois
.
(ground for the building was broken on Abraham Lincoln
's last living birthday). The broadcast antenna bays are mounted to the eastern side of the bell tower that sits atop the building. On June 11, 2006, the WLNX facility narrowly survived a fire that damaged portions of two floors of the historic building.
The founder of the radio station was Brayton Danner, a long-time science instructor at Lincoln College. Student interest caused Danner to found the Lincoln College Broadcasting Club, initially exploring the world of amateur radio
operation. As student interest in broadcasting
grew, Danner spent countless hours soliciting support for a broadcast radio station. He, along with the station's first chief engineer, Ray Knochel, set up the initial studios of WLNX. To complement the interest in broadcasting, Danner also petitioned the college and had broadcasting courses added to the curriculum. He taught these classes as part of his full-time duties, in addition to also serving as faculty adviser and General Manager of the station from 1974 to 1987. Danner continued overseeing the broadcasting program as a part-time instructor toward the end of his employment at Lincoln College, although he maintained an interest in the radio station as well as groundskeeping, photography, and other aspects of the Lincoln College campus.
Following Danner, local commercial radio veteran Jim Ash, who worked at WLNX when attending college at LC, was hired as part-time instructor and general manager of the station from 1987 to 1989. Lincoln College and WLNX alumnus Lloyd Kirby was hired as full-time instructor and general manager of the station from 1989 to 1998. In August 2004, Lincoln College hired John Malone, a veteran broadcaster from the Peoria, Illinois, market.
Until 2004, the broadcasting schedule of WLNX always mirrored the semesters of the Lincoln College academic calendar, never broadcasting 24 hours per day. The station would routinely sign off during summer recess and for all scheduled breaks.
In mid 2004, WLNX began a satellite
-delivered simulcast of classical music
station WCPE-FM
in Raleigh, North Carolina
. At the same time, with the addition of computers and broadcast automation software, WLNX began broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Under Malone's direction, during the fall of 2005, WLNX returned to local programming with a student-run and strictly formatted station. On November 22, 2006, after one year of airing a classic rock
format, WLNX re-christened itself "89X - Lincoln's New Rock Alternative" and began airing a focused modern alternative rock
format.
The purpose of WLNX is to provide Lincoln College students with real broadcasting experience done in the manner of commercial radio stations. Students at WLNX learn how to use software common to the broadcast industry, including "Selector" by Radio Computing Services
. The on air format is executed by computers, utilizing the "X Studio" digital automation system from C-R Media.
Currently, WLNX serves an audience within a listening radius of about ten miles from the college, located at 300 Keokuk Street in Lincoln, Illinois.
On November 29, 2007, WLNX began streaming on the internet, with access available at www.wlnxradio.com.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting an Alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
format. Licensed to Lincoln, Illinois
Lincoln, Illinois
Lincoln is a city in Logan County, Illinois, United States. It is the only town in the United States that was named for Abraham Lincoln before he became president; he practiced law there from 1847 to 1859. First settled in the 1830s, Lincoln is home to three colleges and two prisons. The three...
, USA. The station is currently owned by Lincoln College, Illinois
Lincoln College, Illinois
- History of the college :Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois was established in 1865 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. There were a few sites that were looked at as possibilities, and in December 1864, the site of Lincoln was selected...
.
History
The station began operation in January 1974, broadcasting at 10 watts of power on the frequency of 90.1 FM. In 1982, Lincoln College (originally chartered as Lincoln University and listed on WLNX's broadcast license as such), received permission from the FCC to increase its output power to 225 watts. Because of adjacent stations in the area and the potential overlap in signals/coverage areas, the station switched frequencies to 88.9 FM. The station originally was located in the basement of University Hall, a building listed in the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(ground for the building was broken on Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's last living birthday). The broadcast antenna bays are mounted to the eastern side of the bell tower that sits atop the building. On June 11, 2006, the WLNX facility narrowly survived a fire that damaged portions of two floors of the historic building.
The founder of the radio station was Brayton Danner, a long-time science instructor at Lincoln College. Student interest caused Danner to found the Lincoln College Broadcasting Club, initially exploring the world of amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
operation. As student interest in broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
grew, Danner spent countless hours soliciting support for a broadcast radio station. He, along with the station's first chief engineer, Ray Knochel, set up the initial studios of WLNX. To complement the interest in broadcasting, Danner also petitioned the college and had broadcasting courses added to the curriculum. He taught these classes as part of his full-time duties, in addition to also serving as faculty adviser and General Manager of the station from 1974 to 1987. Danner continued overseeing the broadcasting program as a part-time instructor toward the end of his employment at Lincoln College, although he maintained an interest in the radio station as well as groundskeeping, photography, and other aspects of the Lincoln College campus.
Following Danner, local commercial radio veteran Jim Ash, who worked at WLNX when attending college at LC, was hired as part-time instructor and general manager of the station from 1987 to 1989. Lincoln College and WLNX alumnus Lloyd Kirby was hired as full-time instructor and general manager of the station from 1989 to 1998. In August 2004, Lincoln College hired John Malone, a veteran broadcaster from the Peoria, Illinois, market.
Format
During its early years, WLNX aired music from a wide variety of genres. The initial philosophy of the founders was that the station was created by students for students, and students should determine the programming. Due to the FCC requirements that stations operate "in the public interest, convenience, and necessity," WLNX aired a variety of public affairs types of programming. Religious services from Lincoln Christian Church were broadcast Sunday mornings, students put together newscasts of both national and campus items, and various programs and public service announcements were incorporated into the station's broadcast schedule. While providing these programs to satisfy FCC licensing requirements, such programming was also aired in an effort to build the station into more than just a "free on-air jukebox." In an effort to provide a more consistent "sound" for the station, as well as taking into account college radio's place within the music industry, an effort was made early in the 1980s to emphasize alternative and new music.Until 2004, the broadcasting schedule of WLNX always mirrored the semesters of the Lincoln College academic calendar, never broadcasting 24 hours per day. The station would routinely sign off during summer recess and for all scheduled breaks.
In mid 2004, WLNX began a satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
-delivered simulcast of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
station WCPE-FM
WCPE-FM
- WCPE affiliates:Portions of WCPE's programming can also be heard on these stations:Kansas* KBTL 88.1 El Dorado - variousIllinois* WLNX 88.9 FM Lincoln - 24 hoursMichigan* WCHW-FM 91.3 FM Bay CityM-F, 7 p.m...
in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. At the same time, with the addition of computers and broadcast automation software, WLNX began broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Under Malone's direction, during the fall of 2005, WLNX returned to local programming with a student-run and strictly formatted station. On November 22, 2006, after one year of airing a classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
format, WLNX re-christened itself "89X - Lincoln's New Rock Alternative" and began airing a focused modern alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
format.
The purpose of WLNX is to provide Lincoln College students with real broadcasting experience done in the manner of commercial radio stations. Students at WLNX learn how to use software common to the broadcast industry, including "Selector" by Radio Computing Services
Radio Computing Services
Radio Computing Services, also known as RCS Inc., is a provider of scheduling and broadcast software for radio, Internet and television stations. The company was established in 1979 by Dr. Andrew Economos. On January 26, 2006, Clear Channel Communications purchased RCS as a subsidiary...
. The on air format is executed by computers, utilizing the "X Studio" digital automation system from C-R Media.
Currently, WLNX serves an audience within a listening radius of about ten miles from the college, located at 300 Keokuk Street in Lincoln, Illinois.
On November 29, 2007, WLNX began streaming on the internet, with access available at www.wlnxradio.com.