Stream the student-run themed shows every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday throughout the semester from 5–7 p.m.
After more than a year-long hiatus, KGSM, the official radio station for Gustavus Adolphus College, is back on the air. Run by the Gustavus Radio Club, the station has broadcast entertainment to the Gustavus community since 1922.
The comeback came from a simple conversation between co-hosts Eric Hofer ʼ27 and Grace LaTourelle ʼ27, who wondered whether they could revive the station. “I love music and believe that having a greater diversity of organizations and outlets for student voices on campus is important,” says Grace. “Bringing back the radio feeds into both of those things for me.”
With help from former KGSM faculty advisor Jon Ivan Gill and alum Andrew Clark ʼ25, the studio was re-wired and set up for streaming once again.
“It felt very nostalgic and fun to visit the studio—to be back in the place that I had spent countless hours and that is a passion project of mine,” says Andrew, who during his three years as president of KGSM updated and repaired much of the equipment, launched a new website, and hosted shows.
Each show this semester will have a theme. Their first this past Sunday: groove-maxxing. “We started with ‘Video Killed the Radio Star' by the Buggles, because it was the first song played on MTV,” says Grace.
Other streaming themes that listeners can look forward to include “ablaze”—fire-related songs—and “women in rock”—think Janis Joplin, Pat Benatar, Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, the Pretty Reckless, and the now female-fronted band Linkin Park.
“We're going to play a huge range of music to try to represent the many listening tastes of the Gustavus student body,” says Grace.
In the future, Eric says they’d like to partner with on-campus musicians and invite special guests to talk on-air. “My biggest goal with reestablishing KGSM is ensuring that this century-old organization can continue for new generations of Gustavus community members,” he says.
As co-president and radio host, Grace hopes that KGSM can provide another space for student voice and expression on campus. “Organizations have a lifecycle and they naturally ebb and flow—some growing and some disappearing over time,” she says. “But diversity is important and bringing back the radio gives students another creative and social outlet.”
Tune in every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 5–7 p.m. at kgsm.gac.edu. Follow KGSM on Instagram @kgsmradio for updates and ways to join. To send in song requests or theme ideas, email hosts Eric Hofer or Grace LaTourelle.
