Station is connection to culture

By Stephen Parker
The TC News Reporter

Broadcasting live from the Texarkana College campus is KTXK 91.5 FM, a National Public Radio and American Public Media affiliate radio station licensed to Texarkana College.

KTXK offers community-oriented, non-commercial programming where one could find a variety of music, news, sports, cultural and public affairs shows.

Disseminating from new state-of-the-art facilities, KTXK boasts a powerful signal of 100,000 watts that can reach into Southwest Arkansas, Southeast Oklahoma, and much deeper into Northeast Texas.

Unlike every other station on the dial, KTXK is non-commercial. That means continuous content, uninterrupted and uninfluenced by advertisers.

How is this possible in a world where one cannot avoid being bombarded by commercials, moment to moment, on every platform possible? Twice a year KTXK discreetly encourages listeners, on air, to make a pledge at any level they are comfortable with in order to keep the station’s mission alive.

General Manager Steve Mitchell was asked why he thinks public radio is so important.

“It is the last bastion providing long form news and information as well as music unheard anywhere else on the radio,” Mitchell said.

Truly, it is public radio’s connection to the people it serves that makes it special.

Future plans for KTXK include local members of the community contributing stories to NPR’s, StoryCorps.
StoryCorps’ mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.

Students with a passion to be on-the-air are encouraged by Mitchell to not make radio their only choice. Have many skills: people, computer, journalistic, announcing, and sound engendering; basically learn every position possible to make your skill-set indispensable, says Mitchell.

He also warns that a lack of standards on the internet/pod-cast radio can diminish one’s chances of becoming a professional in the radio business.

Clearly, 91.5 KTXK is the best local station for unfiltered national and regional news, as well as uncommonly broadcasted musical genres. The non-commercial format ensures uninterrupted listening to your favorite programs 24 hours a day.

Where does Steve Mitchell see KTXK in the coming years?

“Continuing to grow and prosper. Providing the best in classical programming. A voice for the people.”

Anyone interested in supporting the radio station should check out http://ktxk.org/ to find out more information on how to help.