KBLZ radio station on hold

North Lake's proposed Web-based radio station, KBLZ, is on hold.

Brought to the drawing board in 2007 by the Student Leadership Institute (SLI), the idea for KBLZ began as a club project. "Every semester we give the students a project that they need to complete," said Adrianne Settles, sponsor of SLI, a club designed to enhance leadership skills and opportunities for students.

Settles explained that, in years past, SLI has worked on projects such as designing Web pages and organizing Earth Day celebrations, but creating a radio station has been the most time-consuming venture to date.

Popularity grew for the station after the President's Team OK'd the idea in late 2007. In fall 2008, thirty-eight students pushed for broadcasting KBLZ team radio. Dr. Marco Hinojosa, the executive dean of the North Campus in Coppell, decided to lend a hand and gave the club a small closet to set up base as a broadcasting center. Students were split into five teams that covered a variety of topics from weather to fashion, music, and relationship advice. However, despite dedication, the President's Team members, which consist of executive deans and vice presidents, asked to push back broadcasting so they could look into licensing and legalities. According to the FCC, there isn't a need for certification for Web podcasting; however, Dr. Herlinda Glasscock, president of North Lake College, and her team wanted to obtain licensing just to be on the safe side.

After much discussion, Glasscock and her team decided to halt any production or broadcasting of KBLZ. She said that due to the opening of a new building in fall 2009, adding a student-led radio station was too much at present.

"We don't want to spread our efforts too thin… it's best to build on what we are already working on," said Glasscock. With the opening of the new multi-media building in August, teachers and faculty are scrambling to get ready for the fall semester.

Glasscock said not to worry, that the idea has not been thrown away completely. SLI is planning to take the initiative to find a full-time teacher to help run the radio station, as well as work out any more kinks that may come down the road.

"I want it to be known that KBLZ is only down, not out," said Settles.

As for her outlook, she says she's optimistic at the prospect of one day bringing a radio station to the NLC campus for good.