Loyola’s Crescent City Radio survives on a year-to-year basis, but after plans to pump $10,000 into the station, station members are beginning to think to the future.
After a struggle to find funding, the radio station may now have the financial backing to become a self-sustained organization.
Crescent City Radio received a $2,000 from the department chair account of John Snyder, the coordinator of music industry studies, in mid October after Snyder received phone call from Donald Boomgaarten, dean of the College of Music and Fine Arts, asking about Crescent City Radio’s financial situation.
“It is my department’s obligation to take care of the station,” Snyder said.
“We need to ratchet-up the station to give the community a face for expression,” Snyder said.
Crescent City Radio is one of eight student-run organizations in the music industry program here at Loyola.
“Crescent City Radio teaches kids how to run an enterprise as well as how to make money,” Snyder said.
With the proposed $10,000, faculty adviser Jay Crutti said the station will be able to buy much needed system upgrades, such as computers with reliable automation systems, an updated CD player, updated turntable, as well as promotional events for the station to grow.
Crutti explained how the station uses $2,000 a year as a bare minimum to get to the next year, which does not include advertising or any other promotional tools to generate the income to secure the station’s future.
“Selling advertising is hard. We still face problems because the station is in its infancy,” Crutti said.
As of now, the radio station holds onto $464.50 of unused ad space in The Maroon—of which the radio station bought with a surplus computer.
“I feel very thankful and gracious towards Snyder for giving us the proper appropriations needed for the station to continue broadcasting to not only Loyola students but everyone around the world,” said Huntleigh Gilbard, political science sophomore and programming director for the station.
Gilbard views concerts as means to generate income for the station.
“Because we are involved in the music scene, concerts serve as the best fundraising tactic as well as the most realistic and simplistic way to raise money,” Gilbard said.
For the spring semester, Gilbard plans to arrange a benefit concert with Loyola bands as well as some big name bands headlining.
With the ability to carry on for another year, Crescent City Radio moves forward into the next semester.
“Now that the thread of closure is behind us, we can focus on upgrading our station,” Crutti said.
Russell Shelton can be reached at [email protected]
