The Northland College radio station, 97.7 WRNC, began 24-hour broadcasting on January 8. Previously, WRNC offered programming from noon until midnight seven days a week with about one-third of that time filled with pre-recorded programs. The new 24-hour broadcast schedule will feature more time slots for new DJ’s and several new programs including National Native News, Free Speech Radio News, and an original half-hour news program produced by WRNC. The station also is proud to announce the launch of a new Web site including a webcast and a listing of station events.

“Twenty-four hour broadcasting is an enormous leap in the service we provide to the Chequamegon Bay area,” said Ed Morales, WRNC station manager. “After working hard to find our footing, WRNC is headed in a great direction. Stay tuned, there’s a lot more to come.”

WRNC has been broadcasting under its current Federal Communications Commission license since May of 2005. A community-run station, WRNC features programs produced by Northland students and members of the greater community that range from talk radio to rock, folk and jazz based music shows.

The station’s new schedule will include an even greater variety of programs. National Native News is a daily news program produced from a Native perspective. It will air on WRNC Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. Free Speech Radio News is a progressive half-hour news program owned and managed by the reporters who contribute. It offers independent news from different angles and will air on WRNC Tuesday through Friday at 3:30 p.m. The new WRNC radio news program will feature locally relevant headlines from around the region, the nation and the world. It will air on WRNC Wednesday at 5 p.m. Other new programs are currently being developed as well, including a monthly news program produced by members of the Mashkisibi Boys and Girls Club.

Morales stressed the influence that listeners can have on the station. “Right now, there’s more news programming on the horizon,” said Morales. “But WRNC is a community radio station—if the community wants more talk, we’ll work to bring in more talk; if they want more jazz, we’ll work on that too.”

A full schedule of the station’s programming is available on the new WRNC Web site located at www.wrnclp.org. Visitors to the site can patch into a webcast, read about upcoming station events and learn about how to get involved with WRNC. The site also features background information about various programs and a weather forecast. In the future the station hopes to add podcasts of popular shows.