NWC radio station to begin broadcasting soon Northwest College students will begin airing local programming soon from NWT, the college's new radio station. That will be the realization of a goal conceived about 10 years ago, and the culmination of a multi-year application and licensing process.

If all goes as planned, NWT — for Northwest Trappers — will be broadcasting within the next few weeks. The station will operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week, broadcasting at 89.1 megahertz from an 18,000-watt transmitter.

The station will share an existing tower and antenna on Cedar Mountain with KOFG radio in Cody, said Dennis Davis, NWC assistant professor of journalism and mass communication.

The college first applied six years ago with the Federal Communications Commission for a construction permit for a radio station. That application was denied, but a second application in 2007 was approved. The permit was issued in June or July last year, Davis said, and work to set up the transmitter began shortly afterward.

Work also began on a new recording studio at the college with the conversion of a room that formerly served as a dance studio (See related story). It is from this new state-of-the-art studio, located off the stage at Nelson Performing Arts Center, that students will broadcast programming for the new radio station.

“The new studio gives us some options that not every radio station has,” Davis said.

Students have been preparing for NWT's debut since the spring. They are learning about what it takes to run a radio station and working on programming that will air on the new station.

They learn what goes into radio programming, then they put that information into practice. That includes learning the nuts and bolts about the technical aspects of broadcasting and Federal Communication Commission rules, information about the nature of a radio station and a target audience, and how to organize a music show, for starters.

“A lot of it is real hands on,” Davis said.

Much of the station's content will be local programming, he said.

“We're going to emphasize the Big Horn Basin in terms of news and public affairs, programing with interviews of local people and performances of local musicians,” including concerts at the college, he said.

Programming on the station also will include some Spanish language programming and some National Public Radio content as well, he said.

“Overall, it's going to be a great opportunity for students to do things not available before, and an option for area residents to hear programming not available before,” he said.

He noted that his broadcasting students will work closely with students in the college's music technology program, which is under the direction of Rob Rumbolz.

“Sharing the studio gives us more opportunities to do that,” Davis said.