WQSU-FM, “The Pulse” at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania remains on the air, thanks to some fortunate timing and advanced technology. The 10,000 watt station in Selinsgrove, serves a nine county area in the center of the Keystone State.
The more than 100 students involved with the station are working from bedrooms, basements and living rooms thanks to a state of the art voice tracking system. The installation of the system was planned for Spring break prior to the virus outbreak and was in place when the break ended March 13 and the university was basically shutdown.
“We were fortunate to plan the installation of an advanced voice tracking system called Zetta during spring break. We really had no idea how important the timing would be to continuing our service to the community during such an unprecedented time.”
Along with live music on the air, the station has also implemented Q-Tips and ThankQ’s, as a way to provide tips to the public on how to stop the spread of the virus and thank first responders and those professionals on the front lines of the pandemic. In both cases, the station continues to include underwriter mentions as a way to promote the local business community.
“This has really been a labor of love because so many people have stepped up to the plate to make this a seamless transition,”said Benfer. “We have an excellent IT Department who has helped us with the installation and troubleshooting and is now our partner in maintaining the remote operation. The communications department, who oversees the station, has been extremely accommodating.”
