Buena Vista University’s (BVU) own campus radio station, KBVU The Edge 97.5, celebrated its 20th birthday November 17. KBVU’s executive staff organized a 24-hour broadcast, and “Birthday Mixer” held in the Siebens Forum from 4-6 PM for alumni coming back to campus. The 24-hour broadcast included live violin playing on The Job Show, The BV Breakfast Club with Kyle, Brain Food, and music from different decades an hour at a time.

Lage has seemingly always been home to KBVU. However, when radio originally began on BVU’s campus as KBVC in 1974, it was located across the street. Until the mid 80s, KBVC was grounded in Smith Hall. Over the years, technology for the station evolved from using records and reel-to-reels in the 70s and 80s, to cassette tapes, CDs, and finally transitioning everything digital in 1997 to today.

On the organization executive board, there is no set staff size, and positions and staff members consistently change as the years pass. The same signal is used today as it was when the radio station began in 1997, so anyone who has been on staff, or on air has made a difference in the exceptional quality of this station, according to Station Manager Kyle Wiebers.

“KBVU has been a place for me as a student to learn, but also just as an individual to grow. I’ve developed a passion for radio over the last four years, and that’s something that will never go away.” said Wiebers.

Each staff member brings something to make the station special. Some of those staff members are Tanner Hoops and Andrew Bandstra, two upperclassmen sports broadcasters who contribute a huge amount to sports programming at KBVU. Tanner Frost, Guy Tannenbaum, and Nick Hendricks are three members who have jumped in, and effectively added to these entertaining broadcasts.

KBVU currently delivers an array of content including sports, news, long and short form audio stories and of course alternative hits. Station Manager, and senior Psychology Major Kyle Wiebers works alongside a staff of 16 committed and technically skilled members, and Professor of Digital Media Dr. Andrea Frantz, as the station advisor.

To view the entire KBVU staff, visit: https://www.kbvu975.com/our-staff.

The next 20 years are sure to bring more captivating and unique things for KBVU The Edge 97.5, Northwest Iowa’s Best Alternative.