Among the changes that have taken place on campus this summer is the relocation of KGOU.Since its founding in 1983, KGOU has expanded in both its listening audience and fund raising as it broadcasts a jazz and news talk format from National Public Radio and other sources across the Oklahoma City metro area and most of central Oklahoma.For several years, the radio station's studio and offices have been on the third floor of Kaufman Hall.However, an increase in staff size at KGOU and a need for more faculty office space campus-wide has led to the university's approval of a move to the third floor of Copeland Hall.KGOU General Manager Karen Holp was fed up with the conditions at the Kaufman Hall location."We've been talking to university officials for a while about how cramped we are in here," said Holp. "So we got the approval for the renovations to the third floor of Copeland."The new KGOU offices and studio will encompass about one-half of the third floor in Copeland Hall, allowing for some faculty space to remain in the former home of OU's journalism department."Now that most of the journalism department has moved to Gaylord Hall, there was more free space available in Copeland," Holp said. "They needed more faculty space in Kaufman also, so it works out well."Workers have been busy on the renovations in Copeland Hall for several weeks throughout the summer break, and an end now appears to be in sight.In the past, the university has strived to complete construction projects before the beginning of the fall semester, but these renovations will require a bit of a spillover into the school year."The move is scheduled for the first week of September," said Holp. "That is, if everything goes as planned."In addition to new office spaces and a new studio, the employees of KGOU will also be working with new equipment.In fact, it is very important for KGOU to get this new studio equipment.This is to ensure that the transition between the old studio and the new studio is done quickly and with as little interruption in programming as possible, as 'dead air' is the enemy of anyone in the radio business."If we didn't have the new equipment in place and ready to go, we would have to take down the signal for a very long time," Holp said. "Moving it across campus would take far too long."KGOU employs nine full-time employees and five part-time employees.The move comes at a time when the station has almost one million people in its listening area.Plans are said to be in the works to expand that coverage area sometime in the future."We are very excited and very pleased to be moving to the new location in Copeland Hall," Holp said. "We have spent the entire summer planning the design of the new studio."KGOU can be found at 106.3 FM on your radio dial and visitors are welcome to tour the studio during business hours on weekdays.
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