KNSU 91.5 The Edge, the campus radio station, proposed a referendum to the Student Government Association Student Senate that would allow students to vote on raising the current self-assessed fee from $2 to $3. The fee for KNSU has not been raised since 1978.

Right now KNSU is in the 1980s or 1990s time period as far technology is concerned, and we are in the process of trying to renew and update a lot of our equipment, Rafael Llanos, KNSU station manager, said.

Llanos said items like the amplifier, antenna and transmitter, cost more than $30,000, and KNSU needs to save more money to replace them.

“We were looking at our inventory, and everything is about 10 years old,” Lance Arnold, KNSU advisor, said.

KNSU also needs the increase to be able to hire an engineer to take care of the equpiment and problems that arise, which will enable the station to comply with the Federal Communication Commission standards, Llanos said.

KNSU has not had an official engineer for the past six years.

“To have a full time engineer that is on call for us would be $12,000 a year,” Arnold said.

Lightning struck KNSU last spring and damaged the equipment, bringing into view all of the problems that the station has, Arnold said.

“If we would have had an engineer the last five years, things would have been properly installed where the lightening would not have caused so much damage. So, having an engineer will save us money that way,” Arnold said.

KNSU will have to renew their license in 2004. By this time, the station must have every thing set up correctly in compliance with FCC standards.

Without the upgrades, correct set up and an engineer, KNSU could face fines from the FCC.

Current staff members have been made aware of the situation that the station is in, and they have realized the seriousness of it, Llanos said.

“They know that if we do not get an increase, and if we suffer another catastrophic event, we would not be able to go back on the air,” Arnold said.

The staff members have had to be on alert as to whether or not the equipment was working properly, Llanos said.

With the fee increase, KNSU will be able to provide more services to the students. There will be the possibility for more concerts, a better Edge Fest and a radio station that will not sporadically be off of the air, Arnold said.

KNSU will also be able to expand the station’s service area.

“Right now we can only reach a half mile off of campus, and we should be able to reach past Houma,” Arnold said.

Without the fee increase the station will continue to deteriorate.

“Without the money, there is nothing that we can do about it,” Arnold said.

“We are trying to stay one to two steps behind the rest of the world instead of five or six.”