KRLX — Carletons Resident Radio Station!
George explains one of the greatest Carleton organizations: KRLX, Carleton's resident radio station.
George explains one of the greatest Carleton organizations: KRLX, Carleton's resident radio station.
One of the many new clubs and activities I joined this fall was KRLX, Carleton’s resident radio show. KRLX has been around for a long time — we celebrated its 75th anniversary this year!
What is a KRLX??
KRLX is Carleton College’s KRLX student-run, non-commercial FM campus radio station, which broadcasts to the greater Northfield area. KRLX runs 24/7 during the academic year, meaning at almost any point you are on campus, you can tune into 88.1 FM. And if you’re not on campus, or you want to tune in outside of the radio’s broadcasting range, KRLX streams online here! I recommend you tune in — it’s always a lot of fun and a great way to get a feel for the Carleton student body before arriving on campus.
How can you get involved?
Luckily, getting a radio show on KRLX is one of the easiest things to do at Carleton – and one of the most popular, with around 200 DJs a term! All you have to do is think of a creative name and fill out some basic scheduling information. You also don’t have to just host a music radio show — you can talk about literally anything that sparks your fancy. This term, we have shows on K-pop, fitness, podcasting, storytelling, and much much more. Do be aware when signing up — because KRLX is live 24/7, someone (probably with great music taste) has to have the 5:00 – 6:30 AM time slot on Monday. (Spoiler: that’s my time slot this term.)
What else does KRLX offer?
Other than just the standard 24/7 radio shows, KRLX also hosts Bandemonium, Short Course, Live@, as well as multiple smaller events during the term.
- Live@ is a 1-hour show on Thursdays from 8-9 PM that is designed for students to perform live in the record libe and have it streamed on KRLX airwaves!
- Short Course is a 1-hour show during common time (12-1 PM) on Tuesdays in which DJs can bring their favorite Prof on to discuss their opinions or expertise on a particular topic!
- Bandemonium is a 2-hour show from 5-7 PM on Sundays designated for DJs to take a deep dive into a band, artist, record label, or musical movement
Right next to the KRLX studio, you will find one of my favorite underrated spots on campus: the Record Libe! The Record Libe is a collection of thousands of vinyls and CDs, spanning literally every genre you could think of. Many of the records are promotional recordings sent to KRLX, so they are deep deep cuts — as well as being by some pretty small and underground artists. This makes the Libe an awesome place to hang out, listen to some new music, and work on homework.
That about wraps up my blog on KRLX. It really is a fantastic organization, run by amazing people. I urge anyone reading this to apply during their fall term at Carleton! Remember to tune in, either at 88.1 FM or by streaming here! As always, if you have any questions, or want to chat with a current Carleton student, feel free to reach me here!
George (he/him) is a freshman interested in Mathematics, History, and Geology, from New York City. He loves listening to music (currently Big Thief, Elliot Smith, and Kid Cudi), as well as playing the jazz flute and guitar. At Carleton, he’s involved in the Carleton Association of Nature and Outdoor Enthusiasts (CANOE), Carleton’s radio station, KRLX, and more. You may see him wandering around the Arb, playing pickup ultimate frisbee, or thrifting in Northfield.