The world of radio broadcasting develops as technology develops, and Resound Radio – Cedarville University’s student-run radio station – is no different.
Resound Radio started in the ’90s as an AM station that later became a low-powered FM station. To keep up with the times, Resound exchanged its broadcast signal for online streaming capability. The station can now be heard at ResoundRadio.com.
Resound launched a new website and mobile application Aug. 14 said James Leightenheimer, faculty adviser for the radio station.
The upgrades are intended to make Resound more accessible to the student body in a medium that it uses more often, Leightenheimer said.
“We want people to engage with Resound in a way they haven’t before,” said station manager Angela Schweinitz, a senior broadcasting major. “We want listening to be more accessible than ever. We want to reach more student groups than we have yet.”
Resound on the web
While Resound had a website prior to the one launched in August, Leightenheimer said the old website was managed by an alumnus, which made it difficult for Resound to make changes quickly.
Visual media director Aaron Alford – a senior broadcasting and applied communications major – said the new website allows Resound to dynamically respond to the listener and reflect the station’s image.
“A better experience with the website improves the listener’s experience, overall, with the station,” Alford said.
Schweinitz said the website reflects who the station is in a much more cohesive way.
The new website still provides streaming of Resound Radio, but now users have easier access to Chuck’s cam – a live video feed of the cafeteria – and Resound’s blog, Alford said. Links to Resound’s social media are also accessible through the website.
Daniel Robinson, a 2015 Cedarville graduate and former production manager at Resound, and Alford were responsible for creating the new website. Alford designed the website and Robinson did the coding this past spring and summer.
Resound on-the-go
Josh Erlandson – a web designer and developer in Cedarville’s web department – said Resound was originally streamed through the old CU Mobile app. But when the new Cedarville app was released, streaming on the app was no longer supported.
Erlandson was responsible for creating and releasing the new Resound Radio mobile app this past summer. Erlandson said the new Resound mobile app is designed for Android and iOS devices but is unsupported by Google phones. The app currently streams Resound Radio and allows users to buy the songs they hear through iTunes.
“Where we’re at with the app obviously gets us mobile listening again anywhere in the world,” Leightenheimer said.
Although the Resound staff did not provide current numbers of listeners, Leightenheimer said there are a growing number of listeners on the app. He said he would not be surprised if the number of people listening to the app eclipsed the number of online listeners in the future.
Upgrades: Coming Soon
Alford said Resound will continue to improve technical elements of its website and app over the next few months. Resound will also be adding information about its DJs on the website.
Erlandson said some of the new features he is working on for the app are the addition of a “like” button and links to Resound’s social media pages. The user interface is also being redesigned to improve streaming and functionality with mobile devices. The updates for the app will be released sometime during the fall semester, Erlandson said.
Listener-focused
Many of the upgrades and soon-to-be-released upgrades are focused on making it easier for the listener to provide feedback to Resound. Leightenheimer and Schweinitz said the feedback and listener data they collect is important for the development of the station and the songs they play.
“We really just want to be following a professional model of doing research and responding to it and reach the audience in the best way,” Leightenheimer said.
Schweinitz said radio is a product, and Resound is working to tailor that product to the student body.
“We’re going to give you fresh music, we’re going to unite and inspire the student body, and we’re going to encourage the student body,” said Schweinitz. “We also want to give people a voice of someone they can listen and relate to immediately.”
Schweinitz said she feels the new app shows that Resound is being taken seriously as a professional radio station.
“We’re not just a college station that gets on and talks about whatever we want. We operate by professional models,” Schweinitz said. “We’re looking at other stations and saying, ‘What are they doing?’ and, ‘What’s effective for them?’ And apps is where it’s at.”
Despite all the changes, Resound’s focus has stayed the same.
“Our motivation is to serve the student body,” Leightenheimer said. “We want to train professional broadcasters, but you can’t separate serving an audience from that.”
Keegan D’Alfonso is a freshman journalism major and a reporter for Cedars. He was a sergeant in the Marines and enjoys learning about and experiencing other cultures.
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