Liberty’s Radio Station Has Grand Reopening After Relocating to Green Hall

Liberty University’s Radio station, home to local program 90.9 The Light, relocated from its previous location in Demoss Hall to a new studio in Green Hall at the start of this semester. 

Numerous locations around campus have housed the station, including offices in the old Teacher Education building and more recently on the first floor of DeMoss. A ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday celebrated its new home in Green Hall. 

Steve Stilwell, the general manager of the station, said that the decision to move to Green Hall was due to the fact that all of the other digital media and journalism areas are also at Green Hall, so moving the station makes it more centralized with all of the school’s digital components. 

The radio station provides students with hands-on learning opportunities as they use the industry standard equipment that will prepare them for a professional environment. 

Now with the station in Green Hall, it is in a more accessible place for the students. Stilwell said that the move has had an overall positive impact for the school and everyone working at the station.

“This has been a positive move because we now have more exposure,” Stilwell explained in his e-mail. “And we are drawing so much interest and students are wanting to be a part of the station.” 

Christopher Cella, a student and news director at the radio station, said that moving the radio station to Green Hall made it much more convenient for all the Digital Media and Journalism students as they no longer have to walk to DeMoss to participate in the station.

“It’s 100% for the better,” Cella said. “More convenient and easily placed.”

The station began in 1980 under the name WLBU at 550 on the AM radio dial. In 1992, the radio station finally made its way onto FM radio on 90.9 and a few years later in 1995, the station was branded as 90.9 The Light. Through those years, the content varied with student talent available, ranging from news to sports talk to music.

The signal from the station covers a 15-mile radius from the campus. In the past, the content of the student station has included world events like the Berlin Wall being torn down and interviews with notable Christian music artists including DCTalk. 

When 1999 rolled around, the station expanded its focus from just campus related programing to Christian music, its main emphasis for the last 20 years.

Because the move has allowed for more convenience and expediency, students majoring in Digital Media and Journalism can now get to the radio station much quicker. Both Stilwell and Cella are looking forward to the number of students who can be involved with the new, more convenient location of the studio. 

“I’d love it if people came in and asked what they can do here with us… The station is now in a central location with a lot of the other departments like broadcasting, cinematic arts, theatre arts, and others nearby,” Stilwell told Liberty News service. “I want this place to be a service to those who want to use it and collaborate with them however we can. This place is going to be a great opportunity for our students and departments, and I’m really excited about it.”

Asher Notheis is a News Reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @AsherNotheis.