by Larry Kline
Havre Daily News
lkline@havredailynews.com
People will be able to hear KNMC-FM 90.1 - the Montana State University-Northern college radio station that broadcasts a blend of funk, doo-wop, indie, classic rock, jazz, folk, comedy, blues, grunge, hair metal and electronic music with the help of volunteer disc jockies and staff - farther from Havre, thanks to a new antenna mast, station manager Dave Martens said.
"We're broadcasting farther and have a better quality signal," he said. He estimated the signal will cover at least a 15-mile radius. The tower is on Cowan Hall.
The station replaced its old telescoping tower with a new structure that is roughly 6 feet taller and will provide a more secure mooring for its two antennas, said Mike Campbell, MSU-N director of information technology services.
A lightning strike several years ago damaged the station's antennas, which were replaced with larger, heavier equipment. High winds would cause reception and modulation problems because the hold tower wasn't built to do the job, Campbell said.
"We had hoped the current mast would support them, but it didn't," he said. "Now, we have a really good, strong, secure system. If we ever do anything else, this is a tower that will support that. It was a good upgrade."
