Auburn's student-run radio station, WEGL 91.1 FM, was forced to take a brief hiatus due to a lightning strike two weeks ago.
"The lightning hit our antenna directly," said Brian Long, WEGL promotions director. "We had been having problems with that part anyway, so after this hit it was just done for."
According to Long, the radio station has been completely down for two weeks.
"It doesn't help when you're trying to order parts with the majority of the station not there," Long said.
Lane Jones, junior in English and disc jockey at WEGL, said despite this technical difficulty, WEGL will come back stronger than ever once it's back on the air.
"We've had issues in the past with this antenna and with issues on our live online stream when people can't access our shows, and that's always devastating," Jones said.
"But we always keep up with our callers and listeners to let them know we're working diligently to fix the problem at hand. They know they can count on us to come back."
Despite being off the air, WEGL has remained hard at work.
"We've used this time off to work on our station and offices," Long said. "We're moving a lot of our recording equipment around in an effort to rearrange the studio."
Long said the replacement part has been ordered, and that it is expected to arrive sometime this week.
"Once we receive the replacement radio antenna tube, we should be back on the airwaves within a couple days," Long said. "We're all eager to get back to doing what we love."
Diamone Scott, sophomore in graphic design, said she is anxious for WEGL to come back.
"I love tuning into to WEGL because of how free and diverse it is," Scott said.
"It's clear that the students are who run the show, and I love that. Giving power and choice to the students why I listen. They play music I like or haven't heard of, and they talk about issues I can relate to."
Long said he hopes to host a concert for the University this summer.
"We have a lot of good connections with local bands, and I think it'd be a great thing for the students since nothing really happens on campus during the summer," Long said.
Jones agreed that a concert for the students is a great idea, but that it's also important to recruit more DJs.
"Working for this radio station has been an incredible experience," Jones said. "My friends and family always make sure to tune in when I'm on the air, and they tell their friends, and so on. Building a network like that is how we've been successful."
According to Long, WEGL is on the lookout for DJs this summer.
"We're in need of a couple more DJs because some of our staff members have graduated or gone home for the summer," Long said.
Jones said she encourages anyone with a passion for music and the radio to consider applying at WEGL.
"The beauty of WEGL is that you can play what you want to play and talk about what you want to talk about. Anyone with a passion for music and open discussion is welcome to stop by and apply."
For more information on WEGL and how to get involved, please visit its website at wegl.auburn.edu.
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