Early Tuesday morning, May 19, the KMST Rolla transmitter went off the air, due to damage possibly caused by lightning. It was on and off again at greatly reduced power while we investigated the issue.
On the following Tuesday, we were able to get a break in thunderstorms and rain that allowed time to install a temporary antenna at 300 feet. It’s currently running at 1,000 watts and we have turned off stereo sound to reduce static.
Because KMST 88.5 FM is at low power for now, the repeater in Lebanon is not receiving a signal, leaving K242AN 96.3 completely off the air.
We have ordered a new main antenna and line. Unfortunately the antenna will take up to six weeks to arrive. We will continue to run the station at low power until we are able to make the permanent repairs in July.
If you’re unable to get the radio signal locally, please stream KWMU/KMST here on our website, via our mobile app, or ask your smart speaker to “play N-P-R.”
We apologize for the extended outage. Radio is an important means of accessing essential information as some listeners may not have a reliable internet connection with which to listen to streaming audio. We are eager to get back to full service as soon as we receive the new equipment and appreciate your patience in the meantime.
These essential repairs come at a cost of $68,000 plus $25,000 to install, and we are able to make them only because of the generosity of our members. If you count on St. Louis Public Radio, please help secure its future with a contribution now.
