Sophomore political science major Mark Krugman and junior interpersonal communications major Katie Purcell. Their weekly Wednesday show from 10-midnight is about relationships and the difficulties found within them. GAVIN JACKSON | DAILY KENT STATER

Credit: Carl Schierhorn

Black Squirrel Radio is taking leaps and bounds in expanding the station’s reach and content.

Jeff Fruit, director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is pleased with BSR’s growth.

“Black Squirrel (Radio) has made really big advances in the last couple years.” Fruit said. “They’re looking at how you become a really great Web-based operation and Podcasting is a good example of including that cutting-edge technology.”

One of the station’s shows, called “He Said, She Said,” runs from 10 p.m. until midnight Wednesdays on Black Squirrel Radio. “He Said, She Said” is one of BSR’s attempts to diversify content and expand into new subject matter.

Mark Krugman, sophomore political science major, and Katie Purcell, junior interpersonal communications major, host the show, which deals primarily with relationship issues, such as living with the opposite sex and cheating within a relationship.

Krugman, BSR’s college rock director, said he proposed the idea to Purcell, BSR’s fundraising director, at the beginning of the semester. Purcell said she fell in love with the idea immediately, and the show was born.

“It’s something that we didn’t have before. It’s another niche that’s filled,” Krugman said. “People who want relationship advice from Kent State students can come to us.”

Krugman said the show gets several instant messages and around three to four phone calls every Wednesday night.

He said he’s had some interesting calls, ranging from a caller who picked up girls from a dog pound to a caller who only liked girls who wore red Chuck Taylor shoes.

Ashley Dill, freshman pre-journalism major and mobile DJ director for BSR, is also broadening the radio station’s horizons.

Dill, who goes by the on-air moniker of “Killa Ms. Dilla,” hosts a reggae show every Friday from 2 to 4 p.m.

Dill said her show targets a new group of listeners that the radio station was unable to previously target.

In addition to new content, the station has started to aggressively Podcast content, such as band interviews and local music shows.

“The more people that learn how to Podcast, the more we’ll have it out there,” Krugman said. “It can only build from here.”

Despite the station’s advancements in Podcasting, Krugman said it looks like it’ll be a long time until Black Squirrel Radio has its own spot on the radio dial.

Krugman said the station does not currently have a signal because the Cleveland/Akron market is completely saturated.

He also said if BSR would want to get a signal, it would probably have to buy out an already existing station.

“It’s a distant goal, and it probably isn’t happening soon,” Krugman said.

In the meantime, Krugman said students on this campus should be supportive of student media.

“It’s great to support student media,” Krugman said. “Watch TV2, pick up the Stater, and listen to BSR while you study.”

For more information, visit the station’s Web site at www.kentbsr.com.

Contact College of Communication and Information reporter Ben Breier at [email protected].