Students interested in learning more about the operations and money problems of WKDI-FM or who want to apply for a position are invited to an open house Tuesday.

Marna Coldwater, WKDI’s program director, said even though all students are invited to attend the open house, the event is geared toward Student Association senators so they can see the station’s need for money and new equipment. The open house will be held at the station, located in Kishwaukee Hall on College Avenue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., she said.

“I want to stress that WKDI is not a normal organization, (and) it is not a club that meets every week. WKDI is a media service that is open 24 hours,” Coldwater said.

The open house also will give the station a chance to explain to students the benefits of WKDI’s intended transfer to a regular FM frequency instead of broadcasting solely on the Warner-Amex Cable System, she said.

One advantage of going to a regular FM frequency is the station would be able to reach about 50,000 listeners instead of about 1,000, which the station presently reaches, and this would bring attention to the university, she said.

Transferring has been a goal of the station for a long time, but about $189,000 in starting fees is needed before WKDI can transfer, Coldwater said. These initial fees would go toward an operating license, a transmitter, antenna and cables, she said.

WKDI executives have met with Jon Dalton, vice president for Student Affairs, and SA President Jim Fischer to discuss possible ways to fund the transfer, but because the sum is so large, there is a problem with where the money would come from, Dalton said.

Coldwater said she wants students to consider the product that the station produces. “People do not understand that we (WKDI) need money,” she said.

Job applications also will be accepted at the open house, Coldwater said. Available positions include disc jockey, public service workers and people to read the news, she said.

If applying for a DJ position, there are no requirements other than having a knowledge of new music, Coldwater said. Students applying for other positions only need to have an interest in that particular area, she said.

Coldwater also wanted to stress that WKDI is not a pre-professional organization. “There are about 150 volunteers at WKDI and we still are short-handed,” she said.