Though Blugold Radio is just over nine months old, the privately funded indie rock radio station based out of UW-Eau Claire is expanding.

Construction for a new studio, which will be located across from the circulation desk in the W.D. McIntyre Library, is currently underway.

One of the most significant changes will be the increase in space, which Jordan Duroe, a junior studying English and acting as the social media/web specialist for the radio, said will be an improvement for the station’s function.

The current studio is a converted professor’s office in the back wing of Hibbard Humanities Hall. No more than two or three people can fit in the room comfortably, which Duroe said is an issue when it comes to interviews.

There is room for only one microphone in the studio, which forces the interviewer and interviewee to alternate usage.  Duroe said the sole microphone can also hinder the depth of the conversations.

“We’ve had it once or twice where we just have one person from a band in, but it’s just kind of clunky,” Duroe said. “It would be nice to be able to have the whole band in and hear from all of them rather than just the one.”

Having the studio relocated from Hibbard to the middle of the library is another change Eli Klatt, a sophomore studying advertising said will be a significant advantage for the visibility of the station.

“No one knows we’re back here and what we’re doing,” Klatt said. “Being in the McIntyre Library (the new location), with big glass windows that you can see into really kind of brings us out into the open, and hopefully it will get us more attention from students.”

As previously mentioned, Blugold Radio is a self-supported organization, using no segregated fees or tuition dollars from the university. Their funding comes from community donors, local grants and underwriting sales. On Wednesday, they hit their $7,000 fundraising goal which will cover the costs of ductwork, walls and windows in the new studio.

Station manager Scott Morfitt said the station serves a dual purpose: For one, it is a place of high-impact learning. Students can receive either service learning or internship experience for working at the radio.

“I think what we really are focused on is professional quality,” Morfitt said. “When students work for Blugold Radio, they’re doing industry-level tasks… it’s giving people a very professional opportunity.”

Furthermore, Morfitt said, it bridges the music scene of the Eau Claire community and the university. It is the first indie rock station in the Chippewa Valley, debuting a fresh style of music to the area.

Blugold Radio is also working to publicize local concerts, especially all-ages shows, so students will be more involved in music outside the university. Students can also submit their own material to the station, which is another side of the radio Morfitt said they are trying to grow.

“I really hope it’s an incubator of new talent,” Morfitt said. “It’s a place we can share the music of artists in this region and get the up-and-comers … like from high school bands and college bands and young adults, really building that scene and this music scene we value so very much.”

Morfitt said they expect to have a grand-opening of the station around June 1.