WGNS recently spent an entire school day at Barfield Elementary, just prior to the school closing for the summer. WGNS’ Zach Troutman was at the school for career day and spoke to several hundred kids about radio. Above are some of the pictures that the children drew for Zach as a way to say “Thank You for Visiting.”

One of the main items Zach touched base on involved “How radio stations do live remote broadcast.”

In case you’re curious, WGNS uses one of two pieces of equipment. We use what is called a Comrex unit or a Marti system. WGNS was one of the first stations in the Middle Tennessee area to utilize a Comrex unit that works with a wireless air card. The Marti works on an over the air radio signal as opposed to using an internet feed or a cell phone feed. With the Marti unit, no phone lines are involved, but yet the quality is studio quality sound. When cell phones are not working, the Comrex unit will also fail. The Marti system can be used without the worry of internet or cell phone signals. The Comrex, while less reliable, also produces studio quality sound. Where the two differ greatly when it comes to a live broadcast, the Comrex unit can be used anywhere in the world, but the Marti can only be used 5 to 12-miles away from the radio station.