FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington campus radio station, WUMF, is hoping for a larger audience with a new antenna, transmitter and equipment upgrade.

The station, previously available at the 100.1 frequency range, is now found at 91.5 on the radio dial.

“It’s been a long time in the making,” said station manager Darren Smart, a junior at UMF.

Broadcasting from a small room in the Student Center, the station has only been available to basically campus listeners and maybe a few in the immediate campus area. However, with a boost from a new transmitter that increases the station’s output from 13 watts to 100 watts, the broadcast area is expected to extend up to 10 miles.

The greater broadcast power is expected to help obtain new programming and help those whose music is played at the station, he said.

About four years ago the university became aware more air waves would be available when Channel 6 went digital. With a desire to expand the listener base, some students put together a proposal for the Federal Communications Commission, said Maya Kasper, UMF adviser to the radio station and assistant director for the Center for Student Involvement.

After learning the campus station had been accepted to receive more air waves, more work began with raising funds, working with the university system, engineers and facility management for location of the new antenna, she said.

Most of the station’s equipment was 15 to 20 years old and was ready for an equipment upgrade. An antenna on Merrill Hall posed problems with winter icing shutting transmission down.

The new antenna, one with de-icing ability, has been installed on Mallett Hall dormitory, allowing better access to the antenna and a better capacity for receiving, she said.

Last year, about 60 students became station DJ’s, offering a variety of entertainment, Smart said.

“Any student on campus can have a show,” he said, discussing the genres of music played on the station. They are trained at the beginning of the semester and given weekly two-hour slots, he said.

There’s a diverse mix of programming from Celtic music, which is a favorite, to heavy metal, pop music, talk and sport shows. University basketball games are also broadcast over the station.

The radio station is run by volunteers, Kasper said. A 10-member student executive board oversees student applications for shows. They work with the prospective DJs, and FCC regulations are followed. New programs are up to student interests, she said. A new station manager is elected each year.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to run a radio station and see what it takes,  from budgeting to promotion. It takes what they learn in the classroom and puts it into practice,” she said.

Some students have gone into the radio field as a result of their work at WUMF, she added.

Some executive board members have done video interviews with some pretty big bands, Smart said. Starting as a DJ, he’s worked his way up through to station manager, he said.

The station is also working on a new website, one linked to the university website but some video interviews can be found on YouTube at wumf915.

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