WICR has finally been able to replace the previously broken gadget that allows hosts to better connect with their audience.

The Telos, a machine that allows phone calls to be transmitted over the air, however, is nothing new to Iona’s radio station.

WICR’s President, senior Peter Consadori, explains what happened to the old Telos.

“It kind of just gave out,” he said. “But we promptly ordered a new set, plugged it in, and that one works fine.”

The Telos was unavailable for use for much of the school year, but it has been replaced and can be used once again.

Radio hosts can use the Telos to broadcast a phone call over the air.

Many students have used this to use input from listeners about a certain topic, or to do over-the-phone interviews.

One of the great things that the Telos allows radio hosts to do is to conduct interview with people who are out of state.

Radio host and senior Joe D’Aloisio used the technology to do an over-the-phone interview with a March Madness basketball player from the University of Milwaukee.

Michael Damergis, the media director for WICR, knows how important the Telos is to the radio station.

“Phone guests are the life-blood of talk radio,” he said.

Damergis also sees the Telos as real-world experience.

“The call-in features open up a whole new world,” he said. “It allows students to work on their interviewing skills.”

Senior Jonathon Stanko, who co-hosts the show “The BS Report,” used the Telos to talk to a professor about sports unionization.

“The professor called in, and everything went smoothly,” he said. “There were no problems with the connection.”

Although the Telos was not available to use for most of the year, Stanko compares the old machine to the new one as an upgrade.

“It definitely works more smoothly than last year,” he said.

Consadori hopes that WICR can use the Telos to expand their programming, and he’s hoping that the station can soon host giveaways.

The Telos technology isn’t the only way the radio station is reaching their audience in different ways.

Ustream, a video streaming service, allows the station to broadcast their show across the Internet.

The service also allows for the broadcasts to be recorded.

Because of this, the broadcasts are available to watch at a later date in case someone missed the live broadcast.

“You can watch these shows later on,” said Consadori.

The recorded shows are available on YouTube.

Consadori is hoping that the Telos will push the radio station into the future.

“We want to move forward from what we had a few years back,” he said. “We’re getting new equipment, new listeners and more people who want to be on the air. Overall, with this Telos, everyone will get more involved.”

The toll free WICR Hotline number is 914-633-2369.