Soon students will be able to interact with WPGU 107.1 DJs in the studio. On Wednesday, the Illini Media Co., 512 E. Green St., will unveil its new DJ booth with a window view of Green Street.

The grand opening will feature an open house with activities planned throughout the day.

Beth Rehn, promotions director for WPGU and junior in LAS, said that in addition to live band performances, the radio station will be giving away free compact discs in what they are calling a “CD Garage sale.” There will also be a drawing for two pairs of tickets to the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago.

The new studio features six microphones, a larger seating area capable of accommodating entire bands for interviews, and an intercom that allows people on the street to speak to the DJs in the booth. The feature will allow anyone walking by to request a song, give their compliments, or even heckle the DJ.

“Visibility is the key thing,” Rehn said about the benefits of the new space. “Hopefully, this will attract more attention for the station and allow us to do more events with the public. It’s nice to be in Campustown instead of out in a remote location.”

Rehn said the station hopes to use the location, in the middle of what is commonly accepted as the heart of Campustown, to their advantage. The station may use its superior view of Green Street to bring back the “bar traffic report,” which describes the daily specials, line length, and traffic to and from bars, Rehn said.

So what is the downfall of the new, highly visible space?

“Some people said they won’t be able to come to work in their pajamas anymore,” Rehn said, jokingly.

Apparently, visibility does not scare some of the DJs.

The plate glass window will not deter Travis Wayne Hurt of WPGU 107.1’s “Under the Influence” from appearing in his underwear during his Sunday night timeslot.

• Wednesday’s schedule of events:

  WPGU 107.1 will be broadcasting all day from the new studio, with flashback songs played throughout

• 12 p.m. – Potbelly will be providing free lunch and The Beauty Shop will perform
• 2 p.m. – Jake from Tractor Kings will perform
• 4 p.m. – Interviews with the Living Blue and the Headlights; The Headlights will also be debuting songs from their new album