Last week, we dedicated the Silicon Labs Control Room in Studio 1A with a gathering of nearly 50 Silicon Labs employees, and KUT and KUTX staffers – and live music from Shinyribs.
What does Silicon Labs have in common with public radio? This local high tech company actually got its start in radio technology – introducing the world’s first CMOS FM radio tuner in 2005. When developing their product, Silicon Labs engineers would rig radios with their chips and tune in to KUT 90.5 as their test station. Since then, Silicon Labs has shipped more than one billion Austin-designed “radio-on-a-chip” devices into mobile phones, consumer radios and cars worldwide.
Silicon Labs and its employees have supported the station’s growth and expansion at every turn, including advising us on the design and construction of the KUT Public Media Studios. One of the company’s co-founders was an early major donor to the station. And CEO Tyson Tuttle has provided essential strategic guidance to KUT over the years, from serving on the advisory board to leading the effort – strategically and financially – to acquire KUTX, enabling us to double down on news with KUT and create the Austin Music Experience on KUTX. Additionally, Tyson and his wife, Nicole, have been generous financial supporters.
Russ Croman, head of Silicon Labs’ broadcast division, serves on our board today and is personally helping improve the broadcast quality of KUT and KUTX.
The naming on the control room in Studio 1A recognizes Silicon Labs’ leadership, hundreds of thousands of dollars in current and ongoing support.
In case you’re wondering, the control room in Studio 1A is the technical room in the back of the studio where audio engineers Cliff Hargrove and Jake Pearlman produce the 300+ live broadcasts and recordings at the station each year.