KALA - St Ambrose University Radio 88.5 FM

KALA 88.5 FM is the student and community radio station of St Ambrose University, serving the Quad Cities metropolitan area — Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, Rock Island and Moline in Illinois — with programming that reflects the independent spirit and creative ambition of university radio at its best. Operating from a genuinely educational context, KALA provides both valuable training for students pursuing media careers and genuinely distinctive radio programming that serves a community looking for an alternative to commercial formats.

What You Will Hear

The programming is deliberately eclectic — alternative and independent music, jazz, blues, classical, world music, and genres that commercial radio ignores completely. NPR news programming provides an informational anchor, while student-produced shows cover topics ranging from local arts and culture to sports analysis and community affairs. The variety reflects the breadth of interests that a university community brings to broadcasting.

Who Is This Station For?

KALA serves the St Ambrose University community and the broader Quad Cities audience that wants radio with genuine personality and a willingness to take musical and programming risks. The station particularly appeals to music enthusiasts who have exhausted the commercial radio options in the region and are looking for something with more depth and independence.

About College Radio in America

College and university radio stations have been the lifeblood of independent music discovery in America since the 1970s, introducing audiences to punk, new wave, hip hop, alternative rock, and dozens of other genres before commercial radio deemed them viable. The tradition of college radio as a training ground for media professionals and a platform for adventurous programming remains as important as ever, and stations like KALA keep that tradition alive in communities throughout the country.

How to Listen

Stream KALA 88.5 FM live here for free — press play and discover what radio sounds like without commercial constraints. No account required, available 24 hours a day.