As Internet radio becomes a more popular medium for communication, entertainment and music, a group of Iowa State students hope to rise to the top with their own internet broadcasting business.

WRPE Broadcasting, an internet broadcasting company started by Iowa State students, fully launched this January.

Christopher Holton, junior in hospitality management and management information systems, is the founder of WRPE.

“WRPE stands for We R Peerlezz Entertainment,” Holton said. “Peerless means to be so great that you have no one else on your level. That is our mindset with our company: to make sure we stand apart from other radio stations so that we have no equal competitor.”

Holton said his motivation for starting this business was to be able to provide independent musica artists of all genres with the opportunity to have their music heard.

Holton also said he desired to “help small independent businesses build their fan bases by allowing them to advertise on the webpage.”

WRPE Broadcasting, which took upwards of $5,000 to get up and running, owes much of its growing success to a club at ISU — Black Student Alliance (BSA).

“Every Saturday at noon, BSA presented on the KURE 88.5 station in Friley Hall,” said Anton Franklin, senior in software engineering. “We played music and gave updates about things that were going on within the club so everyone knew what was going on.”

Franklin, co-founder of WRPE Broadcasting, is the former treasurer and campus representative for BSA. Franklin said he gained valuable skills through his involvement in the club that is helping him succeed at WRPE.

Not only did the radio program, through BSA, spark some ideas that transferred over the WRPE, Franklin said BSA helped him develop valuable organizational skills as well.

“My experience with BSA taught me how to work around everyone’s schedule in order to find times that work for everyone. Meeting deadlines, being on time and making sure everyone is on the same page are very important,” Franklin said.

Franklin also said that he improved his people skills through BSA. Franklin, developer of the WRPE Broadcasting website, said designing the website took a lot of collaboration between Holton and himself to make decisions for the webpage.

Brandon Payne, senior in journalism, is also involved with WRPE and has a show on the website called the DJ NY show.

Payne was also involved in BSA and KURE 88.5 prior to having a show on WRPE. Payne was the head DJ at BSA and contributed to two shows on KURE 88.5.

“The main skill I gained through BSA was a strong leadership ability. I worked my way up to being the head DJ and was then able to actually facilitate meeting people, which was very important to me,” Payne said.

Along with their website (www.radio.wrpebroadcasting.com), WRPE also has a mobile app.