Iowa State’s student radio station, KURE, is requesting $20,000 from the Government of the Student Body to replace a transmitter that was struck by lightning.

GSB is scheduled to vote on the funding bill Wednesday. If passed, the bill would allocate about $20,000 to the KURE budget, about three-fourths of which would go to the new transmitter, Speaker of the Senate Henry Alliger said.

Anne Greenwood, KURE general manager, said the transmitter is the most important piece of equipment in need of replacement.

“If we don’t get the transmitter, the money GSB invested in us during regular allocations is wasted,” Greenwood said.

KURE also wants to acquire funds for a studio amplifier and production room equipment, Greenwood said. This equipment, however, is not as essential to the radio station as the transmitter. KURE’s operating license was renewed by the Federal Communications Commission in January, Greenwood said, and will remain effective until 2013.

She said the FCC grants licenses for a certain frequency at a certain power level. The station is operating under a temporary permit that allows it to operate at a lower frequency until April because of the faulty transmitter.

If the new transmitter is not funded by GSB, the station would be in violation of FCC regulations and would be forced to discontinue its programming, Greenwood said.

“Everyone on GSB realizes the transmitter is necessary,” Greenwood said.

GSB funds all of the radio station’s budget, she said, but local businesses give donations, which supplement the budget and cover non-operating expenses.

David Stout, business senator and co-writer of the bill, said the funds would come from the capital projects account. The money in this account comes back to GSB from unused funds granted to other organizations and is used for larger purchases of assets.

“If KURE doesn’t get this money from GSB, it may not be around in the future,” Stout said.

The transmitter has been repaired multiple times during its existence and cannot be fixed this time, Stout said.

“Any time you put a bill of this magnitude on the floor, you are going to get some debate,” Stout said.

GSB will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union.