Stony Brook University is home to a wide variety of media outlets. One of these includes the on-campus radio station, WUSB 90.1 FM. The studio is located at the Stony Brook Union in Room 240. WUSB, one of SBU’s long-standing student-run clubs, first signed on air on June 22, 1977 at 5:00 PM. It is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensed educational and noncommercial radio station that, according to the club’s mission statement, was established to ‘offer the Stony Brook University community cultural and entertainment radio programming.’
WUSB is part of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, the National Association of College Broadcaster, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, the National Association of Broadcasters and is partnered with Pacifica, Associated Press, C-SPAN, Longhorn, and Public Radio Satellite Extended Service networks. The SBU administration, Undergraduate Student Government, Graduate Student Organization, underwriters, and listener donations all help fund the station. Staffed by over 160 volunteer students, community members, faculty, staff, and alumni, the 3,600-watt station operates around the clock and broadcasts over the airwaves and through online streaming at http://www.wusb.fm.
WUSB’s free-form system, which allows disc jockeys to program their own shows in accordance with University, station, and FCC policies, offers over forty genres of music and an extensive array of original, local, and nationally syndicated cultural, drama, news/political, public affairs, sports, and talk show programming. Music shows generally play at least 25% new music. Tune in to WUSB and you might discover anything from the jazzy undertones behind bluegrass to the fast beats of thrash metal, or the raucous debates on ‘Democracy Now.’
Other featured shows are the mixed talk and music program ‘Marvelous Party’ that focuses on theater productions, musicals and soundtracks, the first University-hosted podcast show, ‘Unfinished Business,’ as well as ‘In Focus,’ a new student-run program hosted by Lauren Bojack and George Agathos. Other student clubs and community groups are especially encouraged to form their own programs, too (e.g.- ‘China Blue’). Station programming runs for three seasons in the fall, spring, and summer and start on the first Monday after the start of the Fall/Spring semesters and the first Monday after commencement for the summer term.
Behind The Scenes: Daily responsibilities for DJs include checking in all the CDs that come into the station, keeping a playlist of all songs played, operating the sound board, answering listener e-mails and phone calls, publicizing important school announcements and checking studio readings, such as checking to see if the transmitter is operating at the right level, which is currently located in Farmingville.
Most of the music transmitted on air arrives at the radio station on compact discs; the radio station maintains both a vinyl and CD Library. DJs also play music from cassette tapes or by downloaded mp3s.
The station offers informational and training courses during each semester to interested students and prospective community members. General Manager Isobel Breheny-Schafer and station staff – including Program Director Vincent Michael Festa, Music Director Nick Fox, Business Manager Danny Rosen, Office Assistant Kathy Dor and Chief Engineer Frank Burgert – oversee these sessions. For the Spring 2007 season, one class has already been held, but those wanting to still get involved are encouraged to do so.
