Document text
V aims to go FM
Sarah Fisher aly ks
CT Starr Writer
The next time you listen to WVCW,
VCU's radio station, think about what it
would be like to hear it broadcast with the
clarity and power of your favorite FM sta-
tion. The staffat WVCW are making plans
to get an FM frequency, so that they can be
accessible to a larger audience.
WVCW is broadcast in Rhoads and
Johnson halls, Gladding Residence Cen-
ter, the Student Commons and Hibbs Caf-
eteria on 640 AM. With a subscription to
Continental Cable, you also can hear the
station’on 105.3 FM.
The station serves as a training ground
formass communications students, or any-
one interested in the world of broadcast-
ing. Several WVCW student employees
also work either part time, full time, or as
an intern at local Richmond radio stations.
__ One WVCW staff member interned at
MTV, picked from 2,000 applicants to work
lar music video"
for the multi-million do
station. :
It’s not just the disc jockeys who get
exposure over the airwaves of WVCW.
College bands suchas the Smashing Pump-
kins, Radiohead, Cracker and Plan B are
being aired and could perhaps become big
name bands like R.E.M., U2, Jesus Jones
and Soul Asylum.
General Manager Robert Fleskes said,
“The job of college radio is to find new
bands who, 10 years down the road, might
be old bands that everybody knows of.
So, ifyou hear a name like Buffalo Tom,
don’t assume it’s a Western-style movie
character. Buffalo Tom is actually one of
many bands given exposure on the post-
modern format at WVCW.
This doesn’t mean you will hear only
post-modern musicon WVCW. The station
also produces shows that include Rhythm
and Blues/Dance music, Alternative mu-
sic, news and sports. _
_ To some VCU students, however, eat-
ing breakfast while listening to post-mod-
* _WVCW continued to page 8> -
Coniinued from page 7
ern music is not a pleasant college expe-
rience. Comments on Hibbs’ Cafeteria
Bulletin Board indicate their dislike of
the format. :
Fleskes shrugs his shoulders when
hearing of this opposition.
“There’s 22,000 people who go toschool
here,” Fleskessaid,adding.that he hopes
the music programs WVCW produces
satisfy their mainstream audience.
“There's so many diverse people here,
and everybody is going to like something
_ different.”
The station is inits 27th year at VCU.
They were previously located in the
Millhiser House on West Franklin
Street, moving to the General Purpose
Academic Buildingthree years ago. With
the relocation, the station got state-of-
the-art equipment, and was finally able
to work with the luxury of heating and
air conditioning. :
a
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ing in their studio, until yor
‘consider the lack of an BMof
Despite the fact tha: i
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+ Everything about WVCW seems as
Richmond, which does not have a com-
munications school, broadcasts on 90.1
FM, allowing listeners to tune in
throughout the Richmond area.
If you were to leave the VCU campus
you would also leave the WVCW broad-
casting area.
Even some students on campus are
unable to receive the transmission, as
the Rhoads Hall transmitteriscurrently
broken.
Despite the $30,000 the Student Gov-
ernment Association allocated to the
station last May, the task of getting an
FM frequency is not an easy one.
The money will be used to hire a
consultant who will research the fre-
quencies that are available, and once
approval is given for an FM frequency,
the station must raise money or collect
donations to fund the cost of staying on
air
Because there is a high demand for
FM frequencies, thecompetition is fierce.
“The longer we wait, the less chance
we have,” Fleskes said. “If I win the
lottery, I guarantee that I’d pay it off —
that’s how bad I want it.”
Fleskes said that VCU community
support forthe proposed frequency could
help the station’s chances. Students
could help by writing letters to the Divi-
sion of Student Affairs and Student
Media Commission.
&