WIUX

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WIUX-LP

Broadcast area	Indiana
Slogan	Pure Student Radio
First air date	2006
Frequency	100.3 (MHz)
Format	indie
ERP	22 W
Class	L1
Owner	Indiana University Student Broadcasting
Website	Home of WIUX

WIUX (100.3 FM) is a 22 watt student operated low power FM radio station in Bloomington, Indiana, in southeastern Indiana. The station licensee, Indiana University Student Broadcasting is authorized by the Federal Communications Commission.

Contents 1 Mission 2 Music Format 3 History 4 FCC/Right to Broadcast Controversy 5 External links

[edit] Mission

WIUX strives to accomplish two goals. The first and most important is to provide Indiana University students with the opportunity to broadcast, get hands on experience, and assist in maintaining a radio station. We are entirely student run from top to bottom and this is what defines us the most. The second goal is to provide Indiana University and Bloomington with a radio station with a focus on highlighting local and lesser known bands.

[edit] Music Format

WIUX is an indie formatted station. However, we still adhere to the greatness of some of the majors (Radiohead) and the post-indie (Modest Mouse). Our goal is to highlight and focus on lesser known bands and local bands that won't get airplay at normal radio stations. Some of our specialty shows, however, span genres including jazz, hip-hop, funk, punk, ska, techno/rpm, and the list continues.

[edit] History

• 1962 - WQAD, a carrier current AM radio station was founded in Wright Quad at Indiana University. The studios were originally in Todd House (through the odd entryway on the south side of Todd) and later in Elliott House (in the basement storage area, off the lounge area). As a note, at the time of WQAD, Wright housed only men.

• October 10, 1972 - On the first day of National Fire Prevention Week -- a fire caused WIUS to move to its present site two blocks down at 815 East 8th Street.

• 1973 to 1993 - WQAX "Quacks" was a college/community access radio station at 100.3 Mhz (non-broadcast) on the local cable TV system in Bloomington, Indiana. The station was free-form and volunteer-driven. It offered Indiana University students, wanna-be DJs, music maniacs, and local eccentrics a way to learn about radio. And it added, for a defined period of time, a yet-to-be duplicated brand of insanity to the local landscape.

• 1974 - WIUS added cable television access to service residents of Bloomington while remaining carrier-current for the dorms. It wasn't until the late 1980's that the dorms would be wired for cable; as soon as they were, WIUS became exclusively cable-accessible.

• 1985 - A group of students dedicated to IU radio formed a committee to search out money for WIUS -- and with the university's help they provided funding to help improve the station. This funding lasted until the end of the decade.

• 1993 - WQAX was forced to close for want of money (or, some have maintained, taken an extended hiatus). Most of its music library and equipment were dispersed. Its members, who over the years numbered in the hundreds, likewise scattered.

• 1994 - WIUS was allowed a portion of the student activity fee for each of the following two school years. This funding allowed WIUS to further its evolution.

• 1998 - WIUS stayed with the information technology boom by adding a Real Audio server to their existing website. This served as a new way for alumni and parents, as well as other people outside of the Bloomington area to listen to WIUS. The amount of increased interest allowed WIUS to make a partnership with Nibblebox.com to help broaden the server and increase the amount of users to the Real Audio link.

• 2004 – An application for a student-operated FM radio license is submitted to the FCC. The FCC delays granting a low-power FM license to WIUS because of another application in the Bloomington area.

• March 2005 - After settling the debate in court, the FCC grants the permit to WIUS and assigns the operating frequency of 100.3 MHz, identical to the former WQAX cable access station. The move to an FCC licensed broadcast FM station, however means that the station will need to change its call letters. Since 1981, WIUS-FM has operated as the FCC licensed student-operated FM station at Western Illinois University. The selection of WIUX as the new callsign (usage of the "X") is a small tribute to the former WQAX, its Indiana student staff (now alumni), and the Bloomington area that it served.

• 2006 - WIUX is born and signs on at 100.3 FM, operated and programmed by IU students,

[edit] FCC/Right to Broadcast Controversy

On October 31, 2006, WIUX announced on their website (1) that the Federal Communications Commission was moving the station from 100.3 FM to a commercial station due to the building of a radio station in Edinburgh, Indiana. Because the Indiana University student-based station operates as a Low Power station, the FCC maintains that they have the right to move it. Indiana University filed a petition against said move. Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs at Indiana University, Dean McKaig, states in the official petition (available through the WIUX website): "The Indiana frequency did not appear on the Commission’s internet site or on a public notice until after the comment reply date of June 13, 2006 deadline. As a result, we did not have a fair chance to file public comments." On November 6, both Indiana senators, Evan Bayh (Dem) and Richard Lugar (Rep), wrote petitions of support for WIUX to the FCC.

[edit] External links

• Query the FCC's FM station database for WIUX
• Herald-Times story about new station
• History of WQAX
• The Walking Ruins WQAX
• Indiana Senators Support IU's WIUX