WSAJ

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WSAJ

Broadcast area	Grove City, Pennsylvania
Branding	91.1 The One
Slogan	Something for Everyone
First air date	1922 (AM), 1968 (FM)
Frequency	91.1 (MHz)
Format	College radio
ERP	1600 watts
Class	A
Owner	Grove City College
Website	http://www.wsaj.com/

WSAJ is a non-commercial college radio station located in Grove City, Pennsylvania. The station is owned and operated by Grove City College and carries syndicated classical and jazz music, as well as student programming and local sports coverage. The station is managed by an employee of the college, and its day-to-day operations are overseen by a staff of student volunteers.

[edit] History

Experiments in radio broadcasting began at Grove City College under Professor Herbert W. Harmon shortly before World War I. The station was issued experimental callsign 8CO in 1914, and, after a brief period off the air during the war, returned under experimental callsign 8YV in 1920. The WSAJ callsign was issued in 1922 and the station began operating on a frequency of 1340 kHz. An FM station at 91.1 MHz was added under the same callsign in 1968 [1].

Student programming was a mainstay on WSAJ from its inception until a power increase in the mid-1990s resulted in the FM station's coverage area being significantly enlarged. At that time, student broadcasting on the FM station ceased and was moved to the AM station, which could only be heard in the immediate vicinity of the college campus. Over the next few years, the AM broadcasting equipment deteriorated to a point at which it was no longer functional, and student programming moved to an intranet streaming format, calling itself WGCC, even though this was not a legitimately-issued callsign.

In 2004, newly-installed college president Richard G. Jewell and chairman of the board David Rathburn, himself a WSAJ alumnus, instituted policy changes which allowed student broadcasting to return to the more powerful FM station. At that time, the student programming rebranded itself as 91.1 The One and adopted a primarily indie rock format. In early 2006, the operating license for the defunct AM station was allowed to expire while the FM station remains on the air [2].

[edit] Programming

During the daytime hours, WSAJ carries classical music from the Beethoven Satellite Network, which is produced by WFMT in Chicago. Jazz with Bob Parlocha is on the air during the late night and early morning hours.

In addition, various student shows consisting mostly of indie rock and some Contemporary Christian music are heard in the evenings when school is in session. The station also carries local high school football games as well as Grove City College football and basketball games. Special events at the college, such as Homecoming and Parents' Weekend, typically see all-day, on-location broadcasts covering the days' events.