WBER
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| WBER-FM | |
| Broadcast area | Rochester, New York |
|---|---|
| Slogan | The only station that matters |
| Frequency | 90.5 (MHz) |
| First air date | 1985 |
| Format | Alternative radio |
| ERP | 2,500 watts |
| Class | B1 |
| Callsign meaning | BOCES Educational Radio |
| Owner | Monroe BOCES #1 |
| Website | wber.monroe.edu |
WBER is a listener and school district supported community radio station in Rochester, New York, owned and operated by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Monroe #1. The station was founded by BOCES in 1985. Andrew Chinici (also known as Chris Andrews) was the first program director, a position he held until it was taken over by the current program director, Joey Guisto. The call letters are said to stand for BOCES Educational Radio, but the station was once known as WRHR which stood for Rush Henrietta Radio after the original licencee of the station (the Rush-Henrietta Central School District).
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[edit] History
As WRHR, the station was a student run club operated out of the Rush Henrietta School District. The station was granted a low power license (10 Watts) in 1975. The station operated during school hours under academic supervison, and then after school. The music format was "free form" from the beginning. Bands such as the "B-52s" and "The Talking Heads" were first exposed to the area by WRHR. The school district provided special support for students who broadcasted live play-by-play basketball late into the evening from schools within the Section V conference. Probably the most notable announcer from the WRHR days is Doug Emblidge of WHAM-TV in Rochester.
WBER has been serving the Rochester, NY and Western New York area since 1985, as a real life training ground for students in Monroe #1 BOCES Eastern Monroe Career Center (EMCC) Radio and Television Career & Technical Education (CTE) class as well as members of the community interested in learning about radio broadcasting. The station is listener supported, and depends on donations and underwriting to make budget. Most of the on-air staff volunteer their time to the station. A notable quality of the station during the late 1990s and early 2000s was the curious inability to play any two songs at the same volume level. Some songs were recorded with a volume adjustment halfway through the song. While it did not completely diminish the listening experience, it was part of the station's charming identifiable qualities. It also tried to automate itself overnight with a less than reliable results, often leading to dead air.
WBER also orignates part of its day from area school districts which currently include Webster, West Irondequoit and Brighton.
The station tagline was changed to "Rochester's Real Modern Rock Station" in the late nineties to distinguish itself from a commercial station that attempted to tap into the same listener base. As that station's relevance faded, the original tagline "The only station that matters" returned. WBER is one of America's first full time Alternative Music radio stations.[citation needed] It is also one of the first radio stations, and the first in Rochester, to offer a web stream broadcasting live radio on the Internet.[citation needed] DJ's currently use the identifier "Ninety-point-five FM WBER, The only station that matters" or the legal ID, "The best in alternative music since 1985, this is the only station that matters, 90.5 FM WBER, Rochester".
The station's playlist is largely listener decided. Periodically throughout the regular programming, a "test track" is played. Listeners are invited to phone in their opinion of the song or visit the website and vote. It is by this process that new titles are added to the regular rotation, which the Selector playlisting program is used. WBER also presents local concerts for popular artists played on the station. Due to the feedback and involvement of the listening audience, WBER has become a notable music outlet for not only the Rochester area, but the surrounding region as well. Broader exposure via the Internet has only expanded the scope of their influence.
In the late 1990s, the now-defunct Red Social Lounge located in the St. Paul quarter of Rochester once hosted "WBER Night" on Friday nights. Proceeds from the door would go to help support the station. Inside, DJ's would spin popular tracks from WBER's current playlist. When Red Social Lounge closed in 2002, WBER Night came to an end.
Over the years, funding had been obtained through donations and program underwriting. Recently, these sources of funding have not been as plentiful as in years past. On June 2, 2006, WBER conducted a massive on-air campaign to raise $20,000 to help meet budget goals through the end of the year. The fundraiser would begin early in the morning, only playing music from 1985, the year that WBER first went on the air. When $1,000 was raised, the plan was to continue on to 1986, and continue the process for every year until reaching 2005. The on-air staff expected the campaign to last days, maybe even a week. In an unexpected outpouring of donations and affection, the fundraising goal was met only 12 and a half hours after it started.
[edit] Notable shows
The annual end of the year countdown is a highly anticipated event. Listeners vote on their top five favorite songs from the year. One vote per person is allowed, though bands have attempted to use fake emails to vote for themselves. The top thirty songs are counted down on New Year's Day.
The Spotlight Review has been on the air since 1989 and is hosted by Bob Scheffel. It airs Mondays from 9:00 to 9:30 pm and features reviews of new and not so new music.
First Impressions is currently hosted by Jeff Kurzrock and airs Tuesdays from 8-10 pm. It showcases new music sent in to WBER, even if it will never make regular rotation. It is the longest running specialty show on WBER and spawned The Spotlight Review.
New Wave Wednesday is hosted by Jennifer V (former program director at the now defunct WMAX-Rochester) and airs Wednesdays from 7 to 9 am. It features New Wave music, giveaways, and occasional guests.
The Friday Morning Show is another hallmark of the station. Hosted at present by Sgt Pepper and Joey Guisto, it is the station's weekly show from 6-9am. Sadly, Lil Jess departed from the FMS and WBER in October of 2007, she is missed by her FMS cohosts and the WBER listeners. There are giveaways and the "Prospect Song of the Week" is introduced. The FMS is marked by frequent visits from listeners, DJs, and many others, including musicians, ghost hunters, and local celebrities.
Sloan Kristy has been host of the WBER Local Show for many years now, every Sunday from 8:00 to 10:00 pm. The Local Show features the best and brightest stars from the local music scene in Rochester and the nearby regions of Buffalo and Syracuse. Of note, Geneva band Gym Class Heroes got their first break on the Local Show.
The Indie Show, which showcased the work of independent artists and labels, was brought to an end in March 2007 by its creator, Joey. Citing that indie labels have largely been gobbled up by the larger labels, it was getting harder and harder to program something called "The Indie Show." The last song played on The Indie Show was a selection from the Red House Painters.
Rant was another former specialty show. It was cancelled after the departure of Chris Andrews. He hosted it along with Doctor Damien and often tackled serious issues.
[edit] External links
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