WNYF (SUNY Fredonia)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WNYF is the student-run TV station of the State University of New York at Fredonia. Sponsored by the Student Association, WNYF was founded in 1979 by two communications students, Robert Raff and Ken Kazubowski. At the time, the TV and Radio majors (BA) were classified under Special Studies, and students actually developed a custom degree program. Students were somewhat limited in Hands-on time in the existing B&W studio, and the color studio controlled by the IRC was often booked solid months at a time. WNYF immediately gave students enhanced opportunities to develop the necessary skills to excel in the TV industry.

The original student leaders, along with John Malcolm and engineer Bob Kovacs, were able to locate surplus video equipment scattered across the many depatments of the college. Negotiations, trades and some "midnight raids" produced almost enough equipment to turn the station on. The only piece missing was a small master control type switcher, which was purchased with the very first funding from the Student Association.

WNYF's original local programming included a wide variety of student produced programs ranging from entertainment, music, educational and even a student written soap opera. In the station's first few months of existence, it began televising the annual dance marathon that raised funds for Muscular Dystrophy. The addition of round the clock TV coverage raised the awareness and prestige of this worthy event, and substantially increased particiaption over the next few years.

WNYF maintains an archive of every show produced by the students since then. Relocated several times, WNYF settled in to their current location in Hendrix hall in 1997, which interestingly enough was the dorm that housed the two students who conceived and built the station.. WNYF broadcasts to the campus on cable channel 6, and to community on channel 17 in Fredonia and 19 in Dunkirk.