WVBR-FM
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| WVBR-FM | |
| City of license | Ithaca, New York |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Finger Lakes Region, New York |
| Slogan | "Real Rock Radio" |
| Frequency | 93.5, 105.5 (MHz) |
| First air date | 1958 |
| Format | Classic/Modern/Alternative rock (weekdays), Specialty shows (weekends) |
| ERP | 3,000 watts |
| Callsign meaning | Voice of the Big Red |
| Owner | Cornell Radio Guild, Inc. |
| Website | wvbr.com |
WVBR-FM is a radio station that broadcasts to Ithaca, New York, and surrounding areas. It operates at frequency 93.5 FM at 3 kilowatts from a transmitter on Hungerford Hill, in Ithaca. A translator on 105.5 FM provides a cleaner signal to certain areas of Ithaca. WVBR's current studios are located on Ithaca's East Hill.
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[edit] Organization
WVBR is a commercial radio station, but is unique because it is operated and managed by Cornell University students. WVBR is completely independent of the university: it supports itself by selling advertising, and receives no funding from the university. Student staff members are, for the most part, unpaid except for those who earn commissions on time sales and the core which helps operate the station during summer and other times when Cornell classes are not in session. The station is owned by the Cornell Radio Guild, a nonprofit organization composed entirely of students who work at the station. It acts as a training ground for students interested in broadcasting, as well as a serious commercial competitor in the Ithaca radio market. The station typically finishes in the top 3 of Ithaca's Arbitron Ratings in a number of key demographics.
WVBR is very involved in the Ithaca and Tompkins County community. The station features a "Community Calendar" segment twice daily, where non-profit organizations can send bulletins of their events to be read over the air during the morning and afternoon. WVBR also does remote broadcasts from a variety of locations in Ithaca, including from the Ithaca Farmer's Market and from local businesses around town. Much of the station's advertising time is filled with local advertisers as well.
[edit] History
WVBR's history goes back to 1935 when the Cornell Radio Guild was formed (incorporated in 1941), as a Cornell student organization that produced radio programs that aired on WESG, the forerunner of WHCU, in Ithaca. In the early 1940s, the Guild started a network of its own low power AM "carrier-current" transmitters in the dormitories.
The FCC-licensed FM station first went on the air in June of 1958, though the WVBR call letters had already been in use for years on the Guild's AM "carrier-current" broadcasts, which could be received only on campus. The call letters originally stood for "Voice of the Big Red", referring to the Cornell Big Red athletic teams. But the station de-emphasized that connection over the years as it carved out an identity independent of the university, and as the university's sports broadcasts were generally carried by WHCU, a commercial station that Cornell owned for many years.
In its early years, WVBR-FM's musical programming was mainly classical whereas the AM side carried popular music. WVBR-FM switched to rock and popular music in 1968 in a format change billed and promoted as "The FM Revolution." The station greatly expanded its audience, especially off campus, initially with a sound that blended hit music, progressive album cuts, and a sound that anticipated in many respects both album rock and adult contemporary radio formats of subsequent years. By the early to mid-1970s its format had evolved to progressive rock radio, similar to pioneering rock stations like WNEW-FM in New York, WMMS in Cleveland, KSAN-FM in San Francisco, and nearby WCMF in Rochester. In later years the station's format evolved toward more tightly controlled, hit-oriented playlists, mirroring the larger trend in FM radio programming influenced by national programmers like Lee Abrams and Kent Burkhart.
The station's commercial success peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s. It was adversely affected in the late 1980s and 1990s by several factors including: changes to the economy; New York State raising its drinking age to 21, a blow to the radio station's nightclub and bar advertisers; several new stations brought into the Ithaca market via translators and cable; and after deregulation of the radio industry resulted in most of its local competitors being taken over by a single chain owner. A 1980s format change to contemporary hit radio was initially successful. But the new format eventually faded in audience appeal, especially with WVBR's traditional 18-34 core. The station then moved back toward album-oriented rock, regaining much of its old core audience in the process. Structural problems with the station's long-time Collegetown district studio building, which forced it to relocate its studios and offices in 2000, also proved to be both a financial and administrative burden for a time. The station's business picture has improved more recently, thanks to its strong showing in both 12+ and 18-49 audience measurements over the last few years in Arbitron's regular rating surveys of the competitive (13 station) Ithaca radio market, and to the introduction of popular new youth-oriented VBR After Dark programming on weekday evenings.
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[edit] Weekday programming
The station's playlist during the week consists of a variety of rock music. During the day, the format is a mix of classic rock, modern rock, mainstream rock, and active rock. At night, starting at 7:00pm, WVBR features VBR After Dark, which features programming geared more towards college students. There is more of a focus on alternative rock and modern rock, but classic rock songs are played as well. VBR After Dark also features college-related giveaways and promotions.
Currently, WVBR features Jeff Mix every morning from 6am-10am and Peter Knight from 10am-3pm. Also unique, the station's afternoons and evenings feature a different DJ every day and night. All or most are students at Cornell University (although a few hail from other colleges around the area). The station also provides news and sports reports in the morning at 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, and 8:30, and also in the afternoon at 4:00, 5:00, and 6:00.
[edit] Weekend programming
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This article or section contains a current television or radio schedule. Please convert this schedule to prose. Schedules which have been copied and pasted from an external source may possibly be in violation of copyright. Please remove this template after editing. This article has been tagged since March 2008. |
Weekends on WVBR feature a large variety of specialty shows, the majority hosted by community members, including the following:
Saturday:
Money Never Sleeps (7:30am-8am): Financial News
Sports Warm-Up (8am-9am): Sports Talk
Crossroads (9am-12pm): Blues
Saturday Swing (12pm-2pm): Swing
The Ultimate 80s Show (2pm-5pm): '80s Top 40
Rockin' Remnants (5pm-8pm): Rock Oldies
Crossing Borders (8pm-10pm): World/Variety
Fresh Roots Radio (10pm-12am): Jamaican Music with an Emphasis on Reggae, Dub and Soul
Sunday:
Last Exit for the Lost (12am-6am): Heavy Metal
The Salt Creek Show (6am-10am): Country/Bluegrass
Nonesuch (10am-2:30pm): Folk Variety
Miles Ahead (2:30pm-4:30): Jazz
Vinyl Departure (4:30pm-6:30pm): Obscure Classic/Modern Rock
This Sunday (6:30pm-7:00pm): News Talk
Sports Round-Up (7:00pm-8:00pm): Sports Talk
Bound For Glory (8:00pm-11:00pm): Folk
The Weekend Pulse (11:00pm-12:00am): Political Talk and Current Events
Sunday Night Stress Relief (12:00am-2:00am): Hip-Hop/Rap
Bound for Glory is North America's longest-running live folk music radio show. Hosted by Phil Shapiro since September 1967, this show usually features a live, three-set concert from Cul-de-Snac Cafe in Anabel Taylor Hall at Cornell University. The show features a different folk act every week, and has seen many well-known folk acts pass through over its illustrious history. Bound For Glory is sponsored in part by the Friends of Bound for Glory, Inc., an organization devoted entirely to improving the quality of this historic show.
The Saturday evening "Rockin' Remnants" oldies program, and the Sunday morning and midday programs "The Salt Creek Show" and "Nonesuch", have nearly as long a broadcast history as "Bound For Glory", all of them airing continuously on WVBR-FM from 1968 until the present.
[edit] Current station management
Given the fact that all station managers are students, this list changes yearly. Here is the Executive Committee for the 2007-2008 school year:
President/GM: Kara Capelli
Vice President, Staff and Facilities: Narie Foster
Vice President of Public Relations: Meg Ausen
Vice President, Training: Adam Agata
Treasurer: Anetta Pietrzak
Corporate Secretary: Alice Choo
Program Director: Dan Powers
News Director: Mike Beyman
Sports Director: Jared Feldman
Promotions Director: Dhara K. Shah
Web Director: Andrew Loewer
Sales Manager: Michael Bradley
Chief Operator: Kevin Martin
Production Manager: Dan Cole
WVBR's management also includes a 12-member Board of Directors (14 members including the current and immediate past President/GM, who are non-voting members). All members of the Board are elected to their positions by the Cornell Radio Guild and serve for two-year terms. Board of Directors members include station alumni, community members, and people in the broadcasting field.
[edit] Notable WVBR alumni
- See also: List of Cornell University people
- Bob Bellin - CEO of mp3player.com
- Walt Bilofsky- Founder of Software Toolworks (later Mindscape) and co-author of Mavis Beacon and Chessmaster programs
- Eugene (Gene) Blabey- CEO, Lakeville Railroad Corporation and former owner of radio stations
- Steve Blatter - Senior VP of Music Programming for Sirius Satellite Radio
- Chris Blechschmidt - Marketing Director of Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Dr. Joyce Brothers - Media psychologist, columnist, personality
- Dave Browde - Correspondent, CBS News, Trustee, AFTRA Health & Retirement Funds, Attorney
- Pam Coulter - Anchor/Reporter on ABC Radio
- Scott Davis - VP of Harmelin Media
- Andy Denemark - EVP of Programming for United Stations Radio Networks, Inc.
- Larry Epstein - Assistant Dean of Drexel University College of Media, Arts, & Design
- Jessica Ettinger - Anchor on 1010 WINS-AM in New York, News Director, Howard 100 News, the Howard Stern Show at Sirius Satellite radio, voice talent female voice of the New York City subways
- John Ettinger - Vice President, Promotion, Mercury/Universal Music Group
- Vincent J. Gentile - New York City Council Member (D - Brooklyn, District 43)
- Andrew Gersh - Documentary film and video editor
- Bettina Gregory - ABC News Correspondent (retired)
- John Henrehan- News reporter for WTTG-TV in Washington, DC
- Matthew Kall - Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
- Gary Kaye - Producer, CNN Newsstand
- Warren Kurtzman - VP of Coleman Insights, a media research and consulting firm in the radio industry
- Ron Larussa - Director of Interactive Media at WGBH Boston
- Dave Lebow - CEO of Internet Broadcasting
- R.B. Lerch - VP, Programming and Original Content, Charter Communications
- Pat Lyons - A staff editor at The New York Times
- Stephanie Mann - Correspondent for Voice of America
- Tom Marchitto - Senior engineer for ABC Radio network
- Steve Marx - Chairman and co-founder of The Center for Sales Strategy
- Bob Maxon- Meteorologist, NBC30 West Hartford, CT
- Tim Minton - Investigative reporter, WNBC in New York
- Scott Musgrave - Senior VP of software for Arbitron
- Keith Olbermann - Host of "Countdown" on MSNBC
- Bill Pidto - Anchor/reporter on ESPN "SportsCenter"
- Tom Poleman - senior vice president of programming for Clear Channel
- Christopher Reeve - former actor
- Jamie Roth - News reporter for WFSB-TV in Hartford, Connecticut
- Peter Schacknow - Senior Producer at CNBC
- Todd Schnitt - Tampa-based radio host for Clear Channel
- Eric Blinderman - Managing Director, CJP Communications
- Bill Silberg - VP of The Commonwealth Fund; formerly senior VP at WebMD
- Mark Smith - White House correspondent for the Associated Press, president of White House Correspondent's Association
- Kate Snow - Good Morning America Weekend Anchor
- Darry Sragow- Prominent Democratic political consultant in California
- John Toohey-Morales - Chief meteorologist for NBC-51 in Miami, Florida
- Whit Watson - Host for Sun Sports and FSN Florida; formerly anchor at ESPN and ESPNEWS
- Oscar Wells Gabriel II - Entertainment reporter, writer "Cyber Corner" for Associated Press Broadcast, Washington DC.
[edit] External links
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