WNYU-FM

Infobox Radio Station
name = WNYU-FM
area = New York, New York
branding = "WNYU 89.1 FM"
slogan =
airdate =
frequency = 89.1 (MHz)
format = Rock music
erp = 8,300 watts
haat = 78 meters
class = B1
facility_id = 48695
owner = New York University
website = [http://www.wnyu.org/ www.wnyu.org]
callsign_meaning = W
New
York
University

WNYU is a non-commercial radio station owned and operated by New York University. Until 2004, it served lower Manhattan and surrounding areas, but thanks to a new booster, it now broadcasts to the tri-state region. The station can be heard on 89.1FM at 8,300 watts from 4pm until 1am on weekdays, and on the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at [http://www.wnyu.org wnyu.org] . The stream can also be found in iTunes Radio under the "Eclectic" genre. Their offices and studios are located at 721 Broadway in Greenwich Village. WNYU's transmitter is located at University Heights in the Bronx, the former location of NYU.

WNYU is run entirely by university students. It plays a diverse array of music and encourages independent artists to submit their work for airplay. As of November 2006, their website now features archives of all aired shows, allowing listeners to tune in to missed broadcasts.

History

WNYU has been home to Plastic Tales from the Marshmallow Dimension as well as the legendary New Afternoon Show since 1980, when programmer Sal LoCurto flipped the format from progressive rock to New Wave, creating a U.S. launching pad for an entire new generation of music including Human League, Heaven 17, R.E.M., Public Image Limited as well as NYC and Hoboken acts such as The dB's, The Fleshtones, The Bongos, Liquid Liquid, KONK, ESG, The Individuals and The Bush Tetras.

The original New Afternoon Show line-up included Gary Cee (now Program Director and Afternoon drive host of WPDH), Naomi Regelson, Michael "Pablo" Dugan, Sal LoCurto, and Evan "Funk" Davies. Brian "Weems" Williams replaced Gary Cee in 1981. Loscalzo (later of WPDH, WRCN, WDRE, KROQ and K-Rock/NY [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WFNY-FM#WXRK] replaced Evan "Funk" Davies in 1982. Other New Afternoon Show DJs during the 80's included Hrynyszyn, Jon Fox, Anne Clark, Sylvia, and Hugh Foley.

The station broke ground by airing one of the first hardcore punk programs - "Noise! The Show" - with host (and future MTV veejay) Tim Sommer. A snippet of this show can be heard on the Beastie Boys collection "Some Old Bullshit". Following the success of "Noise! The Show", a similar punk and hardcore radio show called "Crucial Chaos" started in the late 1980s and was a staple of the NYHC scene. An infamous live set from the show with an on-air fight between members of Sick of it All and Born Against still exists and can be found on the internet. The show continues to this day, with current host Saeed Mohammad.

Alec Baldwin was a frequent guest on short-lived comedy program "Comedy Hell" hosted by Max Keiser (who would later go on to invent the Hollywood Stock Exchange and Karmabanque websites). The show was co-hosted and produced by Loscalzo.

Past guest musicians on the station include, but are not limited to: Björk, Buju Banton, The Flaming Lips, Gorilla Biscuits, Nausea, Citizens Arrest, The Cure, Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Spiritualized, Black Dice, Daniel Johnston, James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem), and Michael Gira (of Swans, Angels of Light), Slick Rick, Gang Starr, Eminem, Dilated Peoples, Jurassic 5, Arsonists, El-P, Cage, The X-Ecutioners, and The Allies

Current Programming

Current WNYU DJs include DJ Eclipse of facetiously called "Beats In Space" the "Best Radio Show for Hearing 'Disco Train' Several Times on Repeat" in their Best of 2005 issue.

"The Cheap Seats," a sports talk program, airs each Monday and Friday at 7:30 PM EST. The show airs for one half hour and aims to break down professional sports from a uniquely independent viewpoint, especially focusing on teams from the New York region. Listeners may call in and offer their own opinions on the air. The show is currently hosted by Rob Maiale. Other past members include Kenny Albert (FOX), John Schmeelk (WFAN), Aaron Goldhammer (ESPN Radio), Brook Silva-Braga (HBO), Rachel Steinberg, Bryan Koch, Keith Sabalja, and Brad Clough. Hosts often interview relevant figures from the world of sports. Past guests have included John Sterling, Kerry Rhodes and Stu Jackson. The WNYU sports department also provides coverage of NYU men's and women's basketball.

External links

* [http://www.wnyu.org/ WNYU Homepage]
*
*
*
* [http://www.styluscity.org/WNYU/ WNYU's page on StylusCity]

Video

* [http://punkcast.com/383 PUNKCAST#383] Rob Hatch-Miller interviews TV On The Radio on the New Afternoon Show, Jan 28 2004. (RealPlayer)
* [http://punkcast.com/386 PUNKCAST#386] Daniel Blumin interviews Blixa Bargeld on the New Afternoon Show, Jan 30 2004. (RealPlayer)