WCWM

Infobox Radio station
name = WCWM


city = Williamsburg, Virginia
area = Middle Peninsula
branding = "WCWM Radio"
slogan = "The Mothership"
airdate = 1959
frequency = 90.9 MHz
format = Variety
power = 13,500 Watts
erp =
haat = 82 Meters
class = B1
facility_id = 65555
coordinates = coord|37|21|16.0|N|76|59|58.0|W|type:landmark
callsign_meaning = W College William Mary
former_callsigns =
owner = The College of William & Mary in Virginia
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast = [http://128.239.102.162:8000/listen.pls WCWM Webstream]
website = [http://web.wm.edu/so/wcwm/main.html WCWM Online]
affiliations =

WCWM is a Variety formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Williamsburg, Virginia, serving the Middle Peninsula. WCWM is owned and operated by The College of William & Mary in Virginia.

History

WCWM began in 1959, serving up a schedule of rock and roll and blues, but mostly news and classical music programming. Also in 1959, the station was put under closer supervision by the school administration, and as a result, dropped the rock and roll and more contemporary music in favor of classical music, perceived by the administration to be of higher cultural value and more befitting of an academic institution. Controversial politics also caused much of the news programming to be dropped. WCWM moved to the newly built Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall as part of the Theatre and Speech Department. Rock and roll was allotted very little airtime, reserved for weekends, or occasional marathons.

By the late 1960's, WCWM's student staff was determined to take control of their station. This determination, combined with administration indifference and the faculty-advisers' inability to split time between station supervision and teaching duties, led to the station becoming a member of the Publications Council in 1971. The Publications Council at William and Mary is a student-run body composed of representatives from each campus publication. The body elects editors and station managers, as well as setting budgets for these groups. This move allowed students at WCWM to have much greater control over the station's programming and general day-to-day business.

By the 1970's, WCWM could safely be considered an "alternative" radio station, mixing up Top-40 Hits with lesser-known artists.

WCWM Today

Location

WCWM is now located in the basement of the College of William and Mary's Campus Center basement. The station's former residence is now the home of the Theatre and Speech Department's costume archives.

Technical Operations

WCWM broadcasts on the FM dial on the frequency of 90.9, as well as streaming online from wcwm.org using SHOUTcast. It has a broadcasting range of approximately 30 miles, reaching from the outermost edges of Richmond all the way to Newport News. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day, although some of that time is DJed by a randomized play-list affectionately referred to as "the robot". All DJs are either current students or faculty members at the College who volunteer their time. The programming lineup seeks to encompass as many different themes, genres, and formats as possible. WCWM's intention is to expose listeners to a diverse selection underground and independent music, whether it be from up-and-coming artists or from older, forgotten favorites. Shows range from all-purpose variety to rap, international, folk, talk, psychedelic, soul, electronica, metal, experimental, shoegaze, the hybrid offspring of the aforementioned, and so on.

Facilities and Services

In 2007, WCWM completed a Production Studio with the intention of providing a cheap and convenient place for local bands to record their music. WCWM also has equipment for DJs to DJ remote gigs and to record and broadcast concerts from locations in and around campus. In Spring 2008, WCWM broadcast a concert at the Lake Matoaka Ampitheatre featuring Thao Nguyen and the Ying Yang Twins. They also broadcast a question and answer session between students, faculty, and staff and the College Board of Visitors following the resignation of College President Gene R. Nichol. They also recorded numerous concerts on-site at the college-sponsored, student-run Meridian Coffeehouse.

WCWM and CMJ

WCWM charts with CMJ, the College Music Journal. While WCWM has always reported to CMJ's Top-200 Charts, it has recently begun charting for Loud Rock, Jazz, Hip-Hop, RPM, and New World genre lists.

References

External Links

* [http://web.wm.edu/so/wcwm/main.html WCWM Radio Online]
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