WERW

Infobox Radio station
name = WERW


city = Syracuse, New York
area = Syracuse, New York
branding = "WERW 1570 AM"
slogan =
airdate = February 2, 1985
frequency = 1570 kHz
format = Freeform
power = 20 Watts day and night
via carrier current
erp =
haat =
class =
facility_id =
coordinates = coord|43|2|24.8|N|76|8|7.0|W|type:landmark
callsign_meaning = WE aRe W
final W for "Double U"
former_callsigns =
owner = Syracuse University
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast = [http://128.230.242.180:8100/listen.m3u/ WERW Webstream]
website = [http://www.werw.org/ WERW Online]
affiliations =

WERW is a student-run radio station at Syracuse University broadcasting at 1570 AM. The station originally operated on carrier current at 750AM and was available in the university's dorms and some other campus buildings. Its low power broadcast tower was erected atop an SU dorm in 1995 to allow it to broadcast at 1570AM while simulcasting on 750AM. It can be heard all across the university campus and in adjacent areas of the city of Syracuse. [cite news |work=Syracuse Post-Standard |title=Mixed signals for CNY alternative radio |date=1988-03-31 |quote=Lori Tietler says it's a lot of fun being music director for an alternative campus radio station, but things would run smoother if she could just hear her own station. "Sometimes my roommate and I will get in her car and park it in front of Watson (Hall), just to be able to hear WERW," said Tietler, a junior at Syracuse University.]

History

The station was formed by the largest student-run organization on campus, University Union, after a controversy involving the other student-run station, WJPZ. WJPZ had incorporated as an independent entity broadcasting Top 40 music in a simulation of a professional radio station, in order to provide communications students attending the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with vocational training. It started, like WERW, as a carrier current AM station, but began broadcasting with 100 watts on 89.1 FM on February 2, 1985.

However, the type of music being provided by WJPZ was not pleasing to the primary audience able to hear it, that is, the students on the university campus. The station did find some favor there and amongst Top 40 fans in the surrounding community that could hear it. However, there were protests among many university students who wanted the station to reflect more "diverse" programming, including a three-day sit-in at the station's studios by the Student Afro-American Society in the autumn of 1986.

The concept for the station was originally conceived of in October of 1986 when University Union Concert Board Director Fred Feldman and Creative Board Director Will Morrison were approached by SU freshmen Pete Wesenberg, Kyle Rosa, and Shane Francis, who also wanted to start a radio station. The original turntables and records were those of the University Union members.

In response to the student complaints, and the new team in place, the University Union organization established WERW in January of 1987. University Union is commonly referred to as "U.U." and the station call letters, WERW, were chosen as shorthand for "We Are U.U." For its first year, it broadcast out of the control room of HillTV (then UUTV) for a limited broadcasting schedule, and was heard only on cable television (WJPZ earlier had a similar arrangement).cite news |work=Syracuse Post-Standard |title=Low-power AM radio station will broaden coverage at SU |date=1988-01-28 |quote=Syracuse University will soon have a low-power AM radio station operating on campus, broadcasting contemporary college programming to the university area. The station, WERW, is carried on University Union cable, and is available only in the university's dormitories.] After that, WERW did establish its own studio, but was heard only through television monitors until the AM carrier current set-up was established in the 1990s. The station programs an eclectic format similar to many other college radio stations in the USA, with blocks of programs featuring underground rock music, world music, folk music, occasional news, and some political or public affairs programs.

Notable WERW Alumni

* Matt Fastow (general manager, 2006-2007), currently at Sirius Satellite Radio
* Adam Gold (general manager, 2005-2006) currently at WAER, in Syracuse, New York
* Brian Jagoda (DJ, 2002-2003) currently works for the New York Mets and CBS Sports
* Matt Josephs, currently works for WXGI in Richmond, Virginia
* Sam Roberts (DJ, 2002-2006), currently works for Opie and Anthony (CBS, XM), and hosts the Sam and Than show on XM Satellite Radio
* Sharon Timure (general manager, 2002-2004), currently at Island Def Jam Records
* Doug Tribou (general manager, 1994-1996), currently at WBUR, Boston
* John Vacanti (general manager, 2000-2001), currently at Fuse TV

References

External Links

* [http://www.werw.org/ WERW 1570 AM Online]
* [http://werw1570.blogspot.com/ WERW Official Station Blog]
* [http://www.myspace.com/werw1570/ WERW Official MySpace]