WCLH
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| WCLH | |
| Broadcast area | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton/Hazleton, PA |
|---|---|
| Branding | WCLH |
| Slogan | Keep it locked! |
| Frequency | 90.7 (MHz) |
| First air date | June 20, 1973 |
| Format | Alternative rock |
| ERP | 175 Watts |
| Class | A |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Callsign meaning | Wilkes College Listening Habit |
| Owner | Wilkes University |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | http://www.wclh.org |
WCLH (90.7 FM) is Wilkes University's radio station. It is one of the oldest independent college radio stations in Pennsylvania having been licensed since June 20, 1973. During that time it has been a haven for unsigned artists, local bands, and independent record labels. It is a multi-format station playing alternative rock, heavy metal, and most recently adding rap/hip-hop to the programming schedule. It also airs the nationally syndicated shows Democracy Now, Making Contact, CounterSpin, and Radio Goethe.
Contents |
[edit] All Student Staff
With the exception of a faculty general manager to oversee the day to day affairs and an engineer to repair and upgrade the station's equipment the station is completely operated by a staff of students.
[edit] Computer Automation System
Starting in the late 90's WCLH upgraded to a computer controlled automation system. Previously unattended operation consisted of a 100 disc CD changer loaded with mix CDs of the current new music. The WCLH website is able to pull the ID3 tags from the MP3 files in the automation system as they are being played which allows for the listener to know which songs have been played over the last 12 hours, a feature which gathered some acclaim in the comments of a SlashDot article on April 28th, 2002.
[edit] Metal Mondays
It has gained notoriety in the heavy metal radio community for its heavy metal programming which includes Metal Monday, an entire day of heavy metal that has been part of the program schedule since the Fall of 1985 (created by then General Manager Gregory Krager and Program Director Christine Bolcarovic). Metal Lockdown is a more recent addition to the program schedule that consists of heavy metal music from the 10PM - 2AM. For a brief time in the 98-01 there was also a Wicked Wednesday that was canceled due to lack of DJ support.
[edit] Music Policy
Since 1985 WCLH has a music policy that states that 75% of the songs they play will be new music, where new music is any music that is less than 3 months old. Music may be retired early if it is particularly poor or if there has been a large influx of new music recently. It is also possible for music to last longer than 3 months if it is deemed to be extremely good, frequently requested, or if there is a slow influx of new music. (i.e. The three weeks in December when CMJ and FMQB shut down for the holidays.)
[edit] Reporting Agencies
The station supplies its charts weekly to College Music Journal (CMJ) for the Alternative, Loud Rock, and Hip-Hop.
The Heavy Metal charts are reported to Friday Morning Quarterback (FMQB) in addition to CMJ Loud Rock.
[edit] Sports Broadcasts
WCLH can and will broadcast sports games where the student staff is willing and able to cover the game. Typically every football game is covered and all of the home basketball games are covered.
[edit] WCLH / WNEP-TV Tower Collapse
WNEP-TV's transmission tower broadcasting the analog signal on channel 16 and WCLH's FM signal collapsed on December 16, 2007 due to severe ice, winds, and snow at the transmitter location on Penobscot Knob[1][2]. The tower collapse also destroyed the transmitter building. No one was injured during the incident[1]. The collapse of the tower supporting the antennas for WCLH (FM) and WNEP(analog TV) also damaged the nearby WVIA tower putting WVIA-TV off the air and severed power to the transmitters for WYOU-TV and WBRE-TV putting those stations off the air for a time[3][4]. WCLH continued to broadcast after the tower collapse through the internet via their "Radio Stream" on their website[2]. WCLH was able to broadcast over the air again after the tower collapse via a low powered signal from a temporary site by the end of December 2007[4]. By December 28, 2007, the WCLH antenna (which survived the tower collapse) and transmitter was moved to a new tower 1 km east, northeast of its former location where it again resumed over the air broadcasting at 90.7 MHz to a significant portion of its original coverage area[5] (see revised service contour map cited below).
[edit] Trivia
WCLH was dubbed "NEPA's Number One College Station" in 2007.[citation needed]
Christine Bolcarovic was the station's first female general manager, serving during the 1986-87 academic year (her senior year). She graduated in May 1987 with a double major in English and Communications.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Steve Mocarsky and Mark Sowers. "Storm tips TV towers", The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), December 17, 2007.
- ^ a b Current News: WCLH FM off the air. WCLH (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) (December 17, 2007). Retrieved on December 17, 2007.
- ^ PAHomePage.com. "WYOU and WBRE TV Signal Update", WYOU (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), December 17, 2007.
- ^ a b Scott Fybush. Northeast Radio Watch - December 24, 2007 - Pennsylvania. Northeast Radio Watch (Rochester, New York). Retrieved on January 10, 2008.
- ^ FCC Engineering STA, File No. BSTA - 20071227ABX (December 28, 2007).
[edit] External links
- Wilkes University
- WCLH-FM
- Democracy Now
- Radio Goethe
- CMJ
- FMQB
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WCLH
- Radio Locator information on WCLH
- Satellite view of (new) WCLH broadcast tower on Wikimapia
|
||||||||||||||
  |
This article about a radio station in Pennsylvania is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
