WIDR
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| WIDR | |
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| City of license | Kalamazoo, Michigan |
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| Broadcast area | [1] |
| Branding | Your Station for Radio Evolution |
| Slogan | The Only Source for Radio Evolution |
| Frequency | 89.1 MHz |
| First air date | 1952 |
| Format | Variety; college student station |
| Power | 100 watts |
| Class | A |
| Callsign meaning | Western Inter-Dormitory Radio |
| Owner | Western Michigan University |
| Website | http://www.widr.org/ |
WIDR is a freeform FM radio station that broadcasts from the Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. WIDR, a student-run radio station licensed to the Western Michigan University, broadcasts at 89.1 FM with 100 watts of power. The station is entirely student-run and employs six part-time staff members. Staff members must be students at Western Michigan University, enrolled at least part-time. While the staff deal with most of the day-to-day operations, the station is largely run by its volunteers.
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[edit] History
The station originally began broadcasting in 1952, as a carrier current station. The station was started by a small group of students including Jack Clifford, who later went on to found the Food Network. The station broadcast through the pipes of Western Michigan University; specifically throughout the dormitories. Thus, they picked as their call letters W.I.D.R., or Western Inter-Dormitory Radio.
For the first 23 years, WIDR broadcast as an AM station at 750 kHz. In 1975, the student-staff filed paperwork with the FCC to become an FM station. They were given a frequency of 89.1 MHz, and allowed to broadcast at a power of 100 Watts. WIDR is classified by the FCC as a non-commercial, educational station.
Today, the station goes by the moniker WIDR (pronounced "wider") and is the only 100% local community radio station serving the Greater Kalamazoo area.
[edit] Structure
WIDR depends on a group of students and community volunteers for all of its programming. No on-air staff is paid.
There are several paid staff members responsible for the day-to-day operations of the station and for organizing the various special events WIDR sponsors throughout the community. Staff members are required to be students enrolled at Western Michigan University at least part-time. Staff are employed no more than 20 hours per week and are paid out of WIDR's operating budget. Staff members are generally hired at the end of Winter semester and are expected to serve for the following year. Staff positions are as follows:
- General Manager - in charge of supervising staff and volunteers
- Business Director - in charge of maintaining budgets and overseeing expenditures
- Music Director - in charge of maintaining relationships with record companies
- Program Director - in charge of "hiring" and training volunteer, on-air staff
- Promotions Director - in charge of developing promotional material for the station
WIDR is currently budgeted for one more 15-hour-per-week position. Until the summer of 2007, this was filled by a News Director. As of the end of Winter semester 2007, this position is filled by a Production Director, following the phase-out of the news department.
Volunteer staff are "hired" on an ongoing basis to fill the various on-air shifts and to deal with other jobs as required by the station. Volunteers are given on-air shifts based on availability and following training and a written test (to assess knowledge of FCC requirements). Most first-time volunteers host variety music shifts, playing music from a diverse range of styles and genres. Experienced volunteers are allowed to develop and host their own specialty programs.
[edit] Programming
WIDR's programming consists of a combination of variety music shows, specialty music shows and public affairs shows.
Variety music shows draw music from within the WIDR's own music library. The library is mainly comprised of CDs from a number of non-mainstream or alternative record labels and represents styles ranging from alternative, jazz and hip-hop to electronic, world and experimental music.
Experienced DJs are allowed to develop programming focusing on specific genres of music, such as ska, reggea or blues.
Some DJs choose, instead of a specialty music program, to develop a public affairs program. These are generally talk or interview-based programs focusing on subjects from current events to local culture.
WIDR broadcasts a number of popular specialty music and public affairs programs.
[edit] Funding
WIDR gets its funding from two sources: Western Michigan University and the listening public.
Western Michigan University holds the license to WIDR, and as such provides WIDR with mostly in-kind services. These include the use of on-campus office space, electricity, internet access and the like.
WIDR's main funding source, however, is the community. Most of its operating budget is raised during an annual, week-long fundraising drive. Called WIDR Week, the station plans a number of fundraising events, solicits donations on-air and requests donations from past supporters.
[edit] Special Events
WIDR hosts a number of special events every year on Western Michigan University's campus and in the city of Kalamazoo.
Barking Tuna Fest is WIDR's main annual event, held in the first weeks of October after classes are back in session. Barking Tuna Fest, or BTF, is held at a local music venue and generally features between four and eight bands or performers. Performers include at least one local band and one major headliner.
Past BTF headliners have included The New Pornographers, Spoon, Mission of Burma, Stephen Malkmus, Tiny Lights and The New Duncan Imperials.
[edit] Sources
[edit] External links
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