WTUL

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the radio station. See also the Women's Trade Union League.
WTUL
Image:WtulNewOrleans.jpg
City of license New Orleans, Louisiana
Broadcast area New Orleans, Louisiana
Branding "91.5 WTUL"
Slogan "Progressive Radio"
Frequency 91.5 (MHz)
First air date 1959
Format Progressive music
ERP 1,500 watts
HAAT 49 meters
Class A
Facility ID 68321
Callsign meaning TULane University
Owner Tulane University

WTUL is a progressive/alternative FM radio outlet in New Orleans, Louisiana, operating at 91.5 MHz with an ERP of 1.5 kW.

The station, which is operated by Tulane University, offers a mix of cutting-edge, progressive, alternative, electronica, classical, New Age, straight ahead jazz, folk, blues Latin, world reggae, show tunes, kid's show and an eclectic mix of a variety of genres.

[edit] History

WTUL was established in 1959. It is the station which gave future mayor-turned TV news anchor-turned talk show host Jerry Springer his start. The yearly "Rock On Survival Marathon" fund raisers featuring live bands on the Tulane campus are a locally famous event. In spite of the low wattage, WTUL was occasionally picked up as far away as New York City in its early years due to the limited number of stations operating on the FM band.

WTUL went off the air on 28 August 2005 as Hurricane Katrina approached the New Orleans area. The Tulane campus building which housed the station (itself a temporary location due to the renovation of the University Center) was damaged by the resulting flood waters. On 15 December 2005 the station began broadcasting again, using donated studio space on the mezzanine of the Rue de la Course coffeehouse in the Carrollton neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans, about 10 blocks from the Tulane campus. The station kept its Internet broadcast running via donated bandwidth from CCRMA at Stanford University. The station resumed a limited broadcast until it moved to Uptown Square on the corner of Broadway Street and Leake Avenue. It is now broadcasting on a normal 24 hour schedule from a new studio in the basement of the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life on the Tulane campus. WTUL is volunteer-run, accepting DJs from across the Tulane and New Orleans community.

WTUL released a fourth edition of its compilation CD "Songs from the Basement" featuring local, national and international artists to coincide with its 2006 Marathon, and continues to release annual compilation cds in sync with their Marathon.

To keep up with the digital age, WTUL can now be found online at http://www.wtulneworleans.org, where listeners can tune into their favorite shows all around the world due to live webcasting. Visitors to the site will also find DJ schedules, upcoming events, recent playlists, as well as opportunities for getting involved with the station.

[edit] External links