Radio ga ga
New year brings changes for WWPV

Kurstin Reuschel | staff writer
kreuschel@smcvt.edu

This past summer WWPV, St. Michael’s radio station, renegotiated its agreement with Vermont Public Radio (VPR) and is looking to gain independence as a radio station.  The previous two years have been a struggle for the radio station with its most recent challenge being VPR talks of purchasing their frequency, says Kyle Chadburn, a senior and station manager for WWPV.

Turbulent Airwaves

WWPV goes off air from 2 a.m to 10 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m every weekday.  During these times the station switches to VPR broadcasting to fill the dead air-slots, Chadburn says.

Last year, the board of directors for VPR were looking to purchase a Chittenden County frequency to broadcast classical music, says Brian Donahue, chief financial officer at VPR and a St. Michael’s alumnus.  

David Beckett DJ's in the WWPV studio. Photo courtesy of Kurstin Reuschel

VPR approached former president Marc vanderHeyden looking to purchase the frequency 88.7 (WWPV) and turn it into a classical station. St. Michael’s would still have been able to maintain WWPV, but solely as a webcast, Chadburn says.

At the end of August, VPR purchased the frequency 90.9, WOXR instead, Donahue says.

“Even when we were discussing [purchasing WWPV’s frequency], we didn’t want to change our relationship, working with St. Mike’s,” he says.

Senior Vinny Mannering, program director at WWPV, was a big proponent of getting rid of the VPR broadcasts last year and saw the whole situation as a conflict of interest between the student body and the administration, he says.

“I saw it as a raw deal from VPR, it kinda put our feet to the fire,” Mannering says, “We said, ‘Alright this isn’t working, we need to work a lot harder to get what we want from this radio station and VPR.’”

In his first year as station manager of WWPV, Chadburn has been working with VPR over the summer to make sure there is no “bad blood” between the stations.  Despite what people may think, there are no problems, he says.

Last semester when there were talks of VPR purchasing WWPV, students misunderstood the discussions by thinking the administration would sell the station behind the backs of the student body, Chadburn says.

“Now that I have had a chance to speak with people at VPR and have sit-down conversations, they were never really offering to buy our station,” he says. “No actual business deal, just discussion.”

Frequency Fixin’s

There is no legal contract between VPR and WWPV, it’s an agreement.  Technically, if WWPV wanted to stop broadcasting VPR tomorrow they could, but it is mutually beneficial, Chadburn says. 

Vermont Public Radio is located on North Campus behind Purtill Hall. Photo courtesy of Kurstin Reuschel

As far as programming goes the listeners won’t even know anything has changed.  VPR will still be airing its programming from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., he says.

About eight years ago VPR and WWPV began an agreement that included internship opportunities with VPR for St. Michael’s students.  Over the years the internships have been harder to come by.  Now, in their renegotiations, Chadburn and WWPV are looking to get the internships back, so students can experience the workings of a real radio station, Chadburn says.

Before Chadburn was involved with WWPV, the relationship between the station and VPR wasn’t especially active. The past couple of years, VPR has stepped up and been more helpful, he says.

Donahue also says the door is open for internships.  In the past they have had a few that worked out “absolutely fantastic,” he says. 

“One of the things we would also love to do is expand beyond internships with those interested in radio and move into the journalism department,” Donahue says. “We have an active news department, and it’s absolutely an option for the future.”

Independence

Recently WWPV has purchased new automation software that will allow the station to broadcast without a DJ present.  VPR does not broadcast on WWPV’s webcast, so currently VPR’s timeslots on the Web are filled with dead air. WWPV hopes to have the new software up and running by October, Mannering says.

The new software can be programmed with a preset amount of songs, shows and public service announcements during the dead-air time, Mannering says. This will allow WWPV to play its own programming on the webcast 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, Chadburn says.

Because Internet broadcasting has no FCC guidelines, the software opens up a whole new format for WWPV with uncensored shows permitted, he says.

The station’s ultimate goal is to become more independent from VPR, Chadburn says.

DJ's broadcast in the WWPV studio seven days a week during set times. Photo courtesy of Kurstin Reuschel

“This is in no way being negative to VPR, but [having the automation software] means we have something to hold over their head,” Chadburn says. “The deal in the past has been they can broadcast on our frequency so we don’t have dead air; we don’t need them anymore so we have the upperhand.”

VPR values the connection with St. Michael’s and is looking to create a mutual relationship with the station, a win-win situation. Being able to serve college radio is important for VPR.  More than half of the employees there have college radio in their background, so it is one of the ways to start to experiment with the passion of radio, Donahue says.

“I think [WWPV's independence] is a great progression as a station looks to strengthen itself and grow,” Donahue says. “It’s hard because we would love to think about it together versus working independently.”