Mixed Signals

Dear Dec,

It's time for John Crotteau to turn off his agenda and turn on his radio. I have been a student broadcaster for 3 years at WTJU, 91.1 FM, located in the basement of Peabody Hall. Not once have I waved a red flag or sent out a distress signal. Is college radio all that necessary? Too many good opinions stagnate on this campus as it is. WTJU never perpetuated to me any illusions of student involvement. I embraced this station because it presented a chance for my thoughts, tastes, and beliefs to translate to the airwaves in their purest form. Here, I am treated not as a student, but as an individual. Diversity is cherished, and it comes across in the programming. To insinuate that "new, off-beat, and controversial material" can only be found within the confines of college radio is downright silly. Over 30 students are currently affiliated with just the rock department of WTJU, and more put in time with the classical, folk, and jazz departments. Turn on the radio at any point of the day and you'll here something completely foreign and new. We like to keep it that way; WTJU is the only FM station within 60 miles that does not influence the playlists of its DJs. The result? Diversity. Eclecticism. WIRE 600 AM, when it was broadcast, followed the same mantra of independent expression. What I can't figure out is why nearly a third of this article on college radio was devoted to a non-university station, WNRN. Yes, like WTJU and WIRE, they train students, but they also stifle input. Modern-rock hits are spoon-fed in a rotation every hour. If that's exciting, I must be in the wrong town.

Interestingly enough, John Crotteau did not mention his history with WIRE. And there is one ... a dirty soap-opera that remains in syndication. I have a feeling his personal grievances may have slanted the story; some corrections need to be made. WIRE still is a CIO, and thus, still has potential to be the college radio station. Also, the plight of the poor AM underdog is not so much mismanagement and chaos as confronting closed doors. WIRE's options at this point in time are slim. Originally, it was broadcast direct to the dorms using carrier-current over the AC lines (hence the name of the station). This is no longer feasible; laundry rooms and computer labs have thrown too much static in the signal. FM is also out of the question; WNRN grabbed the last community non-commercial radio slot. Now their only hope lies in broadcasting RealAudio over the Internet. This takes support from the community. And becoming a part of the community is what I have gained from my involvement in radio. It's also something I learned outside of college.

Sincerely,
Amy Briggs, Rock Director
WTJU, 91.1 FM