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College Radio in Boston

H

hellohello

Guest
I'm returning to the Boston area. How is the college radio scene here?

The directories have WBCC Bunker Hill Comm. College, N.E. Institute of Art in Brookline and WTBU Boston Univ. as some of the major players in or around the city of Boston.

Heard that there was a Pirate station at Wentworth on Huntington Ave.

Does that still exist? It was right near WRBB if my memory is correct.
Is there still an RBB? WJUL seems to be gone.
 
> I'm returning to the Boston area. How is the college radio
> scene here?
>
> The directories have WBCC Bunker Hill Comm. College, N.E.
> Institute of Art in Brookline and WTBU Boston Univ. as some
> of the major players in or around the city of Boston.

Those three stations aren't even actually on the airwaves. They're closed-circuit (and perhaps internet streaming). WTBU is "leaky cable" at 89.3, you may be able to hear them immediately outside some B.U. dorms.

Here's a short list of Boston area college-based stations on the air:

88.1 FM - WMBR, Cambridge (MIT) all-volunteer, college/community mix
88.9 FM - WERS, Boston (Emerson) run by communications school, all student on-air
90.3 FM - WZBC, Newton (Boston College) all-volunteer, college/community mix
90.9 FM - WBUR, Boston (Boston University) not a college station, professional NPR news/talk
91.3 FM - WDJM, Framingham (Fram. State College) all-student, covers only metro-west.
91.3 FM - WSHL, Easton (Stonehill College) all-student, covers only metro-south
91.5 FM - WMFO, Medford (Tufts U.) all-volunteer, college/community mix. Covers mostly north suburbs.
91.5 FM - WMLN, Milton (Curry College) all-student, covers south suburbs, south shore
91.5 FM - WBIM, Bridgewater (Bridgewater State) all-student, covers only metro-south
91.5 FM - WZLY, Wellesley (Wellesley College) all-student, covers only a few miles around campus
91.5 FM - WUML, Lowell (U. Mass. Lowell) student/professional mix, covers north of Route 128, Merrimack Valley
91.7 FM - WMWM, Salem (State College) all-volunteer, college/community mix, covers mostly north shore.
91.9 FM - WUMB, Boston (U. Mass Boston) not a college station, professional Public Radio, folk format
95.3 FM - WHRB, Cambridge (Harvard) mostly student all-volunteer commercial college station
100.1 FM - WBRS, Waltham (Brandeis) all-volunteer, college/community mix, covers mostly west suburbs within Route 128
104.9 FM - WRBB, Boston (Northeastern) all-student, limited signal coverage

The (non-professional) college stations that would be considered "major players" signal-wise in the city include WMBR, WERS, WZBC, WHRB. Also audible, but weak, in the city are WMFO, WBRS, WRBB. WMLN hits Boston's southern neighborhoods. WUML doesn't reach Boston, but covers a lot of ground from north and west of Route 128 into southern New Hampshire.

> Heard that there was a Pirate station at Wentworth on Huntington Ave. Does that still exist?

Not on the airwaves as far as I know.

> It was right near WRBB if my memory is correct. Is there still an RBB?

Yes, WRBB is still on the air at 104.9 with 19 watts. Only audible within a mile or two of the campus. A North Shore commercial oldies station WBOQ Gloucester/Beverly is co-channel and interferes with them.

> WJUL seems to be gone.

It's now called WUML (U. Mass. Lowell), still at 91.5.
 
> > I'm returning to the Boston area. How is the college
> radio
> > scene here?
> >
> > The directories have WBCC Bunker Hill Comm. College,
> N.E.
> > Institute of Art in Brookline and WTBU Boston Univ. as
> some
> > of the major players in or around the city of Boston.
>
> Those three stations aren't even actually on the airwaves.
> They're closed-circuit (and perhaps internet streaming).
> WTBU is "leaky cable" at 89.3, you may be able to hear them
> immediately outside some B.U. dorms.
>
> Here's a short list of Boston area college stations on the
> air:
>
> 88.1 FM - WMBR, Cambridge (MIT) all-volunteer,
> college/community mix
> 88.9 FM - WERS, Boston (Emerson) run by communications
> school, all student on-air
> 90.3 FM - WZBC, Newton (Boston College) all-volunteer,
> college/community mix
> 90.9 FM - WBUR, Boston (Boston University) not a college
> station, professional NPR news/talk
> 91.3 FM - WDJM, Framingham (Fram. State College)
> all-student, covers only metro-west.
> 91.3 FM - WSHL, Easton (Stonehill College) all-student,
> covers only metro-south
> 91.5 FM - WMFO, Medford (Tufts U.) all-volunteer,
> college/community mix. Covers mostly north suburbs.
> 91.5 FM - WMLN, Milton (Curry College) all-student, covers
> south suburbs, south shore
> 91.5 FM - WBIM, Bridgewater (Bridgewater State) all-student,
> covers metro-south
> 91.5 FM - WZLY, Wellesley (Wellesley College) all-student,
> covers only a few miles around campus
> 91.5 FM - WUML, Lowell (U. Mass. Lowell)
> student/professional mix, covers north of Route 128,
> Merrimack Valley
> 91.7 FM - WMWM, Salem (State College) all-volunteer,
> college/community mix, covers mostly North Shore.
> 91.9 FM - WUMB, Boston (U. Mass Boston) not a college
> station, professional Public Radio, folk format
> 95.3 FM - WHRB, Cambridge (Harvard) mostly student
> all-volunteer commercial college station
> 100.1 FM - WBRS, Waltham (Brandeis) all-volunteer,
> college/community mix, covers mostly west suburbs within
> Route 128
> 104.9 FM - WRBB, Boston (Northeastern) all-student, limited
> signal coverage
>
> The (non-professional) college stations that would be
> considered "major players" signal-wise in the city include
> WMBR, WERS, WZBC, WHRB. Also audible, but weak, in the city
> are WMFO, WBRS, WRBB. WUML doesn't reach Boston, but covers
> a lot of ground from north and west of Route 128 into
> southern New Hampshire.
>
> > Heard that there was a Pirate station at Wentworth on
> Huntington Ave. Does that still exist?
>
> Not on the airwaves as far as I know.
>
> > It was right near WRBB if my memory is correct. Is there
> still an RBB?
>
> Yes, WRBB is still on the air at 104.9 with 19 watts. Only
> audible within a mile or two of the campus. A North Shore
> commercial oldies station WBOQ Gloucester/Beverly is
> co-channel and interferes with them.
>
> > WJUL seems to be gone.
>
> It's now called WUML (U. Mass. Lowell), still at 91.5.
>
I think college radio in the boston area is very good, and each station has its own unique sound, now i haven't listened to all of them on the list, but the few that i have i could say are all worth listening to. Welcome back to beantown
 
Boston has the best college radio in the country.
Something for everyone. Lots of choices.

> I'm returning to the Boston area. How is the college radio
> scene here?
>
 
the old WMCI Re: College Radio in Boston

Thanks to everyone for the information.

What was WMCI in Brockton or something? They had one set of call letters,
went to WMCI, then - probably because of the telephone company - went back to their old call letters.

Anyone remember that one? Where it is? Braintree? Brockton? Somewhere on the South Shore and pretty sure it is a college station.


Appreciate the information, Eli. That pirate station on Huntington Ave was fun.
Too bad Wentworth isn't doing that anymore. Does Wentworth even have a radio station? They should do a closed circuit and put it on the web.
 
Re: the old WMCI Re: College Radio in Boston

> Thanks to everyone for the information.
>
> What was WMCI in Brockton or something? They had one set of
> call letters,
> went to WMCI, then - probably because of the telephone
> company - went back to their old call letters.
>
> Anyone remember that one? Where it is? Braintree?
> Brockton? Somewhere on the South Shore and pretty sure it
> is a college station.

WMCI is, or was, the Massasoit Community College station in Brockton. They may have changed their call letters to WMCC.

I don't know if it was ever actually on the airwaves, or if it ever had a Class D (ten watt) license on the air. From what I can find, it looks like it's now a closed-circuit or on-campus cable station at 88.3 FM.

> Appreciate the information, Eli. That pirate station on
> Huntington Ave was fun.
> Too bad Wentworth isn't doing that anymore. Does Wentworth
> even have a radio station? They should do a closed circuit
> and put it on the web.

They do have a streaming web station they call "WIRE", "Wentworth Internet Radio Experience". I don't know the URL for it.

I think Wentworth, along with WTBU at B.U., were one of many schools around Boston who tried, and failed, to get a 100 watt license for 89.3. WGBH and WERS will not allow anything second adjacent in the Boston area.

There are now a number of pirates, mostly ethnic, on 89.3 from time to time around greater Boston, and south of greater Boston, the U. Mass Dartmouth station will soon be moving to 89.3 with new call letters WUMD.
 
WIRE Wentworth

Wentworth Institute of Technology on Huntington Ave. does have
a station as of Spring, 2005 called WIRE

You are right, Eli

It is relatively new.
http://www.wit.edu has a link to their student activities.
Try calling them up and asking

There was a nice fellow who ran the pirate station years back,
forget his name, but he was a big supporter of local music.



> > Thanks to everyone for the information.
> >
> > What was WMCI in Brockton or something? They had one set
> of
> > call letters,
> > went to WMCI, then - probably because of the telephone
> > company - went back to their old call letters.
> >
> > Anyone remember that one? Where it is? Braintree?
> > Brockton? Somewhere on the South Shore and pretty sure it
>
> > is a college station.
>
> WMCI is, or was, the Massasoit Community College station in
> Brockton. They may have changed their call letters to WMCC.
>
> I don't know if it was ever actually on the airwaves, or if
> it ever had a Class D (ten watt) license on the air. From
> what I can find, it looks like it's now a closed-circuit or
> on-campus cable station at 88.3 FM.
>
> > Appreciate the information, Eli. That pirate station on
> > Huntington Ave was fun.
> > Too bad Wentworth isn't doing that anymore. Does
> Wentworth
> > even have a radio station? They should do a closed
> circuit
> > and put it on the web.
>
> They do have a streaming web station they call "WIRE",
> "Wentworth Internet Radio Experience". I don't know the URL
> for it.
>
> I think Wentworth, along with WTBU at B.U., were one of many
> schools around Boston who tried, and failed, to get a 100
> watt license for 89.3. WGBH and WERS will not allow anything
> second adjacent in the Boston area.
>
> There are now a number of pirates, mostly ethnic, on 89.3
> from time to time around greater Boston, and south of
> greater Boston, the U. Mass Dartmouth station will soon be
> moving to 89.3 with new call letters WUMD.
>
 
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