WCUW Worcester off air, needs $$$

[raccoonradio]

http://www.wcuw.org/

Read on boston-radio-interest that WCUW Worcester (class A non-comm community station) is off air
due to transmitter problems and a money shortage...part of the problem is also what WJIB is
dealing with, increased BMI/ASCAP fees...

>>The radio station is currently off the air. We are currently dealing with the expenses of a broken power tube in the transmitter, winter heating costs, and an increase in royalty fees from Ascap/ BMI amongst others. Point blank, WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please DONATE

 

[Eli Polonsky]

WCUW is a rare thing, an independent community non-comm that is not affiliated with a college, school, or with NPR, PBS, or the CPB. I can't think of any others in the area. I believe it was long ago the Clark University station, but it "seceded" from the school decades ago.

http://www.wcuw.org/

Read on boston-radio-interest that WCUW Worcester (class A non-comm community station) is off air
due to transmitter problems and a money shortage...part of the problem is also what WJIB is
dealing with, increased BMI/ASCAP fees...

>>The radio station is currently off the air. We are currently dealing with the expenses of a broken power tube in the transmitter, winter heating costs, and an increase in royalty fees from Ascap/ BMI amongst others. Point blank, WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please DONATE

 

[raccoonradio]

Yes I've heard that too and it would explain the calls which prob stood for Clark University Wireless.

And here's the proof, from the history page of the WCUW site:
>>1969 WCUW is still a campus-only station, simulcasting WSRS for much of the day.
>>1973 After several delays, WCUW goes on the air at 91.3FM, broadcasting shows by Clark students.
...
>>1980 Clark and WCUW split. WCUW moves to 910 Main St., and the student government decides to drop $13,000 in annual student activity funding.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Yes I've heard that too and it would explain the calls which prob stood for Clark University Wireless.

Or, perhaps Clark University (of) Worcester.

 

[rfgenerator]

WCUW has long been plagued by poor management and infighting for years. Back to the 80s WCUW failed to challenge an application for an increase in power of WDJM in Framingham which broadcasts also at 91.3. This killed any listenership WCUW had East of Worcester. At the time I lived in Westborough and could get WCUW clearly, onced DJM upped there power, the signal was a mess. They also failed to challenge the application for a new station at 91.3 (WXPL Fitchburg) which trimmed their signal further to the north. Up to currently when their web presence was minimal. The station also failed to aggressively go after underwriting dollars. Often times staff members were alienated but what was perceived as an indifference of the members of the Board and the Station Manager. A Freeform radio can succeed, a good example is WFMU in NJ which seems to have built a solid station, augmented by a very strong web presence.
I only hope that WCUW can get it's act together, otherwise my fear is the license will be sold off to a religious broadcast outfit who I'm sure would be more than happy to step in and take over.

 

[webcastboy]

WCUW is a rare thing, an independent community non-comm that is not affiliated with a college, school, or with NPR, PBS, or the CPB. I can't think of any others in the area. I believe it was long ago the Clark University station, but it "seceded" from the school decades ago.

One wonders, given WCUW's state, if there's a reason why it's such a rare thing: because it's not a very good business model.

Yes, I'm feeling cynical today...but reading that article I kept thinking Allston-Brighton Free Radio...Allston-Brighton Free Radio...Allston-Brighton Free Radio... over and over. A noble-yet-doomed enterprise kept limping along by the valiant efforts of a single person. I suspect that WCUW will have to destroy itself before it can ever truly improve...all the people thinking that they can save the station just by making the volunteers "more involved" are deluding themselves. There's tons of evidence that people, at a work/personality level, just don't function that way. And the only reason all the college stations around here can continue operating in the same manner WCUW does is precisely because they have a parent college that's heavily subsidizing their operations (free rent, utilities, and emergency fund assistance).