WMOT

[Nock]

Have heard the rumors for a couple weeks and it looks like they are true based on the invite I received for a benefit to keep them on the air?

Apparently budget cuts could send them dark? Couple of comments / observations:

1. They need to freshen up the format, their listeners are not coming to them they are leaving them as in "this earth" Keep the jazz but liven it up with a more contemporary sound. They have always seemed set in their ways and not willing to venture outside of their mold. Need to do something to increase listener support that apparently is lacking?

2. Big signal, what does one of them cost on the block? And who could pick it up if they in fact go dark?

3. How can MTSU continue a well known Mass Comm program without this station or does training in this type of facility no longer mean anything?

Nock

 

[Journeyman]

How can MTSU continue a well known Mass Comm program without this station or does training in this type of facility no longer mean anything?

Originally (and this was 30 something years ago) when the got the power increase the wouldn't let mass comm students anywhere near it. I hope times have changed.

 

[romer979fm]

I think WMOT is still "hands-off" for students, while
WMTS (88.3) is the student training ground station.
I could be 110% wrong, though...happened before.

 

[TheBigA]

The same problem hitting commercial radio is hurting non-coms. NPR in Washington just cut 7% of their work force and dropped several shows.

What most non-commercial stations have done is cut back on music and replaced it with national news & talk from NPR and other places. It's really hard to attract listener money with some of the fringe music formats they tend to use. I worked at an NPR jazz station, and you need a large jazz community to support it. They might be better off with world music or some alternative music format. They have a huge music department at MTSU. It seems they could do something a bit more original.

The only real buyers for non-commercial stations are religious organizations. Nashville already has WAY-FM, which appears to be doing relatively OK.

As others point out, the students don't have a lot to do with the station, but owning a radio station can usually be a PR benefit for faculty, staff, and alumni. If the station is run properly.

 

[mattthepm]

I think WMOT is still "hands-off" for students, while
WMTS (88.3) is the student training ground station.
I could be 110% wrong, though...happened before.

There are a few students who are paid part time at WMOT. Since they went voice tracked in 1996-97 or so, the amount of student workers on the air has diminished. I was fortunate enough to start working there (1994-1999) as student production coordinator (basically pulled NPR promos, dubbed underwriter announcements, etc) before they went automated. Even got to play some cuts from vinyl on occasion (they still had one Technics SP-15 that was well maintained hooked up in the studio). It helped pay my way through school, as I was awarded a work study scholarship by the station.

I learned quite a bit about broadcasting in general from the folks there. Gary Brown taught me a few things about engineering when I was there (I was also the technical director for WMTS during that period).

As an alumni, I hate to see the station threatened due to cutbacks.

If WMOT would focus more on locally produced programming and wean itself off of the NPR offerings, I think they could save a bit of $$$. Granted, I like Bob Parlocha overnights too, but they should cut him out completely and voice track the overnights.

-mattthepm
Radio Free Nashville

 

[w9wi]

The only real buyers for non-commercial stations are religious organizations. Nashville already has WAY-FM, which appears to be doing relatively OK.

But there are plenty of other large religious and "religious" broadcasters out there. Bible Broadcasting and Moody Bible are probably happy with what they already have but I would expect American Family Radio and Educational Media Foundation (K-Love) to be interested if WMOT were to go on the block.

 

[Evangelist]

Students have long worked at WMOT but under staff supervision. During my MTSU days, I was a student reporter and learned a lot of stuff I still use to this day. MTSU would be making a major mistake in letting WMOT die. Right now, it's a possibility but if enough people let President Sidney McPhee know what WMOT means to the University and community, he might step in and take the station off the table for cuts. I don't think he or the other MTSU bigwigs realize the station's impact and importance.

 

[PaulO]

I think WMOT is still "hands-off" for students, while
WMTS (88.3) is the student training ground station.
I could be 110% wrong, though...happened before.


When I was there I always said that WMOT was a station that just happened to set on a college campus. They got support from the community. They served the community meanning Murfreesboro and Nashville.

It never was (at least when I was there in the 80s a so called student run station like WRVU or WMTS which came along in the 90s but was roomered to be coming the whole time I was there.

WE did get training in the news department and the sport s deparment. It was then the flagship of the blue raider sports network The jocks (or at least some of them) got training but they were actually paid through the work study program.

When the republicans came in in 94 and started threatening public broadcasting; WMOT took them at their word and started cutting back. They cut out a lot of NPR programming such as Morning Addition and started voice tracking the air shifts. The students voice tracked the shifts; But I'm wondering if they are getting paid anymore through the work study program? I also don't know how much training is going on since WMTS is there and they are no longer flagship for the blue raider sports network..