WERW
Encyclopedia
WERW is a student-run radio station
at Syracuse University
that broadcasts on the Web. The station programs an eclectic format similar to many other college radio stations in the United States of America, with blocks of programs featuring underground rock music, world music, folk music, occasional news, and some political or public affairs programs.
. WJPZ had incorporated as an independent entity broadcasting Top 40 music in a simulation of a professional radio station, in order to provide communications students attending the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with vocational training. It started, like WERW, as a carrier current
AM
station, but began broadcasting with 100 watts on 89.1 FM on February 2, 1985. WJPZ did find some favor among students at Syracuse University and amongst Top 40 fans in the surrounding community that could hear it. However, there were protests among many university students who wanted the station to reflect more "diverse" programming, including a three-day sit-in at the station's studios by the Student Afro-American Society in the autumn of 1986.
The concept for the station was originally conceived in October 1986. University Union Concert Board Director Fred Feldman Creative Board Director Will Morrison and UU member Kevin Baier hatched the idea for an alternative radio station to exist under the University Union umbrella. They joined forces with SU freshmen Pete Wesenberg, Kyle Rosa, and Shane Francis, who also wanted to start a radio station. Baier became the station's first General Manager and Lori Teitler the first Music Director. The original turntables and records were those of the University Union members and its free-form format initially consisted of indie rock, rap and alternative dance music.
In response to the student complaints, and with the new team in place, the University Union organization established WERW in January 1987. University Union is commonly referred to as "U.U." and the station call letters, WERW, were chosen as shorthand for "We Are U.U.". During its first year, WERW broadcasted out of the control room of CitrusTV
(then UUTV) for a limited broadcasting schedule, and was heard only on cable television (WJPZ
earlier had a similar arrangement). University Union secured just enough funding for turntables, a mixing console and other basic broadcast necessities and WERW moved into a "real" studio over the summer of 1987 in Watson Hall just across the hall from WJPZ. The station was originally heard only through television monitors and over low-power FM. By the early 1990s, WERW operated on carrier current
at 750 AM and was available in Syracuse University's dorms and some other campus buildings.
A low-power AM broadcast transmitter was acquired and an antenna was erected atop Booth Hall in 1995 to allow WERW to broadcast with 20 Watts of power at 1570 AM while simulcasting on 750 AM. It could then be heard all across campus at the Syracuse University
and in adjacent areas of the city of Syracuse
.
WERW began to simulcast its programming on the Web in the early 2000s. By the mid-2000s, the carrier current broadcast at 750 AM had been abandoned. At a similar time, the 1570 AM transmitter began to broadcast a dead carrier signal when the cable that ran from the studio to the transmitter was cut or damaged from corrosion. The transmitter was finally removed from the air in early 2011. Since then, the station has been unable to restore its broadcast at 1570 AM and has been an Internet-only "radio" station.
In early 2010, WERW split from University Union and became an independent student organization. Following the split from University Union, the original "We Are U.U." meaning of the call letters was abandoned in favor of the backronym "What Everyone Really Wants". In October 2010, the station relaunched and began to broadcast from its new facilities on the third floor of Hinds Hall as part of the Syracuse University School of Information Studies
.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
that broadcasts on the Web. The station programs an eclectic format similar to many other college radio stations in the United States of America, with blocks of programs featuring underground rock music, world music, folk music, occasional news, and some political or public affairs programs.
History
The station was formed by the largest student-run organization on campus, University Union, after a controversy involving the other student-run station, WJPZWJPZ
WJPZ-FM is a college radio station owned and operated entirely by students at Syracuse University in New York. It broadcasts at 89.1 FM at an effective radiated power of 100 watts and can be heard throughout Syracuse, the rest of Onondaga County, and beyond to the north and east. WJPZ programs a...
. WJPZ had incorporated as an independent entity broadcasting Top 40 music in a simulation of a professional radio station, in order to provide communications students attending the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with vocational training. It started, like WERW, as a carrier current
Carrier current
Carrier current is a method of low power AM radio transmission that uses the AC electrical system of a building to propagate a medium frequency, AM signal to a relatively small area, such as a building or a group of buildings...
AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
station, but began broadcasting with 100 watts on 89.1 FM on February 2, 1985. WJPZ did find some favor among students at Syracuse University and amongst Top 40 fans in the surrounding community that could hear it. However, there were protests among many university students who wanted the station to reflect more "diverse" programming, including a three-day sit-in at the station's studios by the Student Afro-American Society in the autumn of 1986.
The concept for the station was originally conceived in October 1986. University Union Concert Board Director Fred Feldman Creative Board Director Will Morrison and UU member Kevin Baier hatched the idea for an alternative radio station to exist under the University Union umbrella. They joined forces with SU freshmen Pete Wesenberg, Kyle Rosa, and Shane Francis, who also wanted to start a radio station. Baier became the station's first General Manager and Lori Teitler the first Music Director. The original turntables and records were those of the University Union members and its free-form format initially consisted of indie rock, rap and alternative dance music.
In response to the student complaints, and with the new team in place, the University Union organization established WERW in January 1987. University Union is commonly referred to as "U.U." and the station call letters, WERW, were chosen as shorthand for "We Are U.U.". During its first year, WERW broadcasted out of the control room of CitrusTV
CitrusTV
CitrusTV is the completely student-run television studio of Syracuse University and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York. It was founded in 1970 and has around 350 student members....
(then UUTV) for a limited broadcasting schedule, and was heard only on cable television (WJPZ
WJPZ
WJPZ-FM is a college radio station owned and operated entirely by students at Syracuse University in New York. It broadcasts at 89.1 FM at an effective radiated power of 100 watts and can be heard throughout Syracuse, the rest of Onondaga County, and beyond to the north and east. WJPZ programs a...
earlier had a similar arrangement). University Union secured just enough funding for turntables, a mixing console and other basic broadcast necessities and WERW moved into a "real" studio over the summer of 1987 in Watson Hall just across the hall from WJPZ. The station was originally heard only through television monitors and over low-power FM. By the early 1990s, WERW operated on carrier current
Carrier current
Carrier current is a method of low power AM radio transmission that uses the AC electrical system of a building to propagate a medium frequency, AM signal to a relatively small area, such as a building or a group of buildings...
at 750 AM and was available in Syracuse University's dorms and some other campus buildings.
A low-power AM broadcast transmitter was acquired and an antenna was erected atop Booth Hall in 1995 to allow WERW to broadcast with 20 Watts of power at 1570 AM while simulcasting on 750 AM. It could then be heard all across campus at the Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
and in adjacent areas of the city of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
.
WERW began to simulcast its programming on the Web in the early 2000s. By the mid-2000s, the carrier current broadcast at 750 AM had been abandoned. At a similar time, the 1570 AM transmitter began to broadcast a dead carrier signal when the cable that ran from the studio to the transmitter was cut or damaged from corrosion. The transmitter was finally removed from the air in early 2011. Since then, the station has been unable to restore its broadcast at 1570 AM and has been an Internet-only "radio" station.
In early 2010, WERW split from University Union and became an independent student organization. Following the split from University Union, the original "We Are U.U." meaning of the call letters was abandoned in favor of the backronym "What Everyone Really Wants". In October 2010, the station relaunched and began to broadcast from its new facilities on the third floor of Hinds Hall as part of the Syracuse University School of Information Studies
Syracuse University School of Information Studies
The Syracuse University School of Information Studies, also known as the iSchool, is a center for research and education in the policy, systems, service, and technology aspects of information management, information science, and library science. Established in 1896 as the School of Library Science,...
.
Notable WERW Alumni
- Doug Tribou (general manager, 1994–1996), currently at WBURWBURWBUR refers to two radio stations in Massachusetts, WBUR AM and FM, both owned by Boston University. WBUR is the largest of three NPR member stations in Boston, Massachusetts, along with WGBH and WUMB-FM, and the only one to focus exclusively on news and talk...
, Boston - Matt Kraeger (general manager, 1998–2000), currently at BlackRockBlackRockBlackRock, Inc. is an American multinational investment management corporation and the world's largest asset manager. BlackRock is headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States and is the leading provider of investment, advisory, and risk management solutions...
- John Vacanti (general manager, 2000–2001), currently at Fuse TVFuse TVFuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
- Jason Glastetter (general manager, 2001–2002), musician Poingly & formerly at CMJ
- Sharon Timure (general manager, 2002–2004), currently at Island Def Jam Records
- Matt Fastow (general manager, 2006–2007), currently at Sirius Satellite RadioSirius Satellite RadioSirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
- Brian Jagoda (DJ, 2002–2003) currently works for the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and CBS Sports - Matt Josephs, currently works for WXGIWXGIWXGI is a Sports Radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Richmond, Virginia, serving the Richmond/Petersburg area. WXGI is owned and operated by Red Zebra Broadcasting.-History:...
in Richmond, Virginia - Sam Roberts (DJ, 2002–2006), currently works for Opie and AnthonyOpie and AnthonyOpie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...
, Sirius XM), hosts the Special Delivery Starring Sam and Dave on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Also hosts Sirius XM Hits 1 from 3 AM to 6 AM weekdays. - Bree Freeman, (Host of 'MediaTalk', 1998–2002), currently faculty adviser for Radio Fusion in Singapore