WMFO
Encyclopedia
WMFO is a radio station
licensed to Medford, Massachusetts
, USA. The station is owned by Tufts University
and is run by students. WMFO is funded by the Tufts Student Activities Fee as allocated by the TCU Senate and through community donations.
radio station WTUR
. In the late 1960s Tufts University students ran a wire from WTUR's 20-watt
transmitter
to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Commuter railroad
tracks that run directly behind the studio building. The signal could be heard clearly as far as Quincy, Massachusetts
15 miles to the south, and as far north as Nashua, New Hampshire
, more than 30 miles beyond the station's permitted broadcasting limits. This stunt drew the attention of the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) who promptly shut the station down.
On April 2, 1977 Curtis Hall, the building that WMFO resides in, had a major fire. The station was knocked off the air for a short time but was up and running within a few hours when student DJs plugged a portable broadcasting board directly into the station's transmitter.
In March of 2009, the station left the airwaves for a week, replacing its aging analog equipment with an all-digital system including a Rivendell Radio Automation server that houses much of the station's rock and pop music collections in a lossless format.
. Studio A houses the main broadcast room, which features three vinyl turntables, three standard CD players, two CD turntables, a cassette deck and microphones for up to four guests. Studio D, named for late Boston music writer and WMFO DJ Mikey Dee, is a live performance studio connected to the main broadcast board through a control room that allows professional mixing, recording and effects processing. Studio B, a small production suite, is currently offline.
An extensive collection of vinyl records is housed in the studios and hallways. Much of WMFO's vinyl collection was destroyed during the 1977 fire, but appeals to the Tufts community and local residents resulted in donations that replaced some of the lost albums.
As a condition of the station's FCC license, a portion of the weekly program schedule must be allotted to volunteers from the local community. There are no financial requirements for community members, but they share the same on- and off-air responsibilities as student DJs and must volunteer additional hours each year for station maintenance and upkeep to remain in good standing with the station.
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...
licensed to Medford, Massachusetts
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
, USA. The station is owned by Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
and is run by students. WMFO is funded by the Tufts Student Activities Fee as allocated by the TCU Senate and through community donations.
History
Prior to the licensing of WMFO, the station was home to the AMAM 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...
radio station WTUR
WTUR
WTUR is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian format that is licensed to Upland, Indiana, USA. The station is owned by Taylor University....
. In the late 1960s Tufts University students ran a wire from WTUR's 20-watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
Commuter railroad
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
tracks that run directly behind the studio building. The signal could be heard clearly as far as Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
15 miles to the south, and as far north as Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile...
, more than 30 miles beyond the station's permitted broadcasting limits. This stunt drew the attention of the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) who promptly shut the station down.
On April 2, 1977 Curtis Hall, the building that WMFO resides in, had a major fire. The station was knocked off the air for a short time but was up and running within a few hours when student DJs plugged a portable broadcasting board directly into the station's transmitter.
In March of 2009, the station left the airwaves for a week, replacing its aging analog equipment with an all-digital system including a Rivendell Radio Automation server that houses much of the station's rock and pop music collections in a lossless format.
Facilities
WMFO occupies the entire third floor of Curtis Hall on the campus of Tufts UniversityTufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
. Studio A houses the main broadcast room, which features three vinyl turntables, three standard CD players, two CD turntables, a cassette deck and microphones for up to four guests. Studio D, named for late Boston music writer and WMFO DJ Mikey Dee, is a live performance studio connected to the main broadcast board through a control room that allows professional mixing, recording and effects processing. Studio B, a small production suite, is currently offline.
An extensive collection of vinyl records is housed in the studios and hallways. Much of WMFO's vinyl collection was destroyed during the 1977 fire, but appeals to the Tufts community and local residents resulted in donations that replaced some of the lost albums.
Programming
WMFO is a freeform station that imposes no content restrictions on its air staff, apart from FCC requirements for content, station identifications and public service announcements. Programming ranges from rock, punk and hip-hop shows to political talk, sports talk and community issues.As a condition of the station's FCC license, a portion of the weekly program schedule must be allotted to volunteers from the local community. There are no financial requirements for community members, but they share the same on- and off-air responsibilities as student DJs and must volunteer additional hours each year for station maintenance and upkeep to remain in good standing with the station.