WCBN-FM

Infobox Radio station
name = WCBN-FM


city = Ann Arbor, Michigan
area = [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WCBN&service=FM&status=L&hours=U]
branding = WCBN FM
slogan = Freeing Your Mind For Over 30 Years
airdate = January 23, 1972
(1952 as a carrier current station)
frequency = 88.3 MHz
format = Freeform
power = 200 watts
haat = 54 meters
class = A
facility_id = 66316
coordinates = coord|42|16|37|N|83|44|7|W|type:landmark
callsign_meaning = Campus Broadcasting Network
former_callsigns = none
owner = University of Michigan
webcast =
website = [http://www.wcbn.org/ wcbn.org]
affiliations =

WCBN-FM is the student-run radio station of the University of Michigan. Its format is primarily freeform. It broadcasts at 88.3 MHz FM in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

History

WCBN was created in 1952 when three existing carrier current broadcasting systems on campus pooled resources. WCBN-AM could be tuned to in University buildings at 650 kHz. Programming was coordinated between the existing broadcast facilities.

In 1956 WCBN hosted the first meeting of the National Association of College Broadcasters.

1965 saw the consolidation of WCBN operations in the newly completed Student Activities Building.

In early 1971 a proposal was approved by the Board of regents to expand the station to FM Radio. On January 23, 1972 WCBN-FM went on the air at 89.5 MHz with a 10 watt transmitter. At this time the carrier current station adopted the new callsign WRCN, and programming was divided.

WCBN was moved to 88.3 MHz by the FCC in 1977.

In 1980 the station held its first fundraiser to supplement its University support.

WCBN's transmitter was upgraded to 200 watts in 1984.

Disc jockey Ken Freedman famously marked the election of Ronald Reagan by playing Lesley Gore's "It's My Party (And I'll Cry If I Want To)" for 18 hours straight.Fact|date=December 2007

In addition to on-air studio productions, WCBN also has a rich history of local concert sponsorship, recently hosting performances by Jad Fair, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Mount Eerie, The Books, and Jandek.

Programming

While WCBN's programming format is primarily freeform, its also specialty programs focusing on specific styles or origins of music including "Dance Hall Reggae", "Nothin’ but the Blues", the extremely eclectic country program "The Down Home Show," the Bluegrass show "Bill Monroe for Breakfast", the techno show "Crush Collision", and the Hip hop show "The Prop Shop". Several of these programs have aired continuously for over 20 years. Sunday programming is comprised mainly of specialty shows featuring the music of Africa, Asia, India, Israel and the Middleast, Japan, Turkey and the Mediterranean. The weekly, 2 hour "Local Music Show" features local artists performing live in-studio.

WCBN also broadcasts locally and nationally produced news, sports and issues programming, such as nationally produced FAIR's CounterSpin, and Free Speech Radio News as well as Dave Emory's commentary show For the Record. The locally produced LGBT issues program Closets R4 Clothes has aired since 1975. Experimental children's radio program The Show and Tell Machine was started in 2006 by Brendt Rioux.

The WCBN News Department was revitalized beginning in 2004, when a group of students converged to conduct live coverage of the presidential elections. Out of this grew a more long term project called [http://blackbox-radio.blogspot.com BlackBox Radio] , which produced over 50 episodes of its weekly show. BlackBox radio stopped production in 2006.

Other information

* In addition to its FM broadcast, WCBN can be heard via the Internet at [http://wcbn.org wcbn.org] .
* The University of Michigan also funds and operates the NPR station WUOM-FM, which is run as a service to the community and does not directly involve students in its operation.
* Ken Freedman, general manager of WFMU-FM, worked at WCBN from 1977–1983.
* Gilda Radner was weather girl at WCBN from 1965–1966.
* WCBN's news alumni include Ted Oberg (reporter for KTRK-TV, Houston, Texas) and Fanchon Stinger (former morning anchorwoman at WJBK-TV).

Sources

* [http://www.michiguide.com/dials/rad-a/wcbn.html Michiguide.com - WCBN-FM History]

External links

*FMQ|WCBN-FM
* [http://arborwiki.org/city/Bill_Monroe_for_Breakfast Bill Monroe for Breakfast] on Arborwiki