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Wikipedia

WPNR-FM

January 01, 1970

WPNR-FM (90.7 FM, "Pioneer Radio") is the student-run radio station at Utica University in Utica, New York, United States. Programming is produced by Utica University students under the guidance of a faculty advisor and includes music and university athletic events. The studios and transmitter are at the Strebel Student Center on the campus.

WPNR-FM
Frequency90.7 MHz
Programming
FormatVariety
Ownership
OwnerUtica University
History
First air date
October 22, 1977 (1977-10-22)[1]
Call sign meaning
"Pioneers", the college mascot[2]
Technical information[3]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID64355
ClassA
ERP430 watts
HAAT−43 meters (−141 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
43°05′48″N 75°16′19″W / 43.09667°N 75.27194°W / 43.09667; -75.27194
Links
Public license information
  • Public file
  • LMS
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.pioneerradio.org

History edit

Radio at Utica College prior to WPNR-FM edit

The history of radio at what was then Utica College predates the present WPNR-FM by more than 20 years. In 1953, after three years of planning and construction, a radio workshop and studio were completed for students, with proposals to run lines to transmit the programs into the student union. Studios were in the student senate office, and one student, Leo Brannick, built much of the equipment.[4] In December 1954, this evolved into a radio station known as "WRUC", with speakers inside and outside the student union.[5] The station continued to operate on this model, on an off-and-on basis,[6] for a decade; by 1964, its broadcasting led to an editorial in the campus newspaper, The Tangerine, which chided it for increasing the level of noise in the cafeteria and drowning out conversations.[7] Noise level complaints led to the discontinuation of broadcasting in September 1965, with the radio workshop devoting its activities to program production for commercial stations.[8] The noise reactions were also cited as backlash to rock and roll music.[9] Under station manager Robert Green, the station had a "No Rock & Roll" sign in the station, which student disc jockeys frequently ignored; even after Green issued a December 1963 ultimatum in the wake of complaints that were received, students continued to play rock and roll.[10]

Work began to reactivate WRUC in 1967; the station remained silent for several semesters while work was carried out to connect WRUC's output to the power lines in campus dormitories in a carrier current setup.[11] The station resumed broadcasting in March 1968,[6] but it went off the air again in April as its aging equipment began to fail and there was no money to hire electricians to fix it.[9] The station was then renamed WRNS, after faculty advisor Ralph N. Schmidt,[12] for the fall 1968 semester after it was discovered that the WRUC designation had already been assigned to Union College in Schenectady,[13] after the fall semester, it left the air again, not returning until 1970.[9]

Going FM edit

The idea of converting the campus station to an FM outlet, expressed since 1962,[9] gained steam in the 1970s. As early as 1972, the college was preparing an application for a new 10-watt outlet on 90.7 MHz.[14] The station changed its name to WEDJ in 1973—having learned that WRNS had been assigned to another station—and obtained a United Press International teletype.[15][16] The WEDJ name in actuality stood for Ed and Dana Jacobson, in reference to the music director and station manager of the period.[2]

The formal application by what was then the Utica College Branch of Syracuse University was filed on May 12, 1976, and a construction permit was granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on October 29.[17] New FM equipment was purchased, in addition to existing studio equipment and items donated by Utica commercial station WIBX.[18] A new station manager was appointed with the goal to tighten the station's format and production in preparation for the FM move.[19]

WPNR-FM debuted on October 22, 1977.[1] Four years after going on FM, the station upgraded to its present power level of 430 watts and began stereo broadcasts.[20]

In the late 1980s, equipment breakdowns became so frequent that, in March 1989, disc jockeys opted not to broadcast for four days; broken turntables, microphones, and cart machines were cited by students, and the student director noted that the station was not keeping up with such obligations as station identification and the airing of public service announcements.[21] As a result, the college lifted a budgetary freeze and allowed for new equipment to be ordered and installed.[22]

A legal error by the FCC kept the station off the air for part of 1993.[23] The station had as many as 112 DJs until a format and organizational change in 1997 reduced the number to create more professional and consistent programming.[24]

It currently features a variety of music, live sports broadcasting, and public service announcements. In 2016 and 2019, well known Utica broadcaster James Den Bleyker started Classic Vaulternitive. It was a nightly Friday show, featuring classic rock hits.

References edit

  1. ^ a b "'PNR' Airs Tomorrow". The Tangerine. October 21, 1977. p. 1.
  2. ^ a b Kelley, John (November 4, 1977). "The Long Road To WPNR-FM". The Tangerine. pp. 3, 12.
  3. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WPNR-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. ^ Olinski, Joan (October 16, 1953). "Radio Workshop Completed As First UC Radio Station". The Tangerine. pp. 1, 8.
  5. ^ Heywood, Lyn (December 17, 1954). "Today's Broadcasting Inaugurates Program Of WRUC on Campus". The Tangerine. p. 1.
  6. ^ a b Velocchi, Tony (February 23, 1968). "College Radio Station To Begin Programming". The Tangerine. p. 7.
  7. ^ "WRUC In Need Of Reevaluation". The Tangerine. March 12, 1965. p. 4.
  8. ^ "WRUC Folds". The Tangerine. October 1, 1965. p. 2.
  9. ^ a b c d Kelley, John (October 28, 1977). "WRUC Survives Sixties Despite Many Setbacks". The Tangerine. p. 10.
  10. ^ "'No Rock 'n Roll' Ruled for WRUC". The Tangerine. December 20, 1963. p. 2.
  11. ^ Velocchi, Tony (November 3, 1967). "Campus Radio Station Will Come Alive Soon". The Tangerine. p. 5.
  12. ^ Post, Paul (April 16, 1976). "WEDJ application for FM incomplete; should be ready for FCC by May 1". The Tangerine. p. 10.
  13. ^ "WRNS 'Turns On' Monday; Program Agenda Revamped". The Tangerine. October 4, 1968. p. 6.
  14. ^ Sigler, Emy (November 3, 1972). "WRNS: Preps FM Application". The Tangerine. p. 3.
  15. ^ "UC Radio To Go FM". The Tangerine. September 4, 1973. p. 3.
  16. ^ Kelly, Jane (November 14, 1975). "WEDJ will go FM next fall". The Tangerine. pp. 1, 2.
  17. ^ "FCC History Cards for WPNR-FM". Federal Communications Commission.
  18. ^ Odenbach, Peggy (November 19, 1976). "Construction Permit Moves WEDJ A Step Closer To FM". The Tangerine. pp. 1, 15.
  19. ^ Bloom, Jay (April 30, 1976). "Feldman WEDJ manager, plans tighter controls". The Tangerine. p. 4.
  20. ^ Armon, Dave (August 30, 1981). "WPNR moves to 450 watts, stereo". The Tangerine. p. 1.
  21. ^ Klein, Judson (March 17, 1989). "WPNR quiets down, needs improvements". The Tangerine. pp. 1, 2.
  22. ^ Marro, Mike (September 15, 1989). "Campus radio station to return to air with new equipment". The Tangerine. p. 4.
  23. ^ Herbowy, Alexa (November 11, 1993). "WPNR's air date still unknown: Station awaits new license from FCC". The Tangerine. p. 3.
  24. ^ Skinsacos, Nicholas (February 7, 1997). "WPNR tunes into professionalism for spring". The Tangerine. p. 1.

External links edit

  • Official website
  • WPNR-FM in the FCC FM station database
  • WPNR-FM in Nielsen Audio's FM station database

January 01, 1970
wpnr, pioneer, radio, student, radio, station, utica, university, utica, york, united, states, programming, produced, utica, university, students, under, guidance, faculty, advisor, includes, music, university, athletic, events, studios, transmitter, strebel, . WPNR FM 90 7 FM Pioneer Radio is the student run radio station at Utica University in Utica New York United States Programming is produced by Utica University students under the guidance of a faculty advisor and includes music and university athletic events The studios and transmitter are at the Strebel Student Center on the campus WPNR FMUtica New YorkUnited StatesFrequency90 7 MHzProgrammingFormatVarietyOwnershipOwnerUtica UniversityHistoryFirst air dateOctober 22 1977 1977 10 22 1 Call sign meaning Pioneers the college mascot 2 Technical information 3 Licensing authorityFCCFacility ID64355ClassAERP430 wattsHAAT 43 meters 141 ft Transmitter coordinates43 05 48 N 75 16 19 W 43 09667 N 75 27194 W 43 09667 75 27194LinksPublic license informationPublic fileLMSWebcastListen liveWebsitewww wbr pioneerradio wbr org Contents 1 History 1 1 Radio at Utica College prior to WPNR FM 1 2 Going FM 2 References 3 External linksHistory editRadio at Utica College prior to WPNR FM edit The history of radio at what was then Utica College predates the present WPNR FM by more than 20 years In 1953 after three years of planning and construction a radio workshop and studio were completed for students with proposals to run lines to transmit the programs into the student union Studios were in the student senate office and one student Leo Brannick built much of the equipment 4 In December 1954 this evolved into a radio station known as WRUC with speakers inside and outside the student union 5 The station continued to operate on this model on an off and on basis 6 for a decade by 1964 its broadcasting led to an editorial in the campus newspaper The Tangerine which chided it for increasing the level of noise in the cafeteria and drowning out conversations 7 Noise level complaints led to the discontinuation of broadcasting in September 1965 with the radio workshop devoting its activities to program production for commercial stations 8 The noise reactions were also cited as backlash to rock and roll music 9 Under station manager Robert Green the station had a No Rock amp Roll sign in the station which student disc jockeys frequently ignored even after Green issued a December 1963 ultimatum in the wake of complaints that were received students continued to play rock and roll 10 Work began to reactivate WRUC in 1967 the station remained silent for several semesters while work was carried out to connect WRUC s output to the power lines in campus dormitories in a carrier current setup 11 The station resumed broadcasting in March 1968 6 but it went off the air again in April as its aging equipment began to fail and there was no money to hire electricians to fix it 9 The station was then renamed WRNS after faculty advisor Ralph N Schmidt 12 for the fall 1968 semester after it was discovered that the WRUC designation had already been assigned to Union College in Schenectady 13 after the fall semester it left the air again not returning until 1970 9 Going FM edit The idea of converting the campus station to an FM outlet expressed since 1962 9 gained steam in the 1970s As early as 1972 the college was preparing an application for a new 10 watt outlet on 90 7 MHz 14 The station changed its name to WEDJ in 1973 having learned that WRNS had been assigned to another station and obtained a United Press International teletype 15 16 The WEDJ name in actuality stood for Ed and Dana Jacobson in reference to the music director and station manager of the period 2 The formal application by what was then the Utica College Branch of Syracuse University was filed on May 12 1976 and a construction permit was granted by the Federal Communications Commission FCC on October 29 17 New FM equipment was purchased in addition to existing studio equipment and items donated by Utica commercial station WIBX 18 A new station manager was appointed with the goal to tighten the station s format and production in preparation for the FM move 19 WPNR FM debuted on October 22 1977 1 Four years after going on FM the station upgraded to its present power level of 430 watts and began stereo broadcasts 20 In the late 1980s equipment breakdowns became so frequent that in March 1989 disc jockeys opted not to broadcast for four days broken turntables microphones and cart machines were cited by students and the student director noted that the station was not keeping up with such obligations as station identification and the airing of public service announcements 21 As a result the college lifted a budgetary freeze and allowed for new equipment to be ordered and installed 22 A legal error by the FCC kept the station off the air for part of 1993 23 The station had as many as 112 DJs until a format and organizational change in 1997 reduced the number to create more professional and consistent programming 24 It currently features a variety of music live sports broadcasting and public service announcements In 2016 and 2019 well known Utica broadcaster James Den Bleyker started Classic Vaulternitive It was a nightly Friday show featuring classic rock hits References edit a b PNR Airs Tomorrow The Tangerine October 21 1977 p 1 a b Kelley John November 4 1977 The Long Road To WPNR FM The Tangerine pp 3 12 Facility Technical Data for WPNR FM Licensing and Management System Federal Communications Commission Olinski Joan October 16 1953 Radio Workshop Completed As First UC Radio Station The Tangerine pp 1 8 Heywood Lyn December 17 1954 Today s Broadcasting Inaugurates Program Of WRUC on Campus The Tangerine p 1 a b Velocchi Tony February 23 1968 College Radio Station To Begin Programming The Tangerine p 7 WRUC In Need Of Reevaluation The Tangerine March 12 1965 p 4 WRUC Folds The Tangerine October 1 1965 p 2 a b c d Kelley John October 28 1977 WRUC Survives Sixties Despite Many Setbacks The Tangerine p 10 No Rock n Roll Ruled for WRUC The Tangerine December 20 1963 p 2 Velocchi Tony November 3 1967 Campus Radio Station Will Come Alive Soon The Tangerine p 5 Post Paul April 16 1976 WEDJ application for FM incomplete should be ready for FCC by May 1 The Tangerine p 10 WRNS Turns On Monday Program Agenda Revamped The Tangerine October 4 1968 p 6 Sigler Emy November 3 1972 WRNS Preps FM Application The Tangerine p 3 UC Radio To Go FM The Tangerine September 4 1973 p 3 Kelly Jane November 14 1975 WEDJ will go FM next fall The Tangerine pp 1 2 FCC History Cards for WPNR FM Federal Communications Commission Odenbach Peggy November 19 1976 Construction Permit Moves WEDJ A Step Closer To FM The Tangerine pp 1 15 Bloom Jay April 30 1976 Feldman WEDJ manager plans tighter controls The Tangerine p 4 Armon Dave August 30 1981 WPNR moves to 450 watts stereo The Tangerine p 1 Klein Judson March 17 1989 WPNR quiets down needs improvements The Tangerine pp 1 2 Marro Mike September 15 1989 Campus radio station to return to air with new equipment The Tangerine p 4 Herbowy Alexa November 11 1993 WPNR s air date still unknown Station awaits new license from FCC The Tangerine p 3 Skinsacos Nicholas February 7 1997 WPNR tunes into professionalism for spring The Tangerine p 1 External links editOfficial website WPNR FM in the FCC FM station database WPNR FM in Nielsen Audio s FM station database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title WPNR FM amp oldid 1190739307, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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