Over the past year and a half the WRGW team has worked hard to create and establish what we hope will become a cornerstone to the GW community by providing music, sports and a daily news program.
Aside from the physical changes at WRGW, we have established certain on-air requirements so that we may obtain something that is intangible: professionalism.
While these rules are a problem for some because they may feel as if they interfere with their creativity, it is quite the contrary. The rules were established so that a listener may tune into WRGW and know what kind of programming to expect. Many other college stations simply tell disc jockeys what they will play if they want a show. WRGW knows each DJ is an individual, and that is why we have granted a generous amount of time to each DJ for his or her own use during each show so that creativity is not stifled.
Additionally, DJs have a choice from more than 230 new music albums in which to fulfill the required 40 minutes per hour. These selections are from a variety of genres. Most of this music is not available on commercial radio – which by definition is what college radio is supposed to be.
The ultimate goal for WRGW is to obtain an FM license and broadcast to the entire GW community, including the Mount Vernon campus. While some may feel that WRGW is a student-run station – which it is – it is run on a professional level, and that means we require a commitment from responsible and dedicated individuals.
This also means that many decisions are made with the best interest of the organization, not necessarily what any one individual’s tastes may be. However, in the cases where DJs feel their musical preferences are not being represented, we have worked with them to include more musical selections in our Top 230. Of course, anyone is welcome to help decide what music WRGW plays by attending our open meetings on Mondays at 8 p.m.
WRGW does work closely with the administration to establish funding for the radio station; however, they do not play any role in WRGW’s program schedule. In fact, we work as partners to promote a quality broadcast, which is a request students have been fighting for since 1926 when the first radio club was formed at GW. In order to ensure the quality, the WRGW staff often reviews show playlists and air checks.
In terms of WRGW’s listenership, it always has been a problem because of the poor quality associated with the carrier current system on which we broadcast. In an effort to enhance our availability we are now available on the Internet at www.gwradio.com, GW cable channel 22, and in all of the hallways of the Marvin Center (upon completion of the renovations).
As WRGW strives to become more professional, we are also gaining more recognition in the record industry. For example, to celebrate our grand opening we will be hosting more than six national acts including The Hippos, Bif Naked, The Shelia Devine, and The Pilfers. In addition, student groups are using WRGW to their benefit to advertise their events for free, as are local music outlets including CD Warehouse, The Garage, and the 9:30 Club.
As we continue to develop and grow, WRGW maintains an open ear to the public. We welcome students to drop by the station anytime to discuss ideas, comments and concerns.
-The entire executive board of WRGW wrote this article. Jason Cohen is the general manager and Eva Price is program director of WRGW.
