4 Page 4-E-Thursday, September 4, 1980-The Michigan Daily WCBN: 'Radio Free Ann Arbor' By BONNIE JURAN Rock... Blues ... New Wave ... Reggae ... Jazz. As strange as it may seem, a combination of these diverse music form can be heard regularly on WCBN, the University's student-run FM radio station. An abbreviation for Campus Broadcasting Net- work WCBN is found at 88.3 on the FM dial. The station sits in the basement of the Student Activities Building (SAB), and draws a large listening audience which is approximately 75 per cent students, accor- ding to General Manager Eugene Lisansky. ACCORDING TO LISANSKY, WCBN plays a "mix- ture of just about everything." He added that the disc jockeys "try to blend it so people see the relationship between forms," This description of WCBN's music seems very ap- propriate, given the station's reputation for uncon- ventional, innovative programming. To the dismay of some, andthe approval of many others, the station has consistently refused to engage in the promotional, mass-appeal strategies that are per- vasive in many other collegiate, and professional radio stations. There are no commercials on WCBN, and its weekly schedule is heavily oriented towards music formats-though there is a 5:30- news report aired locally Monday through Friday, with other five- minute news and sports shows broadcasted sporadically each day. But for WCBN, the emphasis is on music-good quality, unpretentious music, reflecting the deep musical backgrounds which are primary qualifications for its jocks. The other half of the Campus Broadcasting Net- work is WRCN, which is transmitted by "carrier current" to University dormitories at 650 AM, and by cable television on the news channel I. WRCN, often the "breeding ground" for WCBN news and music staffers, features a Top-40 format, with some com- mercials and more news and sports than is offered by the FM station. "THE DISC JOCKEYS have ultimate freedom in deciding which records they play and in what order," according to a WCBN DJ who preferred to remain nameless. "You can be as avant as you want, but if you're avant and awful, you may not get a show next time," he joked. He added the only time a DJ is instructed to play a specific type of music is during a program with a predesignated ,format. These programs are a specialty of WCBN which tries to be as innovative and unique as possible. The most popular regular programs include "Jazz Around Midnight" every night, and weekend programs such as the "Down Home Show," "Nothing But the Blues," and "Carribean Jamboree." A program guide can be ob- tained at the station. In addition to AM and FM shifts, volunteers for the student stations can get involved with the other departments. A full-scale news department, headed by News Director Chip Drake, offers local listeners breaking news and weather information in the city, as well as national and international news. The station also contains a sports department, which broadcasts many University sports through the school year.4 A production crew, moreover, works on the technical aspects of the stations' operation: producing "carts" for public service announcements, taping news and music features, engineering remote broadcasts. There are also staffs to handle public af- fairs, promotion, and sales for WRCN's advertisers. The campus network receives a budget of $20,000 per year from the University, less than half of which is paid out in staff salaries. Consequently, experien- ce-rather than money, is the more beneficial aspect of working at the radio station, according to General Manager Lisansky. He said he believes taking University radio and television classes cannot -provide a student with as high quality broadcast training as WCBN can. He explained that this is because the University facilities are outmoded, and the chance to broadcast over the radio is rare. "The hands-on experience is extremely valuable," he ad- ded. Persistance is the key to achieving success and satisfaction on the campus network. According to the anonymous jock, "It helps to do shows on short notice and at six in the morning." When you arrive on campus, notices will be posted campus-wide regarding meetings for new WCBN volunteers. A personal visit to the station, however, is the best way to get involved. University students interested in broadcasting, in addition, can~get involved at the generally non- student, professionally-run University station WUOM. Broadcasting to all of southern Michigan via its WVGR satelitte on the state's west side, the station features a full schedule of entertainment and public affairs programming. A news department, headed by News Director Fred Hindley, combines local, national, and international information. The sports department, with Tom Hemingway as direc- tor, broadcasts many University sports, along with daily reports of breaking sports events from around the world. Steven Skelley serves as the station's program director, and organizes the entertainment fare the station offers. Finally, Evans Mirages, the station's senior producer, works to record, edit, and broadcast special campus concerts for Michigan residents. I I. t Daily Photo by JIM KRUZ ONE OF WCBN's veteran staff members, Mike Kremin, rattles off a public service announcement during his weekly radio show. WCBN is one of three campus radio stations, and is commercial free. baobab San Bls molas- dcarved Peruvian gourds ~ toapestry and design textile -ontemp rary ~~ and ancient jewe I ry Brazilian ceramics -African sculpture I (N ON THE DIAL: Detroit dominates radio waves By MITCH STUART _ ARE YOU... twiddling your thumbs, feeling restless -bored with the routine of your evenings ARE YOU... -intrigued by the arts & meeting artists interested in an art or craft class ARE YOU... -a Uof M student creating original work -seeking out a good market for your work ARE YOU... -wondering how art fairs are organized or how arts programming is developed IF SO-- fou are invited to check out our Collaborative Art Workshop classes or .join the guild, (membership is always open to students; you do not nave to be enrolled in the Art School), or apply for work/study with us. fou may want to 'do all three. Call us to find out what we can do for you at 763-4430. Or stop by our office in room 3410 of the Michigan Union. UNIVERSITY ARTISTS AND CRAFTSMEN GUILD Despite the presence of two Univer- sity radio stations (WCBN and WUOM), the music emanating from many student dwellings comes from Detroit-one of the active centers of the radio industry. The competition for rock and roll listeners is very keen in the Motor City. The all-rock stations-WRIF (101.1 FM), WABX (99.5 FM), and WWWW (106.7 FM), provide listeners in Ann Arbor with a wide variety of rock and roll. These stations compete bitterly for one-upmanship, and have consequently become interchangable in format. The formula "to duplicate is to succeed," abused to death by the television net- works, is the standard strategy of these "album-oriented rock (AOR)" stations. At press time, WRIF held the edge on its competitors, but only slightly. If you are into the hard rock, album- oriented formats like those predominant in Detroit, you might do well to pick up WIOT (104-FM) in Toldeo. Here is a station, using the snydicated "Superstars" format, that has nearly perfected AOR. Last year's Arbitron ratings showed WIOT with the nation's highest audience percentages for a rock station, and you can tell. The playlist is longer than those on the . 1 1 Detroit Three, although still limited, the advertising is slick and professional, and the jocks don't seem to have been reduced to mindless clones like thosein Detroit. THE SECOND MOST active rivalry competing for Ann Arbor listeners are the "easy listening" stations. Ann Ar- bor has borne two of its own such stations during the past several mon- ths. WIQB (103 FM), once a free-form rock station, has shifted gears in favor of a lighter, softer format. Now known as "Rock 103," ,WIQB appeals to a much larger market than its predecessor; and features tamer artists as a result (eg. Seals and Crofts, Fleet- wood Mac, Barry Manilow, etc.). Another convert to easy listening is WPAG (107 FM). A country station as of last spring, WPAG now shares its neighbor's mechanized,..pudience- oriented programming. The result for local listeners is a decreasea diversity in their Ann Arbor stations,and an in- creased tendency to explore WICBN or WUOM, or in most cases, jump to Detroit airwaves. The rivals for the easy listening market out of Detroit are WNIC (100.3 FM) and WMJC (95 FM). With iden- tical formats, similar to the two Ann Arbor stations, neither station has established a firm or distinguishable personality, yet their ratings indicate they are being heard. FOR JAZZ LISTENERS, Detroit's WJZZ is a respectable alternative at 105.9 FM. Although its jazz offerings are consistently more slick and imper- sonal than WCBN's, it does feature a likable style. The bridge between WJZZ's jazz and what is most often of- fered by WCBN is Eastern Michigan's WEMU, which is just a notch higher than WCBN on the FM dial (89 FM). Believe it or not, it is not inconceivable to turn on the radio and hear Chuck Mangione on WJZZ, Chic Corea on WEMU, and Charles Mingus on WCBN (during one of its jazz slots). For classical music, the University's WUOM (91.7 FM) has a schedule heavily oriented to this genre. With the "Afternoon Musicale" playing classical music every afternoon, and a similar program in the evenings, the search for symphonic radio typically begins and ends at WUOM for local listeners. The station also offers news production s from National Public Radio in Washington, as well as indepth local news and events. Very similar to WUOM is Detroit's WDET (101.9-FM), which is to Wayne State University what WUOM is to Michigan. Both stations, pre National Public Radio affiliates,' and feature many of the same network music and news (e.g. "All Things Considered") programs. The strategy here is simple: When you don't like what programming one station is broadcasting at a par- ticular moment, listen to the other station. Rarely will both stations provide unappealling programs at on- ce. It is a confused, unpredictable FM- radio spectrum for Detroit-area , listeners, in which no one station stands out among the rest. The frustrated twirling of the tuning knob is a common by-product of this dilemna. Local listeners can be comforted, however, because out of all the stations crowding the FM airwaves, two of the most quality-oriented stations on the dial (namely WCBN and WUOM) can be found right here in Ann Arbor. A Guide to Area FM Radio - WCBN WABX WRIF WIQB WIOT WWWW WPAG WMJC WNIC WCBN WEMU WJZZ WUOM WDET ROCK 88.3 FM 99.5 FM, 101.1 FM 103 FM 104.1 FM 106.7 FM 107.1 FM Free form, progressive Album-oriented Album-oriented Automated commercial Album-oriented Album-oriented 'Automated commercial EASY LISTENI 95 FM 100.3 FM JT, EASITY cMUSIGAL c8OGIFTY ANNOUNCES. N :a JAZZ 88.3 FM 89.0 FM 105.9 FM , r ' ;, = _ NG Contemporary Contemporary Traditional, progressive Traditional, commercial Mainstream commercial University operated, National Pubic Radio affiliate Wayne State University operated, National Public Radio affiliate CLASSICAL 91.7 FM 101.9 FM 4 : f._ ' 1 ii, INTERNATIONAL PRESENTATIONS 1980-1981 Brochure with comtnleenformaionn available upon rquest Choral Union Series Mstislav Rostropovich, Cellist ................ Sun. Oct. 12 Toronto Symphony Orchestra/Andrew Davis . . Tues. Oct. 21 San Francisco Symphony Orchestral Edo de Waart ............................Sat. Oct. 25 Martti Talvela, Basso........................Sun. Nov. 16 Los Angeles Philharmonic/Carlo Maria Giulini Sun. Nov. 23- Rudolf Serkin, Pianist....................Mon. Dec. 15 Pinchas Zukerman, Violinist & Violist .........Tues. Jan. 27 Oxana Yablonskaya, Pianist................. Sat. Feb. 7 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestral Andre Previn .......................... Thurs. Mar. 19 Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra/Kurt Mazur . . . Sun. Mar. 29 Chamber Arts Series Smithsonian Chamber Ensemble ............. Tues. Oct. 14 Academy of St. Martin in the Fields .......... Mon. Nov. 3 Kenneth Gilbert, Harpsichordist ............. Sat. Nov. 15 Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio .......... Thurs. Nov. 20 Music from Marlboro.....................Thurs. Jan. 29 Guarneri String Quartet ................... Thurs. Feb. 19 New York Chamber Soloists ................. Sun. Mar. 15 Guarneri String Quartet .................... Mon. Apr. 20 with David Shifrin, Clarinetist: Gyorgy Sandor, Pianist Debut & Encore Series Anthony di Bonaventura, Pianist ...............Sat. Oct. 18 Murray Perahia, Pianist ................... Thurs. Nov. 13 Horacio Gutierrez, Pianist .................. Wed. Jan. 14 Walter Berry, Baritone ...................... Sat. Mar. 7- ~44G *QJ ,Z4 * , "Flowers for every "Y I occasion" FLOWERS AND GIFTS 334 S. State Street 663-5049 Your apartment cramped? y o , e a I Choice Series (choose any 4 or 8 dates for a series) Goldovsky Opera Company ...... Mon. & Tues. Oct. 6 & 7 Rossini's Barber of Seville (in English) Ballet Folklorico Mexicano ................. Thurs. Oct. 9 T - r~~rir}i l~n~ nm~er~ 11. RW-4CI r7Q & ? A0 x- } I I