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4B _ _ Michigan Daily -- Weekd, etc. Magazine - Thursd September 23, 1999
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The Michigan Daily - ekend, etc. Magi
Fall season chock full of new fixes for
WCBN SERVES UP A SMORGASBOARD OF SOUND
By Suevon Lee
For the Dauly
Turn on your radio and just listen for a
while Tired of what you're hearing? Has
bubble-gum teen pop begun to rattle your
nerves! Shania started not impressing you
so much? Same songs. same play lists?
Sick of it already? It might be time to
switch dials and tune in to the University's
ery own campus radio station, WCBN ,
88.3 FM, For those who want to catch
fresh tracks or hear something different,
this is the place.
What's aired on WCBN may sound
unfamiliar, different, some might even say
peculiar. The University student-run sta-
tion is an alternative to mainstream music,
specializing in freeform radio. It taps into
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a whole array of genres, broadcasting
music taken from a vast collection of
songs new and old. Jazz? They play that.
Blues? Ditto. Funk, electronic, 50's
oldies, country, reggae - it's all show-
cased. After all, said music director Chris
Tusciuk, much of WCBN's intent is to
introduce music of many faces to the lis-
tening arena.
"We want to open up the Ann Arbor
community to new kinds of music," he
said.
WCBN, whose license is owned by the
Regents of the University of Michigan
and is funded partly by University
Housing, broadcasts on a daily, 24-hour
schedule from a small studio in the base-
ment of the Student Activities Building.
Around for 27 years, WCBN has steadily
built a following of loyal listeners, most of
which consist of University students,
alumni and the Ann Arbor community on
a whole. On a day to day basis, the station
features programs that consist of series
like Jazz 'Til Noon, Crush Collision
(which showcases electronic music), and
Freeform, an open, anything-goes pro-
gram where tracks are chosen from across
all genres. And these are just to name a
few.
Shelf after shelf at WCBN's studio
holds both vintage records and CD's, con-
stituting a music collection as diverse as it
is eclectic. Selections within each catego-
ry of music stretch from one end of a
spectrum to the other. Constant explo-
ration into the far reaches of a diverse
music culture is what pumps the energy
behind the station and fuels its members
and constituents.
"The station is a whole hodgepodge of
ideas and music' said General Manager
Chad Williams. "We're very proud of
what we do here."
The station is built on a large member
pool, consisting of approximately 70 per-
cent students and 30 percent community
members, all of whom work at the station
on a volunteer basis. "Everyone in here
comes in because they want to, not just for
themselves," says Music Director Chris
Tusciuk. In fact, much of the research that
goes behind WCBN's collection of music
comes from individual effort. Members
check out music magazines on their own
time, listen in on other college radio sta-
tions, and dig around the area to acquaint
themselves with the music scene that
rapidly expands each day.
While the station is categorized into
different departments such as
Progamming, Music, Management and
Engineering, the DJ's are the ones who
bring the music directly to their audience.
By Undsay Alpert
For the Daily
Studying? Who has time for that?
Especially when this season brings 36
new television series to primetime. Of
these 36, five are spin-offs and most of
them are created or produced by televi-
sion veterans with successful programs.
Here's a study guide to each network's
new fall offerings. The networks are in
alphabetical order so there's no
favoritism.
ABC - "Snoops" (Sundays at 9
p.m.) - This eye candy, produced by
King of the Emmys David E. Kelley,
stars "Showgirls" beauty Gina Gershon
as one of three LA private eyes.
Somehow I'm reminded of "VI.P."
"Once and Again" (Tuesdays at 10)
--Sela Ward and Billy Campbell star
as divorced single parents who meet
and fall in love. Aww
"Oh Grow Up" (Wednesdays at 9:30)
- Three guys live in Brooklyn apart-
ment. Oh yeah, one is a gay married
guy, and another one has a daughter he's
never met before. Sound confusing? I
don't get it either.
"Wasteland" (Thursdays at 9) -
Producer Kevin Williamson hopes to
score big again with this romantic
drama that follows the lives of six col-
lege graduates. Brad Rowe and
Rebecca Gayheart head a cast of rela-
tively unknown but attractive actors.
"Odd Man Out" (Fridays at 9:30) -
A 15-year-old lives in a house with his
mother, aunt and three sisters. Um, it's a
comedy.
CBS - "Ladies Man;' (Mondays at
8.30) - Alfred Molina stars as a furni-
ture maker surrounded by women: his
wife (played by "NYPD Blue" alum
Sharon Lawrence), ex-wife, mother-in-
law and two daughters. Sounds like an
older version of ABC's comedy "Odd
Man Out" Just what the doctor ordered,
two comedies with the same plot.
"Family Law" (Mondays at 10) - -
Kathleen Quinlan as an attorney who
forms a mostly female law office after
her ex-husband steals her firm.
Defendants beware in this estrogen-
packed law saga.
"Judging Amy" (Tuesdays at 10) -
Ex-corporate attorney and single moth-
er, played by Amy Brenneman, moves
back in with her loud opinionated
mother to be a judge in a family court-
room.
"Work With Me" (Wednesdays at
8.30) - Married lawyers wind up
working at the same firm. The romantic
comedy stars Nancy Travis and Kevin
Pollack. CBS is hoping that the lawyer
theme will increase ratings.
"Love and Money" (Fridays at 8:30)
- Age-old plot stuck in upscale hotel
in New York. Handyman falls for rich
heiress who lives in the penthouse.
Parents disapprove. Yawn. Is anyone
surprised?
"Now and Again" (Fridays at 9) -
Do not confuse with "Once and Again."
The brain of an insurance executive,
played by John Goodman, is put in the
scientifically engineered body of a
hunky government agent, played by
Eric Close.
FOX - "Time of Your Life"
(Mondays at 8) - Jennifer Love
Hewitt's Sarah leaves "Party of Five" to
search for her biological father in New
York. She likes it so much she decides
to stay there. Producers hope you'll like
this party of one as much as "Party of
Five."
"Ally" (Tuesdays at 8) -- 30-minute
episodes of "Ally McBeal" material that
was left out. Cha-ching.
"Get Real" (Wednesdays at 9) -
Follows the lives and tribulations of the
Green family. Characters talk directly to
the camera and often insult competing
Hollywood actors and shows.
"Action" (Thursdays at 9:30) -
LSA alum Joslyn Layne removes a record while Rackham's Chris Brooks waits to DJ.
Wacky hijinks like these will abound on the new animated series "Mission
After all, they are the ones who select
tracks, introduce a piece on air and throw
in their two cents as to why one should lis-
ten to a particular track, be it a reminis-
cence of other artists, or simply that it's
catchy. Ben Tousig, a DJ who runs
Freeform Monday afternoons, peruses the
shelves of the station's vast music collec-
tion before each show to select that day's
program. He pulls out one ClI after
another, careful to select ones that haven't
been played before.
"I try not to select the same ones over
and over, although it's tempting. A lot of
the music I do play depends on a lot of
things, like my mood," Tousig said.
Rollie Tussing, another DJ whose show
"Yazoo City Calling" airs Monday nights,
is an Ann Arbor native. He grew up lis-
tening to the program, which features
acoustic blues tracks. Eventually he took
the reins into his own hands, and now
spins his own acoustic blues selections.
One of the best parts about working at
WCBN, he says, is the wide variety of
music he learns about every day, especial-
ly since different types of blues can be
found within many cross-cultural blends
of music.
"I learn about music here that I would
never have been exposed to before. The
music comes from all different parts of
the world, and I sort of learn how each is
connected to the other," he said.
While WCBN hires DJ's throughout
the year who do not necessarily have pre-
vious experience, there is one thing that is
a definite must to work on air.
"You need to love music," Tusciuk said.
That may sound obvious, but those
who refuse to listen to anything but the
same five CD's every day need not think-
about stepping through WCBN's doors.
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Originally intended for HBO, this
risque comedy portrays the life of ruth-
less producer Peter Dragon ,played by
Jay Mohr. Illeana Douglas plays a smart
prostitute who adds laughs. Buddy
Hackett also stars.
"Manchester Prep" (Thursdays at 9,
but not until December) - Just a
longer version of the movie "Cruel
Intentions" without Reese Witherspoon
and Ryan Phillippe.
"The Badlands" (Fridays at 8) -
Name may be changed to "Ryan
Caulfield: Year One." Sean Maher stars
as a 19-year-old cop in Philadelphia. At
least they're not pretending it's realistic.
"Harsh Realm" (Fridays at 9) - "X-
Files" creator Chris Carter puts Scott
Bairstow in the role of a soldier
assigned to a military virtual reality
experiment. Based on the comic book
series of the same name.
NBC - "Third Watch" (Sundays at
8) - "ER" producer John Wells brings
television viewers the riveting drama of
New York City's finest firefighters,
police and paramedics. Stars a multi-
cultural cast of nine.
"Law and Order: Special Victim's
Unit" (Mondays at 9) - Cops bust sex
criminals in this spin-off starring
Christopher Meloni and Mariska
Hargitary.
"The Mike O'Malley Show"
(Tuesdays at 9:30) - Comedian
O'Malley plays himself as a 30-year-
old guy trying to grow up. At least he
admits he's not a mature grown up.
"The West Wing" (Wednesdays at 9)
- Martin Sheen reunites with writer
and producer Aaron Sorkin ("The
American President"), but this time the
American president is Sheen. Revolves
around the White House staffers and
prez.
"Stark Raving Mad" (Thursdays at
9:30) - Neil Patrick Harris is a book
editor assigned to eccentric horror nov-
elist Ian Stark, played by Tony
Shalhoub. Produced by "Just Shoot
Me" producer Steve Levitan.
"Cold Feet" (Fridays at 10) - Shows
the relationships of three Seattle cou-
ples at different points in their relation-
ships. One couple is dating with com-
mitment fears, another is expe
first baby and the third is livir
toddler.
"Freaks and Geeks" (Saturd
- Pigs must be flying, becaus
first time in television history, t
show with ordinary looking act
ing ordinary high school stude
siblings try to cope in high
which is located somewl
Michigan.
UPN - "The Parkers" (Mc
8:30) - Kim Parker ((
Vaughn) of "Moesha" attends
munity college. So does her me
spin-off should provide extra e
ment for "Moesha" fans.
"Grown Ups" (Mondays at 9
to be mistaken for "Oh Gr(
"Grown Ups" stars Jaleel Whi
Urkel) as, drum roll please, a gi
"Shasta McNasty" (Tuesdays
Something to do with The Me
guess the show is so bad no or
to talk about its plot, or lack th
"The Strip" (Tuesdays at 9)
Patrick Flannery and Guy To
ex-cops who now work as a
team for a rich casino owner.
"WWF Smackdown" (Thur
8) - Do I really need to exp
further?
WB - "Jack and Jill" (Sune
.V
308 S. State St., S. of Liberty
Ann Arbor - 734-622-8056
courtesy of FOX
The "Party of Five" gang shrinks to a mere foursome but gallantly endures.
Not to worry, kids, the WB will