WOBC-FM

Last updated

WOBC-FM
WOBC-FM logo.png
Broadcast area
Frequency 91.5 MHz
BrandingWOBC 91.5 FM
Programming
Format Freeform
Ownership
Owner Oberlin College
History
FoundedNovember 5, 1950 (1950-11-05)
First air date
1961
(63 years ago)
 (1961)
Call sign meaning
"Oberlin College"
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID 49954
Class A
ERP 1000 watts
HAAT 41 meters (135 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
41°17′38″N82°13′19″W / 41.294°N 82.222°W / 41.294; -82.222
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen live
Website www.wobcfm.org

WOBC-FM (91.5 FM) is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to serve Oberlin, Ohio, carrying a mixed freeform and community format. Owned by Oberlin College, the station services Lorain County and western parts of Greater Cleveland. The WOBC-FM studios and transmitter are located on the Oberlin College campus at Wilder Hall. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WOBC-FM is available online.

Contents

WOBC broadcasts more than 150 programs weekly, each conceived by volunteer hosts and DJs. The shows are then chosen by the democratically elected station board. WOBC airs an eclectic mix of music and public affairs programming including new and old pop music, punk, folk, classical, blues, R&B, metal, hip-hop, jazz, electronic, radio dramas, talk shows, and news including the independently syndicated news program Democracy Now!. The station is currently run by Station Manager Taso Mullen, Station Engineer Liam Kozel, Music Director Ilan Kahanov, Operations Manager Seiami Kim-Amoda, Program Director Oona Shain, and Communications Director Pelham Curtis.

History

A radio station at Oberlin College was first established in 1949 as KOCN, the Oberlin College Student Network, which made its first broadcast November 5, 1950, at 590-AM. The first broadcast originated from a building located at 32 East College Street that was later demolished to allow the construction of the Oberlin Inn. [2] When construction of the Inn began in the mid-1950s, the radio station moved to the garage behind Grey Gables, a building on West College Street that was later demolished to construct the Mudd Center. [3] The station's call letters changed from KOCN to WOBC in the early 1950s to comply with new call-letter standards.

During this early period, studio equipment and broadcast electronics were built by Oberlin College students, save the purchase of used turntables and microphones. The AM signal was broadcast directly to dormitories over a network of wire and transmission boxes attached to electrical poles in town. In 1953, the station acquired a Teletype machine as a result of a sponsorship deal with Lucky Strike which provided news updates. During the first two decades of the station's operation, programming consisted largely of classical music, news, jazz and popular music. The station is notable in recent years for efforts to reach out beyond the Oberlin College student body that makes up the majority of volunteer DJs and listener to the wider Lorain County community.

WOBC began broadcasting at 88.7-FM in 1961. The studio remained at the garage behind Grey Gables until 1964 when the station moved to its current location in Wilder Hall. It now broadcasts on 91.5-FM and through webcast.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHRW</span> Radio station at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York

WHRW is Binghamton University's non-profit, student-run, free-format radio station. The station is licensed and owned by Binghamton University, serving the New York college area. WHRW has operational facilities in Glenn G. Bartle Library Tower and in SUNY Binghamton Student Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXDU</span> Radio station at Duke University

WXDU is a non-commercial campus radio station broadcasting a college radio format. Licensed to Durham, North Carolina, United States, the station serves the Research Triangle area. The station is owned by Duke University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXPN</span> Public radio station in Philadelphia

WXPN is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that broadcasts an adult album alternative (AAA) radio format, along with many other format shows. WXPN produces World Cafe, a music program distributed by NPR to many non-commercial stations in the United States. The station's call sign, which is often abbreviated to XPN, stands for "Experimental Pennsylvania Network". The broadcast tower used by WXPN is located at, in the antenna farm complex in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.

WMUC-FM is the student-run non-commercial radio station licensed to the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, broadcasting at 30 watts. It is a freeform radio station staffed entirely by volunteer UMD students and community members.

WORT is a listener-sponsored community radio station, broadcasting from 118 S. Bedford St. in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. WORT offers a range of programming.

WOBL is a commercial country radio station licensed to Oberlin, Ohio, serving Lorain County and western parts of Greater Cleveland. WOBL also simulcasts over low-power Oberlin translator W299CJ (107.7 FM). The WOBL studios are located in Oberlin, as are the transmitters for both WOBL and W299CJ. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WOBL is available online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRIU</span> Radio station at the University of Rhode Island

WRIU is a non-commercial radio station broadcasting a college radio format. Licensed to Kingston, Rhode Island, United States, the station serves the greater Rhode Island area. The station is owned by University of Rhode Island. The broadcast area reaches almost all of Rhode Island, and portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Long Island. WRIU began broadcasting on February 16, 1964, on 91.1 MHz with a power of 10 watts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSRU</span> Radio station at Slippery Rock University

WSRU is the college radio station of Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. It is owned by the Student Government Association. It is operated at a "rocking" 100 watts of power, serving SRU and the surrounding community. WSRU is run entirely by SRU students.

WUAG is a radio station broadcasting a variety format. Licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina, United States, the station serves the Piedmont Triad area. The station is currently owned by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

WXPJ is a non-commercial radio station owned and operated by University of Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WQFS</span> Student radio station in North Carolina

WQFS is Guilford College's student-run radio station, with both students and members of the community serving as disk jockeys. Broadcasting in a variety format, it serves Greensboro, North Carolina and the greater Piedmont Triad area. It is also broadcast on the internet via streaming audio at TuneIn. WQFS ranked 6th among college radio stations in 2016, according to The Princeton Review.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMHB</span> Radio station in Waterville, Maine

WMHB, 89.7 FM Waterville, is the non-commercial College radio station of Colby College in Waterville, Maine, United States. WMHB is directed, managed, and staffed entirely by students. WMHB has been on air in one form or another since 1949. WMHB can be heard in Waterville, Winslow, Oakland, Fairfield and surrounding communities as well as on the Internet via its webcast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFRD</span> Radio station in New Hampshire, United States

WFRD is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Hanover, New Hampshire, and owned and operated by Sugar River Media. The station's studios are located in Randolph, Vermont. WFRD airs a mainstream rock radio format with some alternative rock and classic rock tracks. Previously, it was owned and operated by Dartmouth Broadcasting from a studio on the Dartmouth College campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSDT Radio</span> Radio station in La Jolla, California

KSDT is an online college radio station which refers to itself as "fiercely independent college radio". Its facilities are located on the campus of the University of California San Diego in La Jolla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFIT</span> Radio station in Melbourne, Florida

WFIT, is a non-commercial, listener-supported, public radio station licensed to Melbourne, Florida, and serving the Space Coast. It is owned by the Florida Institute of Technology with studios and its broadcast tower on the FIT campus. WFIT is funded in part by individual memberships, corporate underwriting, state and local grants, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Florida Tech.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WICB</span> Radio station in Ithaca, New York

WICB is a radio station licensed to serve Ithaca, New York, United States. Established in 1941 and receiving its FCC license in 1948, the station is owned by Ithaca College.

WJRH is a college radio station that is licensed to Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States.

KRSC-FM is a student-run college radio station at Rogers State University licensed to Claremore, Oklahoma serving the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area. It broadcasts 24 hours a day at 2200 watts.

WYXR is an eclectic, non-profit community radio station headquartered in the historic Crosstown Concourse building in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The station is owned by Crosstown Radio Partnership, Inc. and is a collaboration between Crosstown Concourse, the Daily Memphian and the University of Memphis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMSV</span> Radio station at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi

WMSV FM 91.1 is a radio station in Starkville, Mississippi located on the campus of Mississippi State University.

References

  1. "Facility Technical Data for WOBC-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. Scott, James. "WOBC: The Birth of a Station". oberlincollegearchivesstudents.tumblr.com. Oberlin College Archives. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  3. Salsich, Anne Cuyler. "Student Life: WOBC Radio Station Records, 1942, 1949-2000, 2002-2011". www.oberlinlibstaff.com. Oberlin College Archives. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.