Walking by Cro, you might notice the fluorescent red and white sign reading “WCNI.” You then might notice its pitch-black backdrop and assume that Connecticut College’s FM radio station is a thing of the past. But by turning the dial of your radio (or more likely, by accessing the station online), you can discover that WCNI is still up and running strong. According to weekly contributor Peter Herron ’14, WCNI has everything a station needs aside from one crucial element: its listeners. However, perhaps with a little insight into the DJs of WCNI, you might just be enticed to give the station a listen.
On Monday nights from midnight to 3 AM, you can hear Herron’s “Glass Bead Game,” which he DJs with a handful of new co-hosts each week. While Herron uses his show to play a wide variety of music, he makes sure to engage his listeners as best he can during his time slot. On Herron’s show you might catch a sketch called “What did you learn in school today?” — a chance to reflect on the conclusion of the academic week and paraody the lives of both students and professors with contributions from listeners and co-hosts.
“The late time slot makes it a little slow,” Herron admitted. “The show is basically structured for my own self-amusement, but my co-hosts and I encourage listeners as much as possible.” To liven up his show, Herron emphasized that he welcomes requests forany music genre. “Some of our callers get pretty dependent,” he mentioned. “We had a Vietnam veteran call at least once a week last semester demanding live sets from Woodstock. Given the nature of the language in each set, we had to slow it down.”
Herron speculated on the station’s low promotion across campus. “WCNI is kind of misplaced. Part of the reason is because people just don’t have radios anymore. The campus leadership aspect is missing, but that doesn’t mean it can’t turn around.” Still, Herron is excited about his time slot, and looks forward to future semesters at WCNI.
You can also tune into Jen Herbert’s “Split Ends,” which airs every other Wednesday from 9 PM to midnight. Unlike other student DJs, Herbert ’13 has been contributing to WCNI long before joining the team at Connecticut College. “My dad has been involved with the station for over eight years,” Herbert explained. “I would hang out with him in the studio throughout high school and every so often he would let me do a segment for about twenty minutes.” For Herbert, twenty minutes turned into an hour, which progressed into two, and eventually she was holding down a show of her own. “I have no set theme for my show,” Herbert said. “I’ll start with electronic, but it gets more soft and folk-y as the evening progresses.” With a true commitment to her music, Herbert said, “I’ll go so far as to play an eight-song set, which can go for about thirty to forty minutes before I come back on the air.”
Herbert mentioned that she does take requests, and was happy to report she receives around three to five callers on any given night. However, after being asked to play a song by music legend Ron Jeremy, Herbert has approached unfamiliar songs with a bit more caution. “It’s hard to tell how WCNI is perceived on campus,” Herbert said. “Unfortunately, half the campus doesn’t realize it’s right next to Cro. However, those who have a show or that have friends who have a show are pretty enthusiastic about it.” Because she lives close to Conn, Herbert said that she will continue to remain a part of WCNI past her graduation in May, and hopes to hold on to a show for as long as she can.
Andrew Rich ’15, known on WCNI as Andrew Jordan, hosts the show “In a Simple Rhyme,” which airs from 6 to 9 PM every other Saturday night. On Rich’s show, you can find a straightforward schedule of mostly classic rock with little time devoted to mindless banter. “For my own show, I don’t like to take requests,” Rich explained. “I care about the audience and what they hear from my selections. I want them to listen to songs that they’ve never really heard, or maybe they’ve heard once or twice and never again. I just want to make my show as popularly diverse as I can.”
Like Herbert, Rich has carried some radio experience with him to WCNI as he used to contribute to his father’s show on WBZ 1030 in Boston. “I’ve been on his show a few times over the years, but I’ve never been in control of my [own] show. When I came to WCNI, that was really the starting point of my career.” When asked about WCNI’s promotion on campus, Rich shed light on how he felt that it was perceived by the student body. “I think it’s more of a pastime simply because of the fact that there are more New London resident DJs than there are student DJs. There are students who are a part of WCNI, but to me, WCNI doesn’t have that ‘college’ feel to it. Radio is not as important to younger people as it used to be, so from a student body standpoint, I can understand why that area is waning.”
Still, Rich is hopeful about the future of WCNI. “Anyone can sign up to be a DJ. The station is anything but exclusive. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been on the radio or if you’ve hosted a show every week for the past five years. All that matters is if you are interested in being a member of WCNI and entertaining the listeners.”
Alison Kaufman, a resident of New London, hosts WCNI’s “Morning Mojo.” Every Tuesday from 9 AM to noon you can expect to hear an eclectic variety of soul, blues and classic rock with everything from Susan Tadeski to The Grateful Dead. “The station has such a wide selection to choose from,” Kaufman explained. “Through the vinyls, CDs and tape decks, I always find something new even when I think I’ve browsed the shelves a million times.” Representing the New London community, Kaufman mentioned that WCNI works as a great opportunity to communicate with the rest of the city. “Coming from the community side, I think the station is an excellent broadcasting resource. Still, I feel like WCNI definitely comes off as a college station.”
While plenty of New London residents tune into Morning Mojo via 90.9 FM, Kaufman was happy to report that she attracts listeners from all over the world. “The link through www.iheartradio.com has been great. With the help of my Facebook and YouTube pages, I’ve picked up listeners from New Orleans, Canada and even Afghanistan.” When asked about the dynamics of the station, Kaufman replied that she would not change a thing. “I like the idea of growing with the station. I’m excited by the enthusiasm and dedication of WCNI and all of its members. Sure, there are moments where you mess up or things don’t go as planned, but that’s the beauty of live radio.” After two and a half years on WCNI, Kaufman is proud to report that she has never missed a show, and always encourages more listeners.
Tuning in to WCNI is not only a useful way to experiment with an extensive variety of music, but also a great mode of support a unique aspect of our campus. Each DJ is motivated in his or her own way to bring you quality college radio exclusively for Camels. WCNI can be accessed through 90.9 FM or by typing into Google: WCNI I heart radio.
