WCNI In Jeopardy As A Campus Radio Station

Conn’s very own independent radio station, WCNI, is facing an uncertain future as the hybrid college/community radio station we know and love. The station is facing financial, logistical, and technical challenges that leave its broadcast reach in a precarious situation. 

Last year, WCNI’s broadcast antenna tower had to be removed as a part of the Cro-Plex Connector Project. In the meantime, WCNI has been broadcasting from a temporary antenna tower on the roof of Cro. Due to regulations safeguarding against radiation exposure for the building occupants, we are broadcasting at a much lower signal, at 75% less power than before. Now, we’re struggling to reach our listeners outside of the more immediate New London area, including Lyme, Old Saybrook, Stonington, Westerly, Norwich, and Ledyard. 

We’re losing morale with both our supporters and our DJ’s. Listeners are dropping out, making fewer calls into the station and making fewer donations. “We’re in danger of losing our connection with the community,” says Fundraising Director Margaret Tyler. WCNI is more than just a music platform—it is also a community service, broadcasting public service announcements and local event notices. Local musicians and organizations are regularly featured in on-air interviews. Just this fall, WCNI hosted a talk from nationally renowned artist and songwriter Ben Livingston. WCNI is also a regular presence at Fall Weekend and Alumni Weekend. But most crucially, our station is essential to the fabric of Conn itself. Olivia Schulz ‘26 tells us, “I began DJing for WCNI just this year and have already witnessed its impact on the heart of the college community. The radio is an unparalleled venue for independent expression, a value of higher education institutions everywhere.”

Maya Daly ‘27 adds, “WCNI offers one of the only on-campus opportunities for students to work alongside New London community members, while also providing a shared experience through music to bridge these two communities in positive ways.” During our annual open house, the campus is abuzz with locals eager to see the station where their favorite programs come from, and meet the many student DJs who broadcast them. This year, with many of those listeners unable to listen on the airwaves, we fear they may not be returning.

We need to boost our signal so we can return to our previous power, which requires installing a new antenna tower. The long term solution would be to find space on campus for a new antenna tower that can reach all of our listeners. We’ve fundraised and saved enough to fund a large portion of the project, but we are still short of the amount we need to install a permanent tower. The College has been supportive of our search for tower space on campus, but they are also unable to afford the construction costs. Dean of Students Victor Arcelus is also a member of Connecticut College Community Radio, the organization that owns WCNI’s license. He tells us that the cost of installing a permanent power is “not something that, given all the priorities of the college, in terms of infrastructure, was ready to be moved to the top of the list. That doesn’t mean WCNI is not a priority of the institution.”

In the meantime, we are exploring the possibility of renting other towers in the New London area, but this is only a short-term solution as renting a tower every year would be prohibitively expensive. In our worst-case scenario, we would have to move off-campus permanently to a place with a permanent tower. However, WCNI, which is run by half student and half community DJ’s, is an essential part of what makes Conn unique. 

Incoming Student General Manager Avery Selber ‘29 had this to say: “The station isn’t just about sharing music; it also offers a creative space where students can share perspectives that don’t always have a platform on campus. WCNI creates a tight knit community by connecting students through the power of free-form radio, constantly introducing students to new sounds and ideas. It also provides valuable experience in broadcasting and communication in a way that’s hands on and student driven. Without it, Conn would be missing a hub of creativity, expression, and a genuine student culture that makes the campus feel more connected.”

Our treasurer Jamie Sachs ‘85, is also an alum who particularly values the student experience at WCNI: “I was a DJ from 81 to 85 and it was an incredible experience, and I’ve been a DJ from 2022 till now, and it’s an equally incredible experience.” Part of what makes WCNI so special is its timelessness. This year we celebrate our diamond anniversary, and as more and more radio stations become automated or run by algorithms, what we do is increasingly rare. “It’s really about continuing a tradition that has been present in the school for 75 years, first in the dorms, second on AM, then on FM. It’s a tradition that has provided hundreds of thousands of people over all those decades with a chance to turn on the radio and hear us crystal clear, and know that there’s a broadcaster in New London and that they can call that station.”

I can personally attest that the calls I get from listeners are always the best part of my day. Every day we pour our hearts and souls into that switchboard, putting it out into the aether, no idea if anyone’s tuning in. To get the call that someone’s listening, that they love your show, to hear them thank you for what you do, is a deeply uplifting experience. After all, isn’t that what we all want? To be recognized, to be loved, to be appreciated? 

WCNI represents the best parts of what it means to be human: creativity, passion, connection. Operating WCNI is, always has been, and always will be, a labor of love. But we can’t do it without your support.  

Our fundraising marathon runs from April 6 to April 19th this year, with our open house from the 17th-19th. Stop by, check out our studio, and see what we’re all about. And if you’re so inclined, maybe even make a donation and win a prize. We have t-shirts, hats, and rubber ducks. But when you step through our door, you might even find a second home. 

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Go to wcniradio.org or call (860) 439-2850 to donate.