MAKING WAVES
Bardians in Radio
When Bard’s radio station, WXBC, began in 1947 as a student’s Senior Project, its goal was to “maintain a professional operating technique” and counteract much of the “crassness of commercial radio.” The “X” in its call letters stood for “experimental.” More than 50 years later, the original goal still resonates with the 80 student staff members and on-air hosts who work to make WXBC a vital and uncompromising voice. In the late 1940s, radio was the primary source of news, sports, and entertainment. Today, there are more stations than ever—and less diversity. In an era of media consolidation, the Clear Channel network alone owns 60 percent of the rock radio business and is inundating the airwaves from New York to Austin with the same preprogrammed playlists. WXBC is filling the void with 14 hours a day of original programming. “We’re giving exposure to independent artists, doing our own creative thing, and experimenting with new ways to make WXBC responsive to the community,” says station supervisor Nick van der Kolk ’05. WXBC is also mining the past for concepts like the serial drama and comedy hour. The fall schedule included political talk; literature readings; sports coverage; and Scholarly Shakedown, a show that broadcast First-Year Seminar lectures and other academic events. One such event, an interview with Leon Botstein on the subject of sex, received the biggest audience spike since WXBC began broadcasting over the Internet in 2003. Mindful of WXBC’s history—van der Kolk has been in touch with founder John Marshall Gillin ’48—the staff enjoys the collaborative process of running the station. They work together on technology upgrades, publicity, and getting the latest music from the record labels. Each staff member also gets hands-on experience—and a public forum to share personal passions—as an on-air host.
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(Top to bottom, far left) Jen Holup ’07 and Max Zbiral-Teller ’06; Blake Malin ’06; Abe Jellinek ’06; Karen Soskin ’07; (left) Matt Wing ’06; Joanna Leitch ’08; Allen Josey, director of student activities; Owen Conlow ’07; (far right) Nick van der Kolk ’05 and Adrianne Mathiowetz ’05, Christina Friskey ’05; (right) Akie Bermiss ’04, Sam Kraft ’06