WKCR format change

April 4, 2005 1:58 PM

What is happening at WKCR? Phil Schaap is saying on air that unless they retire immediately the last $350,00 of the $750,000 debt incurred in replacing their transmitter after the 9/11 attacks that the station will change its format from predominately jazz to sports and college rock. What is the source of this controversy and what guarantees the current format if sufficient money is indeed raised during the current fund drive?

The former transmitter was on the World Trade Center. After the attacks they broadcast from on campus with greatly reduced range. They now have new transmitters and have regained most of their old range, but the loss of pledge revenue for two years and the expense of the new transmitter has put them $750,000 into debt. To whom, Columbia University? WKCR is Columbia's radio station. Now the leading DJ, Phil Schaap, is saying that a new format has already been announced. Where? I can find nothing about that. The school paper has a few articles regarding the debt and a desire of some students to change formats but nothing indicating that a decision has been made, or that a successful fund raising campaign will reverse the decision. Does anybody have any more information on this?

posted by caddis to media & arts (3 comments total)

Well, no one seems to know what is going on with WKCR. My questions always seem to be too obscure to get an answer here.

However, I now have a related query which is right up the alley of many mefites: I could access that Columbia Spectator site I linked to from work, but now from home I can't get to it. I know it is still up as I can tunnel into work and access it through their internet service and it is accessible through anonymizer.com. My IP provider, Comcast, was no help. DNS issue? DNS lookup provides 206.131.206.108. From my work IP service that address doesn't work. I can not get to DNS lookup from my work IP so I do not know what numerical address columbiaspectator.com translate to from there.
posted by caddis at 7:16 PM on April 4, 2005

Can't help with the second question, but the first seems tailor-made for a local or regional Usenet group. Local radio questions always seem to spark folks in the newsgroups around this area.
posted by mediareport at 11:25 PM on April 4, 2005

Once again I ask something too obscure. (I am still trying to figure out how to synchronize bookmarks between various computers and browsers.) I think the next question should be something that will elicit many replies. These questions might work:

What are some good new albums?

What should I make for that "special" dinner for two?

What programming languages should I know to get started in a career of programming?

How often do you pleasure yourself? Do you generally use visual or mechanical aides?

Which should I get, iBook or Thinkpad?

Help me find a funky, fun name for my new puppy.

Boxers or briefs?


I wonder whether anyone would answer these:

What is your favorite Bible passage?

What are George Bush’s best qualities?

Who was that cute girl with blonde hair and freckles in my first grade class?
posted by caddis at 8:13 AM on April 6, 2005