Music for the masses

If you go down the stairs of McElroy to the first floor and to the end of the hall, you will be met with a large door covered in colorful music stickers that is usually open to your curiosity. Behind this door lives WZBC and WVBC, Boston College's FM and AM radio stations. While these stations are relatively unknown on campus, WVBC, which is broadcasted on BCTV channel 47, has been around since 1960 when it first signed on as "The Voice of Boston College." WZBC, its FM counterpart, began broadcasting in 1974.

Although WZBC 90.3 FM has been broadcasting at BC for almost 30 years, it has gained little recognition and popularity throughout the years on campus. One reason for this, according to Chris Noble, assistant music director and DJ and A&S '05, is that the organization "has another station (WVBC) that is more student-oriented with student DJs, and it is only available on campus."

WZBC fares better off campus, where the station enjoys a devoted fan base as it plays a variety of non-commercial genres ranging from hard rock to country to reggae. "Most people don't even know we exist," said Chris Lopreste, the station program director and A&S '05.

"To find us on campus you really have to look yourself ... a lot of people might be intimidated at first and people might not necessarily get attracted just by turning it on," said Noble.

The stations are doing more and more things to promote themselves. In this past fall WVBC, joined by WZBC and the UGBC, hosted the Battle of the Bands, which had one the largest turnouts ever for a Pub Series event.

In addition, the station maintains two bulletin boards (one in the lobby of McElroy and one next to the station) and gives out stickers, pins, and program guides at their sponsored events.

"Each of us individually wear our radio shirts and pins around campus" said General Manager and DJ, Hannah Nolan-Spohn, A&S '05. "A lot of the way we [at WZBC] try to promote ourselves is through VBC which has more student involvement and not so many guidelines, which makes it more accessible."

In fact, almost anyone can take part in WVBC from listening to DJing to management positions. "Even if there aren't a lot of listeners, there are a lot of other opportunities at the station like management, and if you are interested in music this is one of the best places to come," said Noble, who joined the station his freshman year after finding the station flier in his orientation packet.

The process to become a DJ on WVBC is fairly simple, and only requires that the interested DJ take a written test, prepare a one-hour demo tape, and be familiar with the station equipment. After one semester on WVBC, students are eligible to DJ on WZBC. First, they must intern with a current WZBC DJ in order to learn more radio techniques, then submit another demo tape that shows improvement.

"As long as they know the music and are willing to put in the work," said Noble, "they will be placed in any openings in the schedule."

Walshe Birney, DJ on WVBC and A&S '06, said that the station "is the thing I'm most passionate about at Boston College." He found out about and joined the station after his friends brought him there to show him around.

Aside from the impressively successful word-of-mouth tactic the station has employed for many years, there are new promotion plans set up for the near future.

The station is looking forward to hosting another Battle of the Bands this spring and they are going to continue placing fliers in orientation packets and hosting a table at the annual activities day held in the Dustbowl.

ODSD will be taping a video clip of the station that will be added to the prospective student and orientation videos. "Our whole idea is that if we can get them down this hallway," said Nolan-Spohn, "then they'll want to stay."