If a resident of central Connecticut turned their radio to 88.1 FM, they might wonder if the Nutmeg State had suddenly transformed into an oasis of pan-cultural music without their knowledge. On Friday alone, listeners from Hartford to New Haven can tune in to a showcase of aural eclecticism: From a show hosted by and featuring creative Middletown youth to live break-beat mixing to a pair of Latin music shows, WESU radio specializes in an diverse mix of programming driven equally by University students and Middletown residents. Recently, a combination of new shows and proposals, as well as some older local initiatives that not all University students are aware of, indicate that now is an exciting time for 88.1.

“The Wesleyan Report,” dubbed an “Argus for the Airwaves,” by WESU President Noah Hutton ’09, will air on Fridays from 2-3 p.m. The show will feature campus news, CFA events, sports roundups, interviews with professors and taped re-broadcasts of select on-campus lectures.

“It’ll be like a once a week podcast,” Hutton said of the show, which was designed by WESU to place more focus on current University events.

Besides broadening its programming through “The Wesleyan Report” and a variety of new indie-rock programs, WESU is attempting another expansion: boosting its signal from 1500 to 6000 watts. If the station upgrades, 88.1 FM will be able to broadcast to almost all of Connecticut, not just the central region of the state. This would give WESU access to most of Connecticut’s 3.5 million residents, making it the most powerful college radio station in the state, surpassing the UConn station by 1,600 watts.

Hutton made clear that the station still needs to secure funding to pay for the transmitter, but the station’s recent move to the Department for Diversity and Strategic Partnerships may positively affect the outcome. Hutton also dismissed a rumor that President Michael Roth sought to “axe” the station last academic year, attributing the shift in departments to the standard “shuffling” that occurs when a new president begins work at a college. WESU’s funding remains unchanged, and a presentation to Roth and his executive team was well received.

Hutton also stressed 88.1’s often-overlooked community outreach efforts and asserted that WESU is the most Middletown-integrated organization at the University. Of the more than 100 DJ’s affiliated with the station, half are residents of Middletown. Programs such as “Jive at 5” promote town events as well as arts calendars for the entire central Connecticut region.

However, WESU’s town-gown programs include more than radio programming—they extend to several live events on Main Street. The station sponsors a monthly dance party at local dance hall Jimmy’s Jump and Jive, hiring a DJ and opening the doors to both Middletown residents and Wesleyan students. The Button Retreat, another Main Street venue, is rented seasonally for student band performances and Middletown poetry readings. Additionally, WESU sponsors a tent at the annual classic car cruise.

Currently, WESU is working on more outreach to the University, with programs like “The Wesleyan Report.”

“We’ve been a part of Middletown very firmly,” Hutton said. “And we’re actually trying now to become more a part of Wesleyan.”