In the midst of constant construction since its move in 2001 from Clark Hall to the same building that houses Broad Street Books, the staff at WESU 88.1 FM has been planning for the future. According to Personnel Director Natalie Gans ’06, the station will continue to bring live shows to the University, and bands may soon be able to broadcast and record live from a new space cleared adjacent to the air room.
Over the last two years, the music directors at WESU have confronted obstacles that range from an elevator replacing their pro-DJ studio, to a complete shutdown for four to five days during mid-November when asbestos was being cleared out during construction. Some problems, like the general disorganization resulting from the move, have been less severe but equally frustrating.
“Last semester, we finally got our vinyl organized,” Gans said. “After the move from Clark, some still remained in boxes.”
Not all changes, however, have been for the worst. Some spaces were expanded, creating new possibilities for live recording and storage, and Gans expressed excitement about new station members.
“We have some new people on the board of directors who are very supportive and enthusiastic about getting things done,” Gans said.
Gans hopes to see recorded live performances in the new studio space in the near future.
“Our goal is to get a band to play live within the next two years, although we’ll need time to get [the studio] soundproofed and get all the equipment,” Gans said. “If it’s a student band, that would still be really cool.”
WESU currently airs programs from the early morning, beginning at 5 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. on weekends, until the late night, ending usually by 2 or3 a.m. There is no official format to the programming, which is generally diverse, but according to Gans and Music Director David Kadden ’05, jazz, experimental, hip-hop, blues, rock and roll and reggae are common offerings.
Over the next semesters, the station will introduce programs from genres it hasn’t yet explored, including a Christian rock show by a high school math teacher and a space-themed program. Kadden hopes the station continues to expand its musical selection.
“I want to see all kinds of music sponsored by WESU,” Kadden said. “I’d like to diversify the show.”
WESU brings live shows to campus by artists that have included Town & Country, Paint it Black and Tyondai Braxton, Anthony Braxton’s son. The most recent performance was at Eclectic on Thursday, Dec 4, by Calla, an indie-rock band from Brooklyn. On Saturday, Dec 13, the station will help bring in Oneida, a band that has previously appeared at the University three times and plays noisy rock, according to Kadden.
DJs come from on and off campus, and have varied turnover rates. Some programs last for several years, while many, particularly those operated by students at the University, are shorter-lived. Franco Liseo’s “Avanti Tutta,” an Italian top 40 program every weekday from 6 – 8 a.m., has been on WESU for 15 years, according to Kadden. Gans said community volunteers like Liseo tend to keep programs on the air for extended periods.
“The community volunteers who are interested get shows and stay for a long time, but we don’t get many new shows,” Gans said. “We don’t really publicize for new DJs off-campus.”
Gans said programming is consistently about 60% by students and 40% by community volunteers. Funding comes primarily from the University for equipment, shows and programs, but the station is operated independently, according to Gans.
“We’re not a Wesleyan radio station,” Gans said. “We want to remain a community radio station; we don’t want to make ourselves associated with the University because it would alienate a lot of people.”
Gans called the station’s overarching programming philosophy “free-form or die.”
“I didn’t make it up,” she said. “It’s something that’s part of the station philosophy. Free-form means we can play whatever we want because we have no format or obligations to record companies or a higher power.”
Gans and Kadden encouraged students to visit the station during board hours, which are from four to six p.m. every Monday through Friday, or to come to board meetings, which are every Sunday at five p.m. The station website is www.wesufm.org, and feedback is welcome at wesu@wesufm.org.
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