Hey, there! Log in / Register
'BUR, 'GBH not only stations to do fundraising
By adamg on Mon, 04/30/2007 - 9:34am
Aaron Read tells the heartwarming tale of WJIB, basically a one-person AM station that raised $88,000 over six weeks to stay on the air: Ironically, a recent rise in the station's ratings meant it had to pay more to license the dentist-office music it plays:
... There's a lesson here, one I fear too many are "brushing off": WJIB did not run an effective fundraiser, WJIB runs an effective station ...and that's why it both had the listeners and raised the funds.
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Anyone else remember this as WCAS radio?
In the late 1970s and early 80s, WCAS radio occupied the 740 AM frequency.
It called itself "The Cambridge Station", and the company that operated the station was called Wickus Island, where "Wickus" stood for WCAS - Watertown, Cambridge, Arlington, Somerville, supposedly the only towns where you could reliably receive the 250-watt daytime-only signal.
WCAS was a great station, playing folk music with some jazz mixed in. The local commercials were charming, as were the sign-off tapes played at sundown. Sunday afternoons featured "Live at Passim", which was just what it sounded like -- live concerts from the Passim coffeehouse in Harvard Square.
The studio was located on Green Street in Central Square. They even had a news department, featuring (among others) Mat Schaefer (sp?) as the Culture Vulture, and Sid Blumenthal as political commentator. Sid eventually went on to become a top advisor to President Bill Clinton.
Eventually the station got into financial trouble. I don't know if the owners ever tried raising money from listeners to try to save it, as I had moved away from Cambridge by then.
Raises hand
I loved me some 'CAS back in the day (but they should have called it WWCAS because it always came in fine in Waltham).
'JIB
I'm proud to say that MY WIFE and I both contributed to this effort. MY WIFE listens more than I do, as my tastes run more towards metal. I do like it when they do Big Bands on Sunday, though.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
WJIB
I listen to WJIB on occasion, enough that I'll probably kick in $25 or so, even though the fundraiser is officially over. The station is unique and deserves to stay around.
Although the original WJIB-FM was "beautiful music" or "dentist's office music", that's not really an accurate characterization of the current AM station. I'd just call it an oldies format, stretching back to at least the 1950s.
That 5-watt nighttime signal doesn't get them very far. I could walk from my apartment to the WJIB transmitter in a half hour, but the station barely comes in here at night.
I kicked in my 20 bucks!
I started listening to this station about 7 years ago, working in Harvard Square. I stumbled upon it as I had been a fan of the FM version of WJIB.
I'm pleased there's a solid fan base for this little station. Where else can you hear the Standards sung on a regular basis by the singers who made them famous?
But who knew there were so many versions of "Moon River"!