Radio Free Binghamton | 90.5MHz WHRW-FM

:: Radio Free Binghamton :: 90.5 WHRW-FM ::

WHRW's History

[ The 60's ] [ The 70's ] [ The 80's ] [ The 90's ] [ The 00's ]

1954 - "The Radio Workshop of Harpur College" is formed. By all records it seems to be a very loose organization.

The 60's

Nov. 9, 1960 - Harpur College Radio Workshop holds organizational meeting and auditions.
Fall 1961 - Harpur College Radio Workshop formally recognized by the university.
Oct. 1961 - Workshop members begin building a transmitter.
Feb. 1962 - The FCC approves the workshop's application for the call letters WRAF, "Raf" standing for Rafuse Hall, where the broadcast originates.
May 1962 - WRAF (590 AM) begins experimental evening operations; programs can only be received in Digman and Rafuse Halls. Closed circuit operations require a separate transmitter in each residence hall complex.
Fall 1962 - WRAF is on the air Monday through Thursday, 7:30 PM -11:00 PM. The station has a policy of no rock and roll, and an emphasis on classical and "good" non-classical music.
May 1964 - The General Manager proposes converting WRAF to a licensed FM educational station. The University approves at the end of June. The station tentatively chooses the FM frequency 90.5.
April 1965 - WRAF begins its first rock and roll show. The station moves to the barber shop/music lounge area on the second floor of the Student Center (University Union).
Nov. 8, 1965 - FCC grants permission to construct an educational FM station with a frequency of 90.5 megacycles.
Nov. 1965 - An antenna is erected on a 60-foot pole behind the Student Center.
Friday, Feb. 4, 1966 - WHRW (HR stands for "Harpur Radio"), 90.5FM, 10 Watts Mono, originating from Harpur College, begins broadcasting at 7:30 PM with Colonial Basketball game coverage. WHRW is the third FM station in the Triple Cities. Programming includes Vietnam conflict discussions, jazz, folk, popular and classical music, British News, and interviews with local political figures. The regular broadcast week is Sunday through Thursday, 5pm-1am. WHRW has a 50 member volunteer staff.
Feb. 6, 1966 - WHRW holds its formal inaugural program at 7 PM.
March 1966 - First big programming controversy. Regular programming is canceled to cover a speech at Harpur on "History of the Negro," by an acknowledged communist.
June 1966 - First period of 24-hour programming: "Finals Madness" takes place from June 17-24. It's billed as "Music to study by". Since the station will be on the air 24-hours, an apartment in the Student Center is set up for staff members to sleep and study in.
1967 - The first "Good Time Charlie" morning show airs. The "Good Time Charlie" title becomes a tradition for many years.
Feb. 1967 - In an interview on WHRW, Binghamton Mayor Joseph Estworthy speaks in favor of legalizing the use of marijuana.
March 1967 - The first known monthly program guide begins.
April 1968 - The WHRW antenna is moved from the Student Center to the top of the newly completed Faculty Tower (Library Tower). As the antenna, mounted on a 60-foot pole, is being moved it comes close to crashing into the Student Center, causing the evacuation of half the building.
Sept. 1968 - WHRW moves from the barber shop/music lounge area of the Student Center to offices on the second floor, opposite the "main" staircase.
Oct. 1969 - The FCC finds that WHRW's equipment and operations are not in compliance with regulations, and force WHRW to shut down for an indefinite period.
Nov. 1969 - WHRW goes back on the air with 4 hours of live broadcasting from an anti-war demonstration in Washington, DC.

The 70's

1970 - "Moe" spreads from a Long Island high school (by the same people who founded O.C.C.) to the SUNY-Binghamton campus. In the early 70's he is said to be in the role of "campus prophet."
March 1970 - WHRW goes off the air when a crystal is stolen from the transmitter. Broadcasting resumes after it is replaced 2 1/2weeks later.
May 1970 - The first-known irate letter-to-the-editor about the "quality" of WHRW DJ's appears in the Colonial News (forerunner to Pipe Dream).
Dec. 1970 - 50 albums stolen from WHRW, including the entire John Coltrane collection.
1970 - Broadcasting is about 20 hours per day, 7 days a week. Programming includes about 30 hours/week of classical music, much rock, educational shows, lots of news, BBC World Theater, Pacifica programs, and a Black Culture show.
1971 - Pipe Dream reports that WHRW has been referred to as "the station of the freaks, the station that played more Grateful Dead than any other station."
1971 - WHRW makes a conscious transformation away from rock music and toward "community-oriented, educational media."
April 1971 - An FCC directive to all radio stations advising them to be "aware of the content" of the songs they play is widely taken to mean that the FCC wants songs with "drug-lyrics" like for example Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride" blacklisted. Other stations get nervous. WHRW decides to ignore the directive.
Spring 1972 - The Sunday morning gospel program begins. By the mid-1970's it evolves into "Gospel Time," WHRW's longest running program - still thriving as this is written.
April 1972 - $1500 of equipment stolen.
Fall 1972 - WHRW makes an effort to move away from "popular music"and toward music and artists that are not often heard. News emphasis shifts from national and world events, to local news. Music programming includes Jazz, classical (15%), pop (50%), and Afro-Latin (20%).
Fall 1973 - WHRW hires a secretary/receptionist.
1973 - Photo in the yearbook depicts "Moe Loogham is coming" spray-painted on the fence around the Bartle Library construction site.
July 1974 - FCC approves WHRW's application to increase wattage from 10-Watts mono to 1000-Watts stereo.
Jan. 1975 - A DJ is fired for advertising Domino's pizza on the air.
1975 - The beginnings of a station constitution materialize.
Saturday April 5, 1975 - At 4 am, WHRW begins broadcasting 1000 watts stereo (1455 effective radiated watts), 3 days ahead of schedule as the old transmitter dies.
April 7, 1975 - At noon, SUNY-Binghamton President Clifford Clark ceremonially breaks a ribbon and pushes a button for the station's 1000-watt conversion. Ron Drumm, the first person to broadcast a regular program on the new transmitter is quoted in Pipe Dream describing the situation as "satisfying, even pleasant."
April 11, 1975 - WHRW finds that it converted to stereo last week without the equipment it needs to meet FCC standards. The Student Association approves an emergency $900.
Jan. 1976 - DJ Stuart Hirsch sets the WHRW record for continuous broadcasting, with a 50-hour marathon to raise money for charity. He describes it as "like being on acid and speed at the same time."
March 1976 - WHRW covers a 58-hour student takeover (for student rights) of the administration building. In the wake of this and other SUNY protests, WHRW starts a statewide information service between campuses.
Oct. 1976 - "Campus Jam," a local music show, premieres.
Fall 1976 - Antenna is struck by lightning. Station operates at1/3 power.
Nov. 1976 - Antenna freezes and forces station off the air until it can thaw.
Feb. 1977 - 24-hour marathon for Muscular Dystrophy raises $1000.
1977 - WHRW broadcasts 21 hours a day. Record library contains 10,000 recordings. The 40-person news staff (the largest in the Southern Tier) produces 6 news broadcasts per day. Much of the music is rock and soul, with some jazz, reggae, and classical.
Summer 1977 - The MARTI, a remote transmitter for live news gathering with a 10-mile range, is purchased.
1977 - Pipe Dream reports that DJ's have to travel to Manhattan to take FCC licensing tests.
Winter 1979 - The Mad Trivia Party, a one-hour weekly trivia show, premieres.

The 80's

1981 - WHRW's record library stands at over 20,000 recordings.
Fall 1981 - The Student Association Executive Vice President tries to get WHRW to play more rock music, because it's "what people want to hear." He is unsuccessful due to massive resistance from station members who speak out on WHRW' s alternative nature.
April 1981 - WHRW's 72-hour marathon for the Rape Crisis Center raises $10,000!
Jan. 1982 - A rash of thefts prompt the record library to be locked up.
Feb. 1982 - Management shuts the station down as a result of thefts and other membership crises. It remains closed for almost a week.
Feb. 1984 - The WHRW constitution is revamped for clarity.
Jan. 1985 - WHRW celebrates its 20th anniversary with an open party for the university, featuring the band "Defunkt."
Jan. 1989 - 2 members of the Ku Klux Klan request air time on WHRW. A huge outcry results on campus and in the community. Then-President Clifford Clark sets up an "advisory committee", ostensibly to help WHRW in this, as well as future "controversial" programming matters. WHRW vehemently protests this invasion of programming autonomy. WHRW's board, in a 9-4 vote, denies the Ku Klux Klan's request because "the board could not come to a consensus as how to broadcast such a program in an educational manner." The president's committee eventually stops convening, though it is not officially dissolved.

The 90's

Dec. 1990 - A group of students publish a fake version of Pipe Dream with the headline "U.S. Invades Iraq." This leads the DJ on air to mistakenly broadcast that the U.S. had gone to war. The statement is soon retracted.
Jan. 1991 - WHRW holds a 3-hour anti-Middle East War call-in program.
Feb. 1991 - 25th anniversary celebrated with the construction of a new CD library, t-shirts, dance parties, picnics, and a pot-luck dinner. New York City alumni gather at Wetlands Club. Total station membership nears 300 people.
Sept. 1992 - WHRW releases "Moe's Meat Sandwich," a compact disc of songs by WHRW station members and their bands.
Feb. 1993 - After a few years of struggling to raise funds to replace its aging, ailing transmitter, WHRW convinces the Student Association to run a referendum to decide if the students will give the station money for it. The referendum draws an overwhelming 84% "yes" vote.
Aug. 1993 - WHRW releases "Moe's Second Helping," the second station CD.
Nov. 1993 - Work begins on a comprehensive station constitution.
Fall 1993 - Music programming is about 30% "Pop", 20% "Heritage" (R&B, rap, club music, etc.), 20% "Folk", 10% "Radio Patria" (Latin pop and jazz), and the rest composed of "Jazz" and "Classical/Space." At least 2 hours of public affairs programming is aired in evening prime time weekdays. "Specialty Shows," hour-long evening programs including world music, local live bands, archive tapes, and "The Mad Trivia Party" are instituted.
1994 - A slightly unstable General Manager, putting off his job search once again, compiles this chronology of WHRW's history. Peace, love and moe to anyone who's reading this... -Jason ("The Voice"). Keep it lit.
Feb. 4, 1994 - The new WHRW transmitter is installed, 28 years to the day that WHRW first went on the air as a 10 watt mono station. Station members celebrate the station's history with parties, retrospective programs, pot luck dinners, and concerts as general mirth runs amok.
April 12, 1994 - By a vote of 57 to 1, WHRW ratifies its current constitution.
Fall 1995 - The first station service policy is approved by the board after years of attempts. It gives DJ's that help with station work and promotion slotting priority over those who do not.
Spring 1996 - WHRW goes on-line!!!
January 21, 1997 - A new antenna is installed at the top of the library tower. The station gets a clearer sound, better range.
March 2, 1998 - WHRW begins broadcasting world-wide on the internet using Real Audio.
May 9, 1998 -Moe's Triple Bypass, the third in the WHRW CD series is released. The 9 Hour CD release party is broadcast live.
Dec. 23, 1998 - To replace a failing CR-1 board, we solicited donations from alumni and were able to purchase a new Audioarts mixing console, pictured at the right. Tom Siglin performed the installation over a two-day period. Although we tried to schedule it so that Ron Drumm would be the first broadcaster on the new board, those honors went to Spring 1999 Public Affairs co-director Sam Smith. May the old board rest in peace and respect.
Feb 3rd, 1999 - WHRW celebrates its 33rd birthday with the 24-hour Radiothon hosted by Seth Mates and Jeremy Klaff. The event kicked off from the WHRW studios at noon on Feb 3rd and was designed to raise awareness of WHRW on campus and to raise money for the station as well. Highlights of the event included WHRW Night at the West Gym for a game against Stony Brook, WHRW's Party in the Pub--and alcohol was served!!!, and a parade around campus.

2000 and beyond

Spring, 2001 - A Radio Theatre Department is created for DJs who have shows that aren't really all music.
Sept. 11, 2001 - Terrorists fly large passenger jets into the World Trade Center in New York City. Former General Manager, Paul J. Battaglia (1998-2000), who held an office on the 100th floor of tower 1, is presumed dead as a result. In the coming weeks, station members hold vigil on the air, fielding calls from anyone who wanted to talk about the new world that we would live in. Paul's webpage becomes a sacred place to leave thoughts about Paul. His friends start E-mail groups and a webpage to share information about Paul in the hopes he would be found alive. To this date, Paul is missing.
Late Sept - Early October 2001 - A scholarship has been made in Paul's name, the station in the new union will be named after him, and the EXCELsior award for student leadership, which Paul was recipient of, is renamed to the Paul J. Battaglia Student Leadership award. Seth Mates comes back to BU from his job at WWF in New York to broadcast Midnight Madness, ushering in the new basketball season and the Bearcats move to Division I. T-Shirts are printed with "Peace, Love, Moe, and Paul" and proceeds from the T-Shirt sales go to the Scholarship Fund.
October 6, 2001 - A Funeral service is held for Paul.
April, 2002 - WHRW begins its move into the new station facilities in the new Student Union. Facilities are much smaller.
August, 2002 - WHRW move is completed, and broadcast begins from a makeshift studio setup in what will become "Studio A." The setup uses the old CR-2 mixing board; "The Ramsa."
August 28, 2002 - Broadcast begins from new CR-1 with new broadcast furniture!