Editorial note: Since the publication of this article, WRCU-FM 90.1 has resumed broadcasting.
Colgate University’s student-run radio station, WRCU-FM 90.1, announced the suspension of broadcasting due to outdated pieces of equipment in an email sent to student DJs on Wednesday, April 1. The pause in broadcasting began when students returned from spring break on March 23. What was initially seen as a minor technical issue revealed a host of outdated equipment requiring multiple new parts, resulting in a possible suspension of broadcasting for the rest of the semester.
Senior Maxwell Walker, general manager of WRCU, shared insight on what the board believed happened to the station over break.
“Over spring break, the power in WRCU was shut off completely for a routine uninterrupted power supply installation, which provides emergency backup power, prevents power surges and prevents data loss,” Walker said. “What we think happened is that when the power was turned off in the station for these routine upgrades, it led to a malfunction within our system that interfered with our ability to reconfigure what audio the station puts out onto the airwaves. This is why 90.1 is still broadcasting WRVO, the NPR affiliate from SUNY Oswego that we simulcast in off-hours, which is what we had the station set to before the failure.”
While the initial replacement parts arrived on campus the week of March 30, the installation process revealed a host of other issues with the station’s equipment. With much of the equipment being older and, in some cases, discontinued, finding replacements has proved challenging. The WRCU board then shared with student DJs that broadcasting would likely be unavailable until May or possibly later.
Student DJ programming usually runs from 10 a.m. to midnight, leaving many student DJs with a sudden free hour in their schedules. Sophomore Layla Federoff, host of the show “Snakey Attunes,” is one such student.
“It’s really upsetting that WRCU won’t be broadcasting this semester,” Federoff said. “I know I’m upset, and so are my number one listeners, my grandparents. But I have faith the WRCU community will stay strong, even if we’re not on air.”
While the station may be down, WRCU has many plans to continue supporting its DJ community, including those whose student DJ experience ended prematurely.
“The station will remain open to DJs whenever possible, events and merchandise are in the works, and we are hoping to facilitate the pre-recording of farewell broadcasts for senior DJs,” Walker said.
Junior Ben Yanni, music director for WRCU, commented on the programming they hope to continue during the shutdown.
“We are working hard to get the station back up and running, especially for our seniors, but in the meantime, we have several great live events planned for the upcoming weeks, including a concert in the Edge Café [on April 11],” Yanni said.
Broadcasting remains down, but updates on the return date continue developing, according to Walker.
“We are looking at a temporary fix that might allow us to get back on air sooner than May,” Walker said. “It’s not a sure thing, and the station will still not be back to normal operation for a while, but we’re hopeful about potentially getting DJs back on air before the end of the semester.”
While WRCU faces technical setbacks, they intend to continue supporting their DJ community through this period.
