WMCN Is:
Macalester College's student-run, free-form, nonprofit public radio station. Our purpose/goals/etc are outlined in the charter.
Content
A Brief History of WMCNLike many college radio stations, WMCN does not limit itself to any
particular genre[s]. Our programming consists of a broad spectrum of music from indepedent
record labels and artists, along with a spattering of talk, news, and announcements.
Unlike most radio stations of any sort, however, WMCN is a truly
freeform broadcast.
We have 68+ unique
weekly programs [see guide],
each with its own host DJ[s] and theme. While we do select our DJs in part based on their
tastes and knowledge, they determine the playlists for each broadcast of their own shows
independantly, with no need for approval from management and no "master list"
to choose from.
Since the majority of our listeners are Macalester students, we try to provide a mix of genres proportional to their tastes, while representing as many genres as possible in the spirit of liberal arts philisophy. If you see an underrepresented genre you enjoy, do a little research on influential/innovative/independent artists in that genre, and APPLY FOR A SHOW NEXT SEMESTER!
Broadcast:
WMCN broadcasts at ERP 5.4W under a class D non-commercial eductional LPFM FCC license on 91.7MHZ from 8am to 4am, with the periodic exception of some weekend hours and most academic breaks. As of 2004 we have recently installed new equipment, maximizing the power/range of our signal under the limits of our license. Our signal now ranges right around the FCC number of 3.5 miles with good clarity.
While far more reliable than AM, many factors affect reception of low-power FM signals, especially in the city. There are a few pockets of poor reception within said 3.5-mile radius, and a few pockets of good reception farther away. The best off-campus reception is generally downhill, to the W/NW of Mac. The worst is to the E/SE of Mac, where MPR and a station we haven't identified start to interfere with our signal. Under WMCN's license, we are not allowed to complain about such interference and if a station with a better license complains about interference from us, we have to lower our broadcasting radius accordingly [which does happen to us]. Thus, WMCN will probably never broadcast much farther than it currently does.
Webcasting: NEW
Allthough the scope of WMCN's conventional broadcast is limited, streaming web radio will allow us to reach a global market.
Webcasting at WMCN is currently under construction.
Construction consists of two phases...
First, the installation of a server and software to allow all networked computers on the
Macalester College campus to stream WMCN live.
Second, the installation of an in-booth computer and software to facilitate global webcasting.
Watch the news section for more updates about webcasting!
Non-broadcast Functions:
WMCN has little funding to go around, but we do sponsor and cosponser occasional concerts, most notably the annual Springaling where quality DJs from Mac, the TC, and beyond spin live on campus with full lights and sound.
People:
We are an entirely student-run organization [see staff], and the largest student org at Macalester College with 80-100 members [our lineup of DJs changes quite a bit each semester].
DJs at WMCN are volunteers that have applied for a show at the start of the current Macalester semester. They host one two-hour weekly radio program, which they have applied for at the start of the Macalester semester. Unlike the other positions at WMCN which are reserved for Mac students, anyone living within our broadcast range is welcome to apply for a DJ spot.
More info on jobs and applying at WMCN is here.