WHUS

WHUS
City Storrs, Connecticut
Broadcast area Eastern Connecticut
Frequency 91.7 MHz
First air date 1922
Format Variety
ERP 4,400 watts vertical
1,200 watts horizontal
HAAT 150.0 meters
Class B1
Facility ID 65451
Transmitter coordinates 41°48′50″N 72°15′36″W / 41.81389°N 72.26000°W / 41.81389; -72.26000
Callsign meaning Huskies
Owner University of Connecticut, Board of Trustees
Webcast Listen Live
Website whus.org

WHUS is the commercial-free college radio station of the University of Connecticut. It is one of the oldest radio stations in Connecticut, with roots going back to just after World War I. It is a community radio station, featuring members of the student body and the local community around Storrs, Connecticut.

The community radio format allows WHUS to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at 91.7MHz on the FM dial. WHUS broadcasts a diverse mix of music, from polka to hip-hop, with several public affairs shows as well. It also provides commercial-free coverage of ten sports at UConn. WHUS has four departments: Music, News, Sports and Talk. [1]

History

The station originally went on the air as WABL, a 100-watt AM station, in 1922 with two 103 foot (31 m) steel towers serving as the station's antennae. In 1925 power increased to 500-watts and the call letters changed to WCAC.

The 1930s to the 1950s

WHUS Studios in Koons Hall

On April 30, 1936 the station's license was voluntarily surrendered due to frustrations over constant frequency and power changes mandated by the U.S. Commerce Department. Broadcasting was resumed in 1947 at a frequency of 640 kHz AM from studios in the basement of Koons Hall. The studios were moved to the new Student Union Building in 1952. Between 1954 and 1956, there was another hiatus in broadcasting owing to technical difficulties in complying with Federal Communications Commission restrictions on signal strength. In 1956, WHUS-FM began broadcasting, with a 10-watt transmitter at 90.5 MHz,[2] and low power AM broadcasting was resumed at 670 kHz.

Super67 WHUS-AM bumper sticker, c. 1963

The 1960s to the 21st Century

AM programming was predominant through the late 1960s. In 1963 twenty-four-hour-a-day broadcasting was started on WHUS-AM with the use of 24-inch (61 cm) automatic reverse tape reels that provided 6 hours of programming. WHUS-FM moved to 91.7 MHz in 1966, increased power to 1250-watts in 1968, then to 3200-watts in 1974.

WHUS Studios, c. 1964

In the mid-1970s Student managers decided to operate the station 24 hours a day year round, adding non-student volunteers to staff and produce programs. WHUS became a "community" station. Beginning about 1975, a major refurbishment of the studios upgraded the mostly mono vintage equipment so that in 1977 FM-stereo broadcasting could begin. The closed-carrier AM broadcasting system had fallen into dis-repair and was discontinued.

In 1997, WHUS built a new tower that allowed its signal to reach a 60-mile (97 km) radius. This expansion into the Hartford area helped grow its audience. During the summer of 1998, WHUS began webcasting its air signal over the Internet.

WHUS On-Air Studio in 2007

The station moved to an old farmhouse on the North Campus in 2002 for the remodeling of the Student Union. In 2006 the station's website, WHUS.org, acquired a new design and a schedule database system, which allowed dynamic displays of currently playing and upcoming shows. In 2007, the station moved into new state-of-the-art studios in the remodeled Student Union.

WHUS now broadcasts at 4,400 watts to Connecticut, Southern Massachusetts and Western Rhode Island. WHUS-FM radio also streams 24/7 online and is available on the WHUS Radio smartphone app.

In 2014 WHUS incorporated a second online streaming station , WHUS-2, to accommodate the number of DJs.[3]

WHUS-FM, WHUS-2, whus.org

WHUS broadcasts over 100 music shows. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays WHUS airs public affairs and talk programs.[3]

The News department has about 15 members and focuses on local news stories, particularly the UConn community. The news team is responsible for finding stories, interviewing, writing and audio production.[1]

WHUS Sports travels across the country, providing play-by-play updates, covering UConn men's and women's basketball and football. They also cover men's and women's soccer, hockey and baseball.

In addition to their on-air productions, WHUS hosts multiple concerts at UConn each semester, exposing the community to unique bands and artists. [3]

Multimedia

In 2014 WHUS opened a multimedia production studio for video and audio recording and mixing. This resulted in the creation of the WHUS Promotions, Training, Online and Tech/IT Departments.

The WHUS Promotions department has two areas of concentration: the marketing and events departments. The marketing department and street team focus on advertising, branding and marketing.

The Events department plans and orchestrates the concerts and speakers held throughout the semester. They also help connect WHUS DJs with other organizations for events on campus. The Training department works with the other departments, training in broadcast, media production and management. The Online department produces online content reflective of WHUS' broadcast and non-broadcast activities. Tech/IT educates students on server maintenance, computer support and the functioning of broadcast equipment.[3]

Awards

Between 2002 and 2013, WHUS was voted "Best College Radio" by the readers of the Hartford Advocate each year except for 2006 when it received a second place award.[4] In December 2009, WHUS was recognized as a finalist in the University of Connecticut's Provost's Award for Excellence in Community Engagement.

At the 2014 Intercollegiate Broadcast System Awards in NYC, WHUS Studio Sessions won "Best Live Performance" and "Most Creative Program." WHUS was also a finalist in the "Best Use of Social Media," "Best Sports Broadcast," and "Best Radio Drama" categories in 2014.

In 2015, WHUS won "Best News Delivery" and "Best Facebook Page" at the College Media Association Apple Awards.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 In-person interview with Adam Hushin, current member of the WHUS News department.
  2. ↑ Collins, Michael. "Time Line For Connecticut Broadcasting". Connecticut Broadcaster's Association.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Overview". WHUS Radio. 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  4. ↑ "Hartford Advocate Best of Awards." Hartford Advocate. <http://www.hartfordadvocate.com>.
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