WVOF

WVOF
City Fairfield, Connecticut
Broadcast area Bridgeport, Connecticut
Frequency 88.5 MHz
First air date 1970
Format Public Radio
ERP 100 watts
HAAT 10.0 meters (32.8 ft)
Class A
Facility ID 20456
Transmitter coordinates 41°09′32.34788″N 73°15′33.41294″W / 41.1589855222°N 73.2592813722°W / 41.1589855222; -73.2592813722Coordinates: 41°09′32.34788″N 73°15′33.41294″W / 41.1589855222°N 73.2592813722°W / 41.1589855222; -73.2592813722
Callsign meaning Voice Of Fairfield
Owner Fairfield University
Website www.wvof.org

WVOF (88.5 FM) is a radio station licensed to Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. The station is owned by Fairfield University.[1] As of August 2008, the station has been a partner with Connecticut Public Radio and carries Connecticut Public Radio and NPR programming.

History

WVOF commenced operations in the spring of 1970 as a carrier current radio station heard on 620 AM serving the residence halls located in the quadrangle of Fairfield University. A carrier current system is a method of broadcasting utilizing the electrical wires in a building as an antenna. This type of operating does not require the station to be licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In the early 1970s, then-station manager Stan Hrniak (who later went on to work for Connecticut Public Television) made the first application to the FCC for an FM license. The first antenna was placed on Canisius Hall. The station's broadcasts were piped into the Barone Campus Center. WVOF's record library was kept in the basement of Regis Hall and the early news broadcasts were produced with the aid of a UPI rip-and-read teletype. By 1976 there were two broadcast studios and one production studio in the cramped quarters.

Some of the early student personalities during that time 1970-76 included Hrniak, a senior when the station "went FM" who hosted music and news events, who is widely credited with being the single most influential person responsible for navigating the station's initiative to move to FM; Mick McCullough, who later became station manager and a music host;Bill O'Neal, a Maine native who worked professionally for a number of stations in Portland after graduating from Fairfield in 1972; Mary Beth Carmody, one of the station's first female hosts; Rich Mcheer, a hockey announcer when the Stags had a club hockey team that played at Bridgeport's Wonderland of Ice; and Doc Hynes, who was a music host and basketball play-by-play announcer who teamed with McCullough blending sports and comedy during game broadcasts, which occasionally got them in hot water with the university administration.

During the mid-1980s, the station was at the vanguard of the American alternative music scene, under the able leadership of Music Director Sean "The Hag" Hagearty. In 2002, the Fairfield University's worldwide, state-of-the-art radio station opened for business in a brand new three-studio complex in the John A. Barone Campus Center. WVOF regularly hears from listeners in South America, Europe, the West Coast and Canada.[2]

Connecticut Public Radio

On June 19, 2008, the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Corporation and Fairfield University announced a partnership between Connecticut Public Radio ("WNPR") and WVOF. WVOF broadcasts WNPR's program schedule every weekday morning from 5 to 10 a.m., every weekday afternoon from 4 to 6 p.m., and weekend mornings from 5 a.m. to noon.[3]

Sports Radio

Bridgeport Bluefish

In 2002, WVOF began carrying Bridgeport Bluefish baseball games, and on July 12, 2006, it carried the Atlantic League All-Star Game.

Fairfield Stags Basketball

WVOF is the home of Fairfield Stags men's and women's basketball. Men's basketball coverage is led play-by-play analyst Bob Heussler with color commentary from Stag basketball legend Joe DeSantis '79. Women's basketball coverage is led by play-by-play analyst John Cummings with color commentary from former UConn guard Maria Conlon. Fairfield University students participate in the production and color commentary for both the men's and women's games.[4]

Fairfield Stags Lacrosse

WVOF is also the home of several Fairfield Stags men's lacrosse home games each year.

Independent shows

12 Hour MAAC Basketball Tournament Preview Show

Starting in 2011, Sports Director Ivey Speight created the show to preview the upcoming weekend of MAAC Tournament play. As the MAAC has grown in reputation as a basketball conference in the past decade, this program is deemed important. It is well produced for a student affair and in 2012 it contained interviews from every member of all 20 teams (M&W) in the MAAC.

Rock Nation

Join James Maresca as he takes you on a trip into the world of classic rock, arena rock, and hair metal from the "Most Rockin' Artists of the 1970s & 1980s". If you are a fan of bands like Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Queen, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, or Van Halen, you will not want to miss Rock Nation. Besides hearing two, high octane hours of world-class rock, listeners are kept up to date with the latest rock news and area concert dates. Finally, on occasion, Rock Nation airs special, exclusive rock star interviews. James Maresca has had the pleasure of speaking with rockers like Eddie Money, Troy Luccketta (Tesla), Bruce Hall (REO Speedwagon), Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, Dokken), Oz Fox (Stryper) & Joel Hoekstra (Night Ranger, "Rock Of Ages" on Broadway). Rock Nation Radio airs Tuesdays from 8-10pm (during Fairfield's academic year).

Swingin' West with Mike Gross

Mike Gross is the producer and host of the weekly program Swingin' West on WVOF. The program showcases Western Swing music, an American music form born in Texas and Oklahoma in the 1930s. It's an amalgamation of Irish fiddling/Scottish fiddling music, New Orleans jazz and Black Blues, and it evolved in the 1940s parallel to Big Band Swing. It uses fiddles, mandolins, guitars and steel guitars, in lieu of or along with trumpets, reeds and trombones. The words and vocals tend toward the light, happy side.[5] The Western Swing Society-Seattle inducted Mike into the Pioneers Of Western Swing Hall of Fame on August 11, 2002. And the Academy of Western Artists named Mike Disc Jockey of the Year by in 2000.[5] The show broadcasts on WVOF every Friday afternoon from 1-4 pm EST.

Upper Room with Joe Kelley and Gi Dussault

The "Upper Room with Joe Kelley" has been on the radio airwaves since 1982. Joe Kelley and Gi Dussault co-host the show and are well respected in the music business as creative air personalities and supporters of independent musicians. The show features creative music in funk, R&B, jazz, blues, rock, hip-hop, Latin, and gospel. In addition, Joe Kelley has interviewed renowned musicians such as Victor Wooten, Sheila E., Foley, Robin Duhe, Jef Lee Johnson, Jellybean Johnson, Monte Moir, Rhonda Smith, Bernie Worrell, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Bland, Larry Graham, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, Steve Smith, St. Paul Peterson, JD Blair, Tori Ruffin, Kat Dyson, Eric Person, actor Jeff Daniels, Junior Giscombe, John Scofield, EC Scott, John Blackwell, Mystic Bowie, and many others. Finally, "The Upper Room" hosts an in-house concert series.[6] Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Prince featured the "Upper Room with Joe Kelley and Gi Dussault" on his official website NPG Music Club. This is the first radio show to have ever received that honor. The show broadcasts on WVOF on Mondays from 4-8 pm EST.

Fairfield alumni in TV, radio, film, and other media

See also

References

  1. ↑ "WVOF Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  2. ↑ WVOF to open new studios
  3. ↑ Connecticut Public Radio WNPR and Fairfield University WVOF Announce Partnership
  4. ↑ Michelle Morrison, 'Basketball and the Beast,' The Mirror, November 1, 2007.
  5. 1 2 Western Music Network DJ - Mike Gross
  6. ↑ Internet Radio Show: Upper Room with Joe Kelley and Gi Dussault- Bio
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