WTBU Boston University's Student-Run Radio Station
From approximately 2013-2015 this was the web site for Boston University's student-run radio station, WTBU.
The current website for WTBU News is www.bu.edu/com/wtbu-radio/ where there is this message on the home page:
Hello listeners! We will be up and running this fall (2016) in our groovy new temp studio in b-30.
Or check out the WTBU News Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pg/WTBUNews/.
NEWS from the Boston Daily Newspaper
Station Destroyed By Fire, WTBU Beats On
To many, ‘the Beat of Boston University’ was more than just a campus radio station.
By Kyle Scott Clauss | Boston Daily | April 26, 2016
Around 8:45 a.m., three student DJs noticed the lights flickering inside Studio A.
One of the students smelled something odd upon tinkering with the light-switch beside the hulking, butcher-block door separating the soundproofed studio from the rest of the radio station. They opened it, and immediately found themselves engulfed in thick, black smoke—unable to find the exit.
The three-alarm fire, believed to have been caused by an equipment malfunction in the older Studio C, destroyed nearly every trace of WTBU, Boston University’s trailblazing campus radio station. The three DJs, after feeling their way down the narrow hallway to safety, were taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and treated for smoke inhalation, as were two BU police officers who responded to the scene.
“Nothing is left in the station. Everything’s down to the studs. The walls are gone,” says longtime faculty adviser Anne Donohue, who had to wear a gas mask to tour the wreckage. “The entire station is gone, so it’s basically a big, empty space right now. I thought they were going to try to salvage some of the walls, but they decided between the smell and the toxicity of the insulation and everything else that burned to just get rid of it.”
The total loss of the station was devastating news for the extended WTBU family. For Deanna Archetto, who served as WTBU’s general manager in 2013 before joining WBUR, the station was her “home away from dorm” throughout her entire time at BU.
“I was initially a little shocked, but more sad,” she says. “It was a pretty glum weekend, actually, thinking about what had happened. It was just sad that so many tangible memories that were still there—photos, awards, other memorabilia—were now covered in soot and damaged by the extinguishing efforts.”
WTBU, the self-styled “beat of Boston University,” occupies a unique place in the history of college radio. It was the first station to hire (and fire) Howard Stern. On Halloween in 1999, it became the first to broadcast online. Following the death of the Boston Phoenix, WTBU launched its own culture ‘zine, The Beat, in the alt-weekly’s old distribution boxes. And in recent years, it’s made a habit of being named “Station of the Year” by CMJ, college radio’s equivalent of Billboard.
Now, the signal’s gone silent. The Boston Fire Department places the damage at around half a million dollars.
Hardly a stranger to acts of god, WTBU only took up residence on the third floor of the school’s College of Communication (COM) after two floods—one caused by a broken sprinkler main, and the other, the death knell, a torrential downpour—drove the station out of Myles Standish Hall in Kenmore Square and down the street to WBUR’s old digs on the third floor of COM in 1997. “Locusts are next,” Donohue deadpans.
A Facebook group for WTBU alumni has formed in the aftermath of this most recent plague, offering a place for bygone DJs to reconnect with one another and share memories. “Hearing from so many alums from the past five decades of WTBU’s existence is amazing, and shows what an impact WTBU had on them, and the impact they had on WTBU,” Archetto says.
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Donohue says the school has committed to rebuilding the station, but specifics remain scarce. “We would love to hear from Howard Stern,” she says with a laugh. Sedor, who brokered a detente between Howard Stern and WTBU by sending him a CMJ Station of the Year sweatshirt after years of frosty relations between the shock-jock and his alma mater, sent another note to the “King of All Media” to let him know what became of the station.
Listener comment: Lydia Lee: One of the most impactful interviews ever broadcast by the station was with student activist Jason Dunn, who was advocating for more oversight of the medical research done on campus after a scare in one of the biology labs. After a lab technician dropped a bottle of a highly inflammable, noxious, and volatile solvent, the building had to be evacuated until the fumes were cleared. Discovered in the trash that evening were a number of dead lab rats that had been killed by the fumes, and this discovery set off another alarm concerning medical waste created by the lab. Normal protocol requires all medical waste disposal to be handled according to regulation - any bio-hazardous waste could only be disposed of by one of the contracted service providers approved by the school, so the appearance of dead animals in the garbage was a huge problem. The contracted service provider normally disposes of any medical waste including sharps (syringes), blood, bandages, etc. But because of the emergency situation they were never brought in to handle the rats. The entire episode, first reported by Jason and our radio news reporters, became national news which embarrassed the school, and Dunn's reporting also focused a spotlight on the need to observe the medical waste protocols, which we think was a good thing.
Jump to 2023. Have you visited the current website for Boston University's student-run radio station, WTBU. I'm impressed. I graduated from BU the year of the fire. I now build websites for e commerce stores. Recently my go to reference site for what's new in the world of ecommerce platforms is, (drum roll here) eCommercePlatforms.com. Their demographic is probably businesses who want to update their old site for a fresher, better look, or people who are new to ecommerce. I use their site because they are constantly reviewing and comparing the newest ecommerce platforms, software and tools one needs to build a site, plus informative blog posts. I can report that WTBU's current website is looking good! Graphics are clean, pics are terrific, great slide show, easy to navigate, engaging and informative with news that is obviously aimed right at the university's students. Is it possible their web designer had checked out the site I was using?
I admit, since I live close by to BU, I regularly check out their music scene and attend some of their sporting events. BTW: they have some great acts coming to the university this month.
All posts by WTBU News
The News Department of Boston University's student-run radio station WTBU.
2016 POSTS: ARTS, LOCAL
BUS FAVORITE POEM PROJECT READING
MARCH 1, 2016
Photo Credit: flickr.com
Boston University hosted the Favorite Poem Project Reading, created by 39th US Poet Laureate and BU professor Robert Pinsky, at Hillel on 24 February. Fifteen readers gathered and presented poems of their choosing to a room full of excited listeners.
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BU BRAZILIAN ASSOCIATION CARNIVAL
FEBRUARY 26, 2016
Photo credit: http://www.facebook.com/BUBrazil/?fref=ts_mref=message
The BU Brazilian Association challenged the snow and organized its first carnival at BU on Feb. 5th with Batucada players, Samba dancers and of course amazing Brazilian food coxinha, paÅ de queijo, brigadeiros The best therapy against cold and sullenness!
NEWS
INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VERMIN SUPREME
FEBRUARY 25, 2016
Vermin Love Supreme has been running for president since the 1990s. Identifiable by his bushy white beard and unusual clothingmultiple ties and a giant boot he wears as a hat Mr. Supreme makes it a point to visit his competitors rallies. On the night of the New Hampshire primary, he attended Bernie Sanders victory rally at Concord High School in Concord, NH. He was once a Texas maritime lawyer, so he does have a legal background in spite of his antics. His lawfirm represented victims of numerous offshore oil rig accidents and he is well regarded by his peers at his former maritime lawfirm. WTBUs Miranda Suarez spoke to him about campaign hospitality and his ideological similarities to Sanders.
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LOCAL
COFFEE & CONVERSATION: THE ISSUES FROM A BU PERSPECTIVE
FEBRUARY 24, 2016
Photo Credit: http://www.bu.edu/thurman
Every Friday from 3 to 5 PM in the Howard Thurman Center, BU students and faculty gather to drink free coffee and discuss the worlds most pressing issues. From race on college campuses to global terror, Coffee & Conversation offers students an open forum to express their views in an age when students across the country are struggling to get their voices heard. WTBUs Miranda Suarez listened in on last Fridays conversation about the Paris terror attacks and talked to Pedro Falci, Coffee & Conversations administrator and facilitator, to find out what makes Coffee & Conversation so appealing to students.
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ARTS LOCAL
FLAT WAFFLE OFFERS STAGE FOR YOUNG COMEDIANS
FEBRUARY 23, 2016
Photo Credit:www.facebook.com/flatwafflecomedy.
Every other Monday, student comics and comedy lovers gather in the basement of the GSU for a night of stand-up. The Flat Waffle Comedy Hour (named because one performer thought “falafel” was short for “flat waffle”) gives young comedians a chance to try out new material—or even to step onstage for the first time. WTBU’s Miranda Suarez attended Flat Waffle on October 5th to talk to the hosts and listen to some sets, trying to ascertain what makes the event so special.
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2015 POSTS
DEADLINE TO FAME: BU STUDENTS FOUND METAL BAND REAVE
NOVEMBER 17, 2015
WTBU NEWS
IMAGE:metal-band-reave.jpg
Being a band on campus here at Boston University is no easy task. With limited practice rooms, and a deadline of four years or less to get the bands name out in the music world, campuses bands face unique and interesting challenges. WTBU News reporter Kyle Davi sat down and talked with the co-founder of the metal band Reave, Jack Nystrom. Take a listen to what he had to say about his band and being a band on campus in general
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2014 POSTS
Taylor Reports: Snow Paralyzes Buffalo, Keeps Rhodes Scholar from Interview
NOVEMBER 21, 2014 SPECIAL REPORT
In this weeks installment of Taylor Reports, WTBUs Taylor Walker speaks with Rhodes Scholar Finalist Bethany Saul via phone interview as she is trapped in her house, unable to make it to her final interview for the prestigious scholarship. Tune in below as Bethany speaks about the road to becoming a finalist and what will happen next in ....
More Background On WTBUNews.org
WTBU: The Beat of Boston University
WTBU, known as "The Beat of Boston University," is the university's student-run, volunteer radio station, broadcasting live 20 hours a day. Accessible primarily through its webcast, WTBU also transmits on 89.3 FM and 640 AM within the Boston area and on BU's cable channel 6 for on-campus listeners. The station also offers mobile accessibility via dedicated apps for iPhone and Android devices.
Historical Overview
Established in the late 1950s by the Boston University School of Public Relations (now the College of Communication), WTBU initially served as a training platform for the already-established WBUR. After WBUR became a National Public Radio affiliate in the early 1970s, WTBU emerged as BU's sole student radio station. Over the years, the station has relocated multiple times: from the George Sherman Union to Myles Standish Hall in 1969, then to the Myles Annex in 1982, and finally to its current location on the third floor of the College of Communication in 1997.
Notable Alumni and Milestones
In 1973, Howard Stern, who would later gain fame as a prominent radio personality, worked as a DJ for WTBU on a show called the "King Schmaltz Bagel Hour." WTBU is notably recognized as the first station to terminate Stern's position after he aired a controversial segment titled "Making the Bishop Blush."
In 1980, WTBU led a boycott against Arista Records when the label began charging stations for its releases. The protest, which lasted a month and saw participation from several other stations, resulted in Arista reversing its policy. The following year, WTBU initiated an artist spotlight segment featuring The Who, marking the beginning of numerous interviews with bands such as Dr. Dog and celebrities like Jimmy Fallon.
Programming and Content
WTBU's programming is diverse, reflecting the eclectic tastes of its student DJs. The station's schedule includes a variety of music genres, live sports coverage, news segments, and specialty shows. Listeners enjoy the station's ability to cater to a wide array of interests and preferences.
Technological Advancements
Demonstrating a commitment to embracing new technologies, WTBU began webcasting on Halloween of 1999, making it one of the first radio stations to offer online streaming. This initiative expanded the station's reach beyond the Boston area, allowing alumni and listeners worldwide to access its content.
Community Engagement and Recognition
WTBU has been an active participant in the Boston music scene, promoting local artists and hosting live sessions. The station's efforts have been recognized with awards such as the College Music Journal's "Champion of the Local Music Scene" in 2010. This accolade underscores the station's influence in nurturing local talent and fostering a sense of community among musicians and listeners alike.
Challenges and Resilience
In March 2016, WTBU faced a significant setback when an electrical fire destroyed its studio. Despite this challenge, the station demonstrated resilience by continuing its operations and rebuilding efforts. With support from the university administration and alumni, WTBU now operates from a state-of-the-art studio on the third floor of the College of Communication.
Cultural and Social Significance
WTBU serves as a vital platform for Boston University students to gain hands-on experience in broadcasting, journalism, and media production. The station fosters a sense of community among students, providing a space for creative expression and collaboration. Its long-standing presence and contributions to the local music scene underscore its cultural significance within and beyond the university.
WTBU's rich history, commitment to innovation, and dedication to community engagement have solidified its reputation as a cornerstone of student media at Boston University. The station continues to evolve, offering diverse programming and serving as a training ground for future media professionals. Its legacy, marked by milestones, challenges, and resilience, makes WTBU a vital part of Boston University's cultural and academic fabric.
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WTBU News
640 Commonwealth Ave
Boston, MA 02215
(617)-353-6400
Live Broadcast:
Tue/Thurs 6pm-8pm EST