Have you heard of the music of Kings of Leon, Dogs Die in Hot Cars or Ween?
What about Bright Eyes, The Raveonettes or The Postal Service?
If not, you might want to tune into the two main University radio stations: 88.7 WRSU New Brunswick and 90.3 WVPH Piscataway, where all those artists are on the top five play list.
Although the two stations are under the broad tent of the University, their histories have been different and each of their affiliations to the University is unique.
WRSU began in 1948 on 680 AM. It moved to its current location on the dial Jan. 27, 1974, where it broadcasts shows in music, sports, news, culture and entertainment.
The station is run by a board of governors and funded by the University, program grants and local businesses.
WVPH began on the AM in 1971. It moved to 90.3 FM April 7, 2000.
Located on Livingston campus, the station is a partner of Piscataway High School. The two groups came together in 1999, and the station provides experience in radio for college students and members of Piscataway High School.
It would seem there would be problems with two stations on campus, but managers at both stations do not seem to mind.
"The more music outlets the students can listen to, the better off they are," said Special Events Director "Red Rose" from WRSU.
Lisa Robinson, general manager of WVPH, agreed.
"I feel that Rutgers is very lucky to have exposure to two college radio stations," Robinson said. "Each station brings its own unique blend of programming that represents different parts of the Rutgers Community and our surrounding communities."
Both stations also agree getting involved at the radio station can help on a student's career at the University.
"It's a great way to meet new, interesting people," Robinson said. "You also get to learn responsibility, and you get to learn production skills in the field of radio. Plus, it looks great on any resume."
"It's a great stepping stone into the field of radio," Rose said. "The students gain self-confidence and learn a lot in the field of communications. Plus, the students can learn from mistakes and become the best they can be."
One difference between the two is the number of disc jockeys each station employs.
WRSU has over 160 members working for the station, while WVPH has around 60 to 68 DJs on staff - a major increase from the 30 to 34 it had in 2000.
Both stations offer alternatives to the normal music heard on commercial radio stations as well. The bands mentioned already are a sample of what listeners can hear on the stations, and they seem to fit both stations perfectly.
"Although we do get some requests for pop music, we like the station to be an alternative to what is heard on the big radio stations," Rose said.
"We like to offer something different to the community," Robinson said. "People like tuning into our station because it's different and offers something for everybody."
Both stations have important upcoming events as well.
WRSU will be holding Learning Secrets 2005 at Trayes Hall April 1 on Douglass campus.
WVPH will be working to build a new transmitter site on the communications tower on Livingston campus that will expand the station's signal by over 85 percent this fall.
To raise the more than $60,000, students from both schools are banding together to hold "The Tower of Tomorrow Radio Marathon."
It will be at the Woodbridge Center Mall, and for 36 hours, the DJs will stay awake and be actively taking part in the long broadcast.
Be the first to comment on this article!