Wikipedia

Draft:WALT 1610



WALT 1610
WALT 1610 student radio logo
  • Davidson, North Carolina
Broadcast areaEarth
Branding"Radio Free Davidson" "Banned from FM"
Programming
FormatInternet Radio
Ownership
OwnerDavidson College Student Body
History
First air date
April 5, 1989 (1989-04-05)
Former call signs
WDAV, WDSR
Former names
WDAV, Davidson Student Radio
Former frequencies
580 kHz, 1610 kHz
Call sign meaning
"Alternative Radio"
Technical information
Transmitter coordinates
35.500583338513295, -80.84281415683749
Links
Webcasthttps://streamer.radio.co/s7de3f3534/listen
Websitehttps://www.walt1610.com
Former Station Manager Jack Flood '22 in the WALT Radio studio

WALT 1610, commonly known as "WALT," is a student radio organization at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina.[1] The station is entirely student-run and serves the college campus as a platform for creative expression, music appreciation, and community engagement.[1] It broadcasts via an online radio web stream 24 hours a day. WALT also hosts live events on Davidson's campus and collaborates with other organizations for numerous music-related events each year.[2] The station maintains Davidson's band practice space, "Depot", and routinely upgrades audio equipment for student use.[1]

Programming

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WALT's programming covers a wide range of musical genres. The station schedule updates on a biannual basis and averages over 75 weekly radio shows each semester, which are hosted by student DJ volunteers.[3] Shows primarily take place between 10 am and 2 am EST.[3] When a show is not on air, students will play "rotations"—curated playlists containing all their favorite music.[4]

History

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Student radio at Davidson began with WDAV in 1969, later becoming WDSR ("Davidson Student Radio") from 1980-1982, and then eventually WALT 1610 in the late 1980s.[5][6][7]

In the fall of 1987, three students began experimenting with Davidson's existing carrier current radio infrastructure left behind from previous forms of student radio on campus, WDAV and WDSR.[8] These students circulated a petition to revive student radio on campus, garnering signatures from over half the student body within the first hour.[8] They chartered a new radio station—WALT—as a student activity, falling under the guidance of the Media Board of Directors, an oversight committee consisting of students, faculty, and administrators.[9] On April 5, 1989, WALT went on air at 580 kHz from the west basement of the Belk dormitory.[10][7]

In 1990, WALT shut down due to severe technical difficulties that rendered broadcasts inaudible at a short range in addition to "resistance from the offices of the President and Dean of Students."[11][12] WALT leaders proposed the development of FM broadcasting infrastructure as a solution to the station's technical woes.[11] The college administration declined to finance this request, leading to two years of radio silence.[11] By 1992, efforts to revive the station began, including recovering the studio key, organizing the records and CDs, and repairing a carrier current transmitter and wiring network that was outdated and had sustained significant damage over time.[11] Students received a startup bonus from the college student union in the spring of 1995 to cover initial investment costs in replacing broadcasting equipment, allowing them to go on air in late 1995.[13]

Over the following years, WALT moved locations several times, eventually settling in the Alvarez Student Union in 2001, where it remains today.[11] WALT began releasing podcasts in 2006 and transitioned from AM radio to digital webcasting several years later.[11][14]

Controversy

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WALT 1610 was established in the aftermath of a 1978 disagreement over radio leadership of WDAV– a Davidson College student-operated FM radio station.[11] The station was owned by the college but was categorized as a student-led organization, meaning students were in charge of fundraising, selecting programming, and exercising authority over the station's direction– as long as the station aligned with the goals set forth by the Media Board.[15] Decisions made by the college administration that overrode student and Media Board leadership caused the severance of student relations with the station in 1978, leading to the creation of WDSR, which later became WALT.[5][16] Though the name of college radio has changed over time, a student quorum with an appreciation of all music genres has remained since the late 1960s.[16] Additionally, much of the equipment and music collection has been passed down to WALT from the student members of WDAV.[17]

WDAV

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Student radio at Davidson began as WDAV, which was founded in 1969 as a carrier current station before it transitioned to a 10-watt FM station in September 1973.[16] The station broadcast a diverse range of music, including rock, jazz, classical, and news, and was managed entirely by students.[16] It served both as a social and recreational group of music lovers as well as an educational platform outside of the classroom for students interested in gaining professional radio or media experience.[18]

In the summer of 1976, students initiated discussions of upgrading WDAV's broadcast power from 10 to 18,540 watts, which would cost an estimated $70,000.[19] This significant power boost would be capable of reaching an estimated 2 million area residents, reaching down from Davidson into Charlotte, North Carolina.[15] In April 1977, the Media Board of Directors updated WDAV's Statement of Policy and Purpose.[9] The revision asserted that the goal of WDAV was to play "a variety of programs in keeping with the standards of good taste and a college's duty to raise the cultural level of its community."[9] The college administration approved the wattage upgrade in January 1978 but did not offer any financial support to students, who needed to raise $70,000 before a May 1, 1978 deadline.[19] The college did agree to finance $25,000 of WDAV's annual expenses in the event that the $70,000 was raised.[19]

Disagreements in WDAV's management arose as the station's broadcast range and capacity for local influence rapidly expanded throughout 1978.[9] In the minutes of a fall 1977 meeting that were never disclosed to the WDAV student staff, the Davidson College Board of Trustees asserted that: "Since by its nature a broadcast station operated for the College will have an impact on the institution's public relations function, it is necessary that the station and its programming be closely and continuously supervised by the College administration."[9] Students were not informed about the college's intentions to control WDAV's programming. Instead, they were led to believe that, like other student activities on campus, they would continue to have leadership and control over the station.

Over the course of the spring of 1978, students made significant fundraising progress.[20] On April 26, 1978, WDAV successfully resumed operations at the new broadcasting power of 18,540 watts.[20] However, during that summer, Davidson College President Samuel R. Spencer mandated that classical music should occupy 50% of all airtime, causing unrest among the station's student volunteers.[16][21] Students, led by Station Manager Carrington Thompson, expressed concern that increasing classical music programming would reduce the diversity of the station's programming.[21] In an interview for The Charlotte Observer, Thompson pointed out that the initial WDAV programming proposal that was submitted to the Federal Communications Comission (FCC) had a clear programming outline that featured a balance of diverse genres (including regular classical music) that the station legally needed to abide by.[21] Thompson revealed that even before the college's mandatory classical increase was imposed, students were already "playing more classical music than they ever proposed to the [FCC]."[21] The administration claimed that the shift towards classical programming aligned with the station’s original mission to fill a classical radio void in in the Davidson area. Students found no evidence of this "original mission" being disclosed to them and referred to the Media Board of Directors April 1977 update to WDAV's constitutional goal of playing a balance of programming.[9] Students felt that the decision-making process excluded them, citing a lack of communication and deceptive tactics on the part of college officials.[22]

Tensions rose when the college closed a student-funded WDAV campus mailbox with no prior warning, making headlines in the September 15, 1978 Davidsonian.[23] Students saw this move as foul play since they viewed WDAV as a student organization. Earlier in the year, President Spencer said to the station's student volunteers: "[WDAV] is a legitimate student activity, and I fully understand the importance of it, especially to those involved in its operation."[9] Student activities at Davidson receive funding from a board of students called the Activities Tax Council, or "ATC".[23] The ATC can approve or disapprove a student organization's proposed budget based on general college guidelines, but cannot dictate student organizational programming.[24] At the time, WDAV received $6,000 annually in ATC funds, covering a wide range of expenses.[23] A portion of this budget paid for a mailbox through the college post office, allowing students to receive music from record labels as well fundraising checks, which were reportedly arriving on an almost daily basis at the time.[23][20] On September 9th, 1978, the college administration closed this mailbox without informing the WDAV student volunteers.[23] The college administraion had recently appointed WDAV Executive Director Don Lovell to be the station's first non-student employee.[9] When asked by a Davidson student newspaper journalist about this incident, Lovell said the mailbox closing was "strictly a business move. We're a business, not a student activity now."[23] In late September 1978, the student body president spoke out against the President and Board of Trustees actions, saying: "Decisions were made without respect to the WDAV Board of Directors, the student Media Board, or the Constitution." The Davidson Student Government unanimously decided to petition the Board of Trustees to reconsider their approach.[25] Students tried to schedule a meeting with the Board of Trustees, offering a wide range of potential meeting times. Half of the Board declined to attend a proposed October 16, 1978 meeting, allowing those present to decide for everyone absent.[26]

On October 16, 1978, all 60 student volunteers at Davidson College’s WDAV radio station resigned in protest, leading to the station going off the air for several weeks.[27] Following the announcement, the students expressed their dissatisfaction by removing critical station equipment that they had labored to finance and by cutting wires in the broadcast room, rendering WDAV inoperable.[28] At the time, WDAV was the largest extracurricular activity on campus outside of athletic clubs, leading to a significant student response on campus.[16] A Davidson College professor remarked "that [students] were not frankly told what the station was going to become."[29] Another professor said that "Students were at least allowed to believe, if not encouraged, that things were staying the same– that there were no major changes to be made after the switch to high power."[29]

In an interview after his resignation, former Station Manager Carrington Thompson said "I'm not going back to work for the station at all. I refuse to work for any college that treats its students this way."[28]

A Charlotte Observer article wrote: "It surprises me that Davidson's President Spencer and [WDAV Critics] think only in terms of professional competition and fundraising in their judgments. Once again, image has triumphed over content, the business ethic over real values, the interests of the few over the many. They may well not sound like slick professionals, but the students at least had the courage to believe in their music rather than their bank accounts. I wonder why a prestigious liberal arts college like Davidson allows profit to supersede art and freedom of expression."[30]

Two years after this disagreement, the student body was still outraged about the college's handling of this situation. The Davidsonian reflected in 1980 on the administration's role in WDAV's change in leadership: "It is a cruel joke to give students the impression that they are responsible for running an activity and then taking away all control from them."[31]

Almost a decade later, a former WDAV DJ recalled the 1978 controversy, saying: "I don't think I can overestimate for you just how much that [angered the students] ... without the work that had been done for free by the students between 1973 and 1978 there would never have been a high-powered WDAV."[16]

Flipsides

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Once WDAV came back on air in November 1978, students were offered a late-night time slot to play their own selection of music from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays.[32] The show, titled Flipsides, was created as a compromise, allowing students to showcase alternative genres like punk, New Wave, and rock. However, the only radio audience for student DJs was late-night listeners.[33][34] Flipsides was entirely student-directed, featuring bands largely ignored by commercial radio stations, including local North Carolina music groups. Students took pride in their role of promoting bands they deemed exceptional.[35] After consistently playing a band's music for local listeners, that band's events would often sell out when they performed in Charlotte.[35] Students credited this observation as evidence that their radio presence was making a difference in the lives of musicians.[35]

Flipsides gained a modest but loyal audience, reaching up to 5,200 listeners on average nights.[35] Despite its success and significance, Flipsides was subject to an internal review led by the Advisory Board of WDAV.[33] In 1987, the majority of the Advisory Board agreed that "the 'alternative' music aired on 'Flipsides' represented a valid cultural art form and deserved expression," especially since it was the only station in the area playing alternative music.[32][33] They also noted the program's value as the only form of radio involvement for students.[33] Because of these reasons, the Board recommended that Flipsides be preserved.[33]

The classical radio staff at WDAV disagreed with the Board's recommendation and submitted a request for the cancellation of Flipsides to Davidson's Vice-President for Institutional Advancement, John Griffith.[33] Students circulated a petition to preserve Flipsides, which received roughly 1,500 signatures.[32] WDAV had also been receiving fan mail from Flipsides listeners since April 1987.[34] Griffith disregarded the petition and requests to spare Flipsides, determining that the show’s alternative format conflicted with WDAV's long-term goals of becoming a premier classical music station.[33] The program was ultimately canceled on September 10, 1987, despite protests from students and community members.[33] Students viewed the cancellation of Flipsides and subsequent separation from the radio station that they developed as the college administration adding insult to injury.[32] This marked the end of significant student participation in WDAV, pushing students to charter WDSR 580, which later became WALT 1610.[17][36]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "WALT 1610 - About". www.walt1610.com/about. WALT 1610. Retrieved 2024-09-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. ^ "The Davidsonian 3-29-23 by Davidsonian - Issuu". issuu.com. 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  3. ^ a b WALT 1610. "WALT 1610 Radio Schedule". www.walt1610.com/schedule. Retrieved 2024-09-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Flood, Jack. "Flood's Outdoors". www.walt1610.com. WALT 1610. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  5. ^ a b Mitchell, Ann (September 19, 1980). "Carrier current station almost ready". The Davidsonian. pp. 1, 11. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  6. ^ Holland, Jeff (October 31, 1980). "WDSR to go on air Friday". The Davidsonian. p. 2. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Hayden, Alex (April 14, 1989). "Student-operated WALT radio (580 AM) hit the air at 3 p.m. Wednesday with Dave Thompson at the controls". The Davidsonian. p. 1. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Craymer, Suzanne (March 31, 1989). "Wait no more! WALT begins Monday". The Davidsonian. p. 4. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Loptson, Carol (September 15, 1978). "WDAV: then and now". The Davidsonian. pp. 4–5. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  10. ^ Hoffman, Jennifer (September 22, 1988). "Meetings!". The Davidsonian. p. 8. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g "A Brief History of WALT Radio". Libertas. Retrieved September 12, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  12. ^ Teachworth, Sarah (March 20, 1995). "Students try to resurrect WALT". The Davidsonian. p. 2. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  13. ^ Recknagel, Kirsten (February 5, 1996). "WALT hits the air". The Davidsonian. pp. 1, 4. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  14. ^ Talley, Samantha (October 25, 2006). "WALT Enjoys Record Student Participation". The Davidsonian. p. 7. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Carter, Patrice (June 25, 1978). "Davidson Tunes In To A New Audience". The Charlotte Observer. p. 81. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Boles, Jon (September 21, 1987). "A history of Davidson radio". The Davidsonian. p. 3. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  17. ^ a b John Grooms (1988-03-12), WALT To Rock Davidson– But nowhere else Charlotte Creative Loafing, retrieved 2024-09-12
  18. ^ Alexander IV, Hooper (1978-11-09). "Davidson Students Worked Hard for WDAV: Student Deejays Tried". The Charlotte Observer. p. 27. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  19. ^ a b c McLawhorn, Dennis (January 20, 1978). "Spencer Gives WDAV High Power Go-Ahead". The Davidsonian. p. 3. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c Erwin, Charles (April 28, 1978). "After months of planning, WDAV flips switch". The Davidsonian. pp. 1–2. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  21. ^ a b c d Alridge, Ron (September 15, 1978). "Davidson Students Up In Arms Over WDAV's Classical Quota". The Charlotte Observer. p. 63. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  22. ^ Loptson, Carol (September 15, 1978). "Staff members fear loss of control". The Davidsonian. p. 4. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  23. ^ a b c d e f McLawhorn, Dennis (September 15, 1978). "College Closes WDAV's Box". The Davidsonian. p. 1. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  24. ^ Students of Davidson College. Bylaws of the Davidson College Student Government Association. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  25. ^ McLawhorn, Dennis (September 29, 1978). "SGA Slaps Trustees". The Davidsonian. p. 1. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  26. ^ Loptson, Carole (October 13, 1978). "Top Trustees to Face WDAV". The Davidsonian. p. 1. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  27. ^ Alridge, Ron (October 17, 1978). "Radio Staff Unplugs Davidson". The Charlotte Observer. p. 6. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  28. ^ a b Erwin, Charles (October 20, 1978). "Trustees Affirm College's Control". The Davidsonian. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  29. ^ a b Loptson, Carole (October 20, 1978). "Entire Staff of WDAV Resigns, Campus Reaction Differs". The Davidsonian. p. 1. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  30. ^ Lazzarro, Paul (1978-11-09). "Davidson Students Worked Hard for WDAV: Image Triumphs Again". The Charlotte Observer. p. 27. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  31. ^ Camerra, Pam (May 9, 1980). "Davidson Lacks Commitments to its Goals". The Davidsonian. p. 3. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  32. ^ a b c d Dunn, Kevin (September 21, 1987). "The administration giveth and it later taketh away". The Davidsonain. p. 15. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  33. ^ a b c d e f g h Pearsall, Susan (September 21, 1987). "WDAV Cancels Flipsides". The Davidsonian. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  34. ^ a b Owens, E. (1987-04-17). "'Flipsides' Has Fans". The Charlotte Observer. p. 22. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  35. ^ a b c d Borden, Jeff (1986-08-26). "Davidson Students Enjoy Alternative Rock on WDAV's 'Flipside'". The Charlotte Observer. p. 13. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  36. ^ O'Briant, Jenny (December 12, 1980). "WDSR back on the air and growing". The Davidsonian. pp. 1, 11. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
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