About WBRS & F.A.Q.
We've compiled this page to answer some of your most common questions and concerns.
Questions or Troubles with our On-line Webcast? We have provided direct links and URL's to our streaming audio, as well as links to download the free players software.
Trying to tune us in on your radio? Radio reception is as much an art as a science, and there's a surprising amount you can do to improve reception.
Feeling like learning a bit about the Tech Stuff and History of WBRS? Check out our extensive history. If you happen to know something about our history, feel free to contact us and share!
Finally, for all your other queries, we've created a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list.
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Click the thumbnail for a map showing our approximate broadcast range of our 100.1FM signal.
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Questions/Help with the WBRS Webcast
LIVE365 HELP : Our off-campus streaming is provided through Live365.com. If you're having trouble, you may want to check out help.live365.com - their extensive help pages
WEIRD TEXT WHEN YOU CLICK THE LIGHTNING BOLT? If you click the "lightning bolt" webcast link above and a blank page opens, or you see text like this:
[playlist]
File1=http://www.live365.com/play/wbrsfm
Length1=-1
NumberOfEntries=1
Version=2
It means you don't have Winamp installed, or not installed properly, on your computer. That "bolt" is Winamp's icon. Try the iTunes "note" icon instead. It's the same link, just configured differently...and it'll work with Winamp or iTunes equally well. We've found that "note" icon works for many people when the "bolt" icon doesn't.
If nothing else works, try re-installing the player software. Sometimes your web browser just loses the configuration that associates links with the appropriate player software. Re-installation will often fix that.
HIGH-SPEED FOR BRANDEIS CAMPUS ONLY! Please note that the "High-Speed" webcast is 128kbps/stereo audio, and is provided only as a Streaming MP3 and therefore can only be played in Winamp, iTunes and some versions of Realplayer. Due to campus bandwidth-usage concerns, this high-speed webcast is restricted to computers/listeners physically located on the Brandeis University campus network ONLY.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
So what's the deal with WBRS? Give me some details! We're a small college radio station directly affiliated with Brandeis University (who holds the FCC license and hosts our facilities) in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. Specifically, our City of License (COL) is Waltham...it's about 8 miles due west of downtown. As such, our mandate is to provide programming that serves Waltham and serves the Brandeis student community. We broadcast at 100.1 MegaHertz in the FM (Frequency Modulation) band, which runs from 88.1 MHz to 107.9 MHz. WBRS has a "Class D FM FCC License", which is a non-commercial license. Even though we're in the "commercial band" from 92.1 to 107.9 MHz, our license dictates we provide a non-commercial, educational service (NCE). Read below for more info about Class D licenses. The call letters are a shortening of "BRandeiS", or stand for "Brandeis Radio Service" or "Brandeis Radio System" (depending on who you ask).
Who works there? Any job openings? Most of our staff is Brandeis students, but there are Brandeis staff & alumni as well as several community volunteers with no connection to Brandeis other than that they're good DJ's and volunteer at the station. There are no regular paid positions at the station; everyone's a volunteer. Most of our Executive Board that runs the station is students as well - it's a good learning experience!
The station also functions on a co-operative basis, which means that all DJ's are required to devote a certain amount of time each month towards station functions besides doing their show.
What music do you play? Anything and everything! Our slogan is "Something for Everyone" and therefore we try to give time to as many genres as possible. We even have talk shows, too. Our programming follows a "block format" programming schedule. That means that, unlike most commercial stations, we don't play just one genre of music. However, we're not quite a "free form" station either...certain times are devoted to certain genres, with a rough separation between weekdays and weekends. Related to that, our DJ's have total freedom in choosing their playlists, but they're expected to stay within the genre of their timeslot. Check out our real-time music log on Spinitron
We also have an extensive Live Music Program, bringing artists into our studios to perform on the air and for anyone who comes by. Our two live music shows, The Joint and WBRS Coffeehouse have been running since 1982 with performances from Deb Pasternak, Heavy Metal Horns, Lisa Loeb, Moxy Fruvous, Jim's Big Ego, Two Ton Shoe, The Pressure Cookers, Dresden Dolls and many, many more. If you're interested in playing live on WBRS, contact the Booking Agent on the Contact page.
I want WBRS to play my stuff, what do I do? Simple, just mail your CD to the appropriate Genre Coordinator in the Music Department. See the Contact page for details. Audio CD's and Data CD's with high-quality MP3's (256kbps stereo minimum) are strongly encouraged. While we do believe in the awesome power of vinyl, it takes up a ton of space in our cramped library. Also, we have a policy of giving everything that comes through the door an equal shot of getting on the air, but we get a LOT of music every week. We also give our DJ's a lot of freedom to play what they want. That means we don't promise that anything WILL get played - only that it has a shot. You can also ask to be booked on one of our live music shows as well - see the above question for more details.
I'm an aspiring DJ, can I join WBRS? Certainly! Folks can apply at pretty much any time but the big turnover times are in mid-January, early May, and early September (i.e. when the academic semesters begin). We usually have the biggest need for DJ's over the summer and over winter break so if you want to get your timeslot of choice - that's the time to apply. No previous training or experience is necessary (but it certainly won't hurt). Contact the Personnel Director for details about how to join.
Do I have to be a student to join WBRS? As a student station, we place a priority on student staff. However, members of the community are very welcome, too. As well as Brandeis staff, too. We have several DJ's that also work at professional stations around the area who like to volunteer at WBRS because we have a lot more freedom in our playlists than most commercial stations do. Some DJ's have been at WBRS for more than 20 years! Community volunteers are also welcome to run for most of the executive board positions as well.
Does WBRS DJ special events? Yes, we do! We have a full DJ rig and trained staff to spin at your dance or other event. Priority is given to Brandeis campus groups. Contact the SPuD/Special Productions Director for details.
Why doesn't WBRS have a bigger signal? The simple reason is that there's pretty much no more room on the dial for us to have a more powerful signal; most major markets (like Greater Boston) are completely packed and have been for decades. Even LPFM was no help anywhere near the city - it's too full. The only realistic way to get more coverage is to purchase existing stations and take them over. A major FM signal in a major market goes for about $50 million, a major AM about $10m to $20m. Even a mid-level FM signal would still be at least $5 to $15 million; these are seriously valuable properties! See the coverage maps & tuning tips for help. And there's always the online webcast, too.
I hear commercials and a lot of classic rock when I try to tune you in - what gives? You're likely hearing WWFX "The Pike" out of Southbridge/Worcester, MA...about 40 miles to the west. They're on the same frequency as WBRS (100.1FM) and have a lot more power (about 2800 watts). If you're to the west of Waltham, you might have trouble getting WBRS because of WWFX...see the tips to tune WBRS in below or try our webcast.
I have a product or service I want to promote on your airwaves...does WBRS play commercials? Strictly speaking, no. WBRS is has a "non-commercial" license from the FCC, even though we're in the commercial band (92.1 - 107.9MHz). That means we can't play commercials, but we can make on-air acknowledgments of donors. This is called underwriting and there are several restrictions about what can and can't be said in underwriting, most of it intended to limit the acknowledgements to identifying the donor and giving an address/phone number/website. Most of the time it actually means a better-sounding air product because it's not as "in your face" as advertising often is. By station and University policy WBRS does not run on-air fundraisers (commonly heard on public radio stations). Nobody likes week-long beg-a-thons anyway. :-)
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How to tune WBRS in
I'm having a real hard time tuning in WBRS!!! WBRS only puts out 25 watts of FM, which covers more than you'd expect but it's still a pretty small signal. Here's an approximate map of our coverage area but even this isn't a guarantee of reception...a good radio and antenna can pick up WBRS well outside our main range, and a poor radio will have trouble even on campus. Fortunately, there's more you can do to improve reception than you might think! The major factor is your radio and its antenna. All radios & antennas are NOT created equal!
So what radios are better? In order of best to worst:
BEST
- Blaupunkt & most "HD Radio" car radios. Some Alpines are good too.
- Car radios (factory-standard models)
- Grundig radios, or their generic equivalents: Tecsun radios
- Home component stereo tuners w/exterior antennas. Such as NAD Tuners or Tivoli/Kloss Radios
AVERAGE
- Car radios (aftermarket models, except for models already mentioned above)
- Home component stereo tuners w/indoor antennas. Such as C.Crane Electronics
- Home mini-systems. Such as Aiwa, Sony, Panasonic and others. Preferable with a external FM (not AM) antenna.
POOR
- Clock Radios. Of pretty much any kind.
- Portable "Walkmans".
- Portable "Boomboxes".
NOTES:
- Antenna amplifiers, like Terk, usually make reception of weak stations worse - they just increase the noise floor.
- Antennas that are external to the radio are generally better. Any outdoor antena is usually better. Telescoping antennas are usually so-so, and anything with an internal antenna is usually bad. Ironically, in many cases the simple two-wire "di-pole" antenna that comes with your average component stereo is better than most amplified antennas.
- Want to make a simple di-pole antenna? Buy some regular speaker wire from CVS or Radio Shack and use a knife (carefully!) to split the two wires apart (so it looks like a "T"). Make it so the split parts (upper part of the "T") measure exactly 9ft. 10in. across - that will be tuned exactly to 100.1FM. If that's too big, cut it so it's exactly half that length: 4ft. 11in...it's nearly as good as the full length. A "tuned" antenna naturally provides amplification to the frequency it's tuned to...so you'll get a inherent boost to 100.1FM. As an added bonus, since WBRS is smack in the middle of the FM band, this antenna will still be pretty good for tuning in any FM station.
- Computers, computer monitors, cellphone chargers/battery chargers, halogen lamps, refrigerators, hair dryers and the like can all cause significant radiofrequency "noise" in their immediate area and make WBRS hard to tune in. Turn off what you can.
- Cellphones, especially Nextel & Cingular GSM phones, can cause static noise to be audible on your speakers.
For some free/cheap tips read WNKU's excellent tips for improving radio reception.
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Technical Info & History of WBRS
1950's...
WBRS started originally in 1950's as a radio club, then as an unlicensed (but legal) "carrier current" radio station that was only receivable in certain buildings & dorms on campus. The call letters back then were "WLDB" for the college's founder: Louis Dembitz Brandeis. In 1964 the calls were changed to their current "WBRS"...a shortening of "BRandeiS", or they stand for "Brandeis Radio Service" or "Brandeis Radio System" (it all depends on who you ask). In the 1968 WBRS obtained a "Class D FM" 31 watt license from the FCC on 91.7FM. This worked reasonably well but due the engineering of FM radio, there was "Intermediate Frequency" (IF) 10.8MHz interference from nearby WCRB on 102.5FM. Fortunately it wasn't too bad, and the station functioned well as a student activity with some community volunteers.
1978...
In 1978 the FCC stopped authorizing new Class D FM licenses (like WBRS) and forced the existing ones to upgrade to 100 watts minimum (Class A). In dense urban markets, many Class D's couldn't make it to 100 watts on their existing frequencies without causing interference to other stations (WBRS tried and failed). So they were allowed to stay on the air, but had to move to the commercial band (92.1 to 107.9FM) and were subject to all the rules of Class D's (primarily that they're a secondary broadcast service to Class A's and above). It started in 1979 and took until 1984, but eventually an agreement with WZLX (100.7) and WKLB (99.5) allowed WBRS to move to 100.1FM with 25 watts.
1980's...
In the early 1980s, WBRS underwent several structural changes and became an all genre cooperative community station. A new constitution and membership contract were instituted, and membership was formally defined in terms of the contract and participating in the cooperative, rather than affiliation with Brandeis university. Members were required to volunteer for at least 3 hours a month to maintain good standing. The constitution called for an executive board of four elected members and a number of others appointed by the elected members. With some amendments, the constitution and contract remain in force today.
1994...
WBRS's transmitter woes continued...because of the way Class D rules work, WBRS was limited to a 10 watt transmitter. To make that 10 watts from the transmitter turn into 25 watts coming out of the antenna required a complicated five-bay high-gain antenna array from a 50ft. monopole on the roof of the Rabb Graduate Center. In 1994 the tower took a lightning hit that fried one of the bays and the impedence matcher that kept them all working together. With the help of famed local engineer Dana Puopolo, WBRS successfully received a waiver from the FCC in 1995 to have 25 watts TPO to maintain the 25 watts ERP. In the process, WBRS changed it so that, of the remaining four antenna bays, the top two are for the primary transmitter. The bottom two are for a backup transmitter. The legend has it that this waiver is what led to the FCC changing how they classify Class D stations - it's a bureaucratic footnote, but it's still a claim to fame!
1999...
In 1999 our signal west of Rt.128/I-95 was somewhat squashed by WWFX 100.1 out of Southbridge/Worcester when they increased power and moved their transmitter east. As WBRS is a Class D station and therefore a "secondary broadcast service" to Class A, B and C stations...WBRS had no choice but to grin and bear it.
2003...
In 2003 WBRS moved from its original home in the Usdan Student Center, over to new studios in the Shapiro Campus Center. The move is marred by significant controversy over design plans and poor engineering support from View Communications but the station rallied to make the best of it.
In late 2003 WBRS replaced much of the transmitter gear that dated back over 15 years to the lightning-hit days. A new audio processor made for better-sounding audio, and a new Bext transmitter meant a viable backup system to ensure WBRS rarely, if ever, goes off the air due to equipment failure. Most importantly, a Sine Systems RFC-1/b transmitter remote control was installed so the station can stay on the air even when there's no DJ present.
(this is a work in progress - if you have historical stories to share, Contact the Webmaster and take a crack at updating our Wikipedia entry)
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