WMWC Overcomes Broadcast Problems to Reach Listeners

By MATT BLAIR

The new staff of WMWC, the campus radio station, is starting to make waves this semester on campus.

Olivia Scott, general station manager, said that WMWC is working to disprove the station’s motto, which a former radio station staff member coined: “The best radio station you’ve never heard of.”

“I’m trying to get the station more involved with campus activities, to give us a real community feel,” Scott said.

Sophomore disc jockeys Ahmed Elkheshin and Ahmed Mohamed, hosts of “The Ahmed and Ahmed Show,” said that the station is not given enough advertisement around campus. According to the duo, the station does not get a lot of funding.

“No one knows about [WMWC] because people really don’t talk about it,” Elkheshin said.

“It’s all about having people come in and talk to us,” Mohamed said. “We always try and get as many shout-outs, as many requests played, as possible.”

The announcers said that students are excited to hear their name being called out over the airwaves, to hear a song they requested or to be on air as a guest.

Scott said that the station continuously broadcasts at wmwc.umwblogs.org, which is updated regularly with music, news and interviews.

According to Scott, the radio broadcast was incompatible with Internet Explorer, but Scott and the Department of Information Technology were able to fix the glitch. Access to the broadcasts is now available online.

Scott said that despite being online and broadcasting at all times, there have been issues with the radio equipment.

“We had to get a new computer that was not compatible with our old equipment, and had to get a new soundboard,” Scott said. “We pretty much had to start from scratch.”

According to Scott, the update helped the process of digitizing the WMWC music library. The digitalization gives announcers access to almost four terabytes of digital music, which is the equivalent of 4,000 gigabytes.

Scott said the radio station, which is based in Woodard Campus Center, plays an assortment of uncensored music with genres including rock, metal, rap, hip-hop and classics.

“We have about 40 DJs who each have their own tastes in music,” Scott said.  “Fifty percent of the mix is from the station collection and the DJs can use their music for the other half.”

Elkeshin and Mohamed said they play mostly hip-hop and a lot of indie rock and that the station has a good music selection.

WMWC is promoting itself on campus to raise student awareness of the radio station.

“We’re having a Battle of the Bands on Oct. 16 with eight bands from around the state and free admission,” Scott said.  “Plus, we’re cohosting some karaoke nights with the [Underground Planning Committee] at the Underground.”

The radio station staff wants to work with individuals and student organizations, according to Scott.

“Other clubs are more than welcome to come down to the station and work with the DJs to record [announcements],” Scott said.

“We don’t mind at all letting people just drop by to talk or share something,” Elkheshin said about The Ahmed and Ahmed Show.

According to the two announcers, they want more club members and officers to drop by and sit in during a broadcast.

Future plans for WMWC involve finalizing the digitalization process with the potential to broadcast in the dining facilities at UMW.

“We’ve got some big events planned for the future,” Scott said.  “It’s going to be pretty cool.”