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WSOU goes for eclectic sound

Station awaits cabinet approval of rock format

by Joseph Gregov
Copy Editor
gregovjo@shu.edu



The WSOU Governing Council has approved the new format that was presented to them by the radio station's student managers.

At the time of publication, the proposal for the new "modern eclectic rock" format was approved by the dean of Arts and Sciences, James VanOosting and Provost Mel Shay. After VanOosting approval, the proposal still needed final approval from Shay. The Executive Cabinet, comprised of University President Msgr. Sheeran and the university vice presidents, will also be brought in on this issue. Professor Peter Reader, head of the Governing Council, delivered the proposals to the proper offices on Wednesday.

The student managers wanted the student run station to keep a rock format, said senior Tom Katchisin, program director for WSOU. As long as the station could keep a rock format, the managers consider it a victory, he said.

The station had prided itself on playing music that people could not hear anywhere else. The new format will appeal to a larger audience and a more diverse group, and will ideally look to bring in more listeners, he said.

"There's lots of diversity in rock," Katchisin said. "Hard rock is just one form under the umbrella of rock and roll."

The managers also had to consider coming up with a new sound for the station, Katchisin said. The idea was to come up with something more "sonically pleasing" to the ear.

"A person screaming at the top of his lungs about his love for Jesus Christ is still a person screaming at the top of his lungs," he said.

The new format, Katchisin said, will continue to be a success, mainly because of the commitment of the students.

"The station was the number one college station in the country because of the staff," he said.

Creating the proposal, he said, was one of the hardest parts of this whole process.

The student managers will not be able to sit in on the Executive Cabinet meeting so "the format has to shine on paper," Katchisin said.

While managers will not be able to explain details to the cabinet that may help to push the format through, the managers feel confident that they have made a strong enough case in the proposal.

The format decision did not come without a series of meetings. A few weeks ago the students gave the council a sampling of thirty-second clips for about 20 bands, Katchisin said. In a meeting held last week, the Governing Council requested that certain changes be made to the proposal. After the changes were made, the Governing Council accepted it during a Wednesday meeting.
Katchisin, who will graduate this semester, anticipates a smooth transition, as it gets ready to broadcast under the new format. The station has already gotten in touch with record labels and has gone CD shopping. However, management feels that it won't have to totally scrape the music library.

"Die hard metal fans might have a tough time," Katchisin said. However, he anticipates the core audience will still be loyal

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