WCNI
Encyclopedia
WCNI is a radio station
broadcasting a Freeform
format. Licensed to New London, Connecticut
, USA, the station serves the New London area. The station is currently owned by Connecticut College Community Radio, Inc.. It is operated by students and community members from New London
and surrounding towns. The station features in eclectic musical genres that are less often heard on the majority of radio stations.
students and staff via low-power carrier current transmitters placed in college dormitories and facilities. Although the presence of the station encouraged engagement in media arts the quality of its signal was typically poor and its interference with the broadcast signal of New York City's WNBC-AM led to students sometimes turning off the transmitters in their dormitories - most notably during broadcasts of New York Rangers
hockey games. This led to an application being filed with the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) in 1972 to allow WCNI to broadcast on FM frequencies. The application was filed by the Connecticut College Broadcast Association, Inc., a non-profit corporation established to limit the college's liabilities from the station's broadcasts to the general public.
In 1974 WCNI-FM made its debut on the 91.5 MHz FM broadcast frequency with ten watts of transmission power, one of a wave of college radio stations introduced in that era using low-power FM transmission facilities. Early station promotional spots created by student and staff member Ken Abel hailed it as having "less power than a common light bulb." Subsequent increases in transmission power led to a reassignment of its frequency to 91.1 FM and eventually to its current 90.9 FM frequency assignment. The original antenna tower for FM transmissions was erected atop Bill Hall on the Connecticut College campus using as its base a World War II
air raid siren tower modified by Connecticut College maintenance staff to hold a steel pipe that acted as an antenna mast. The antenna was subsequently relocated to a professionally installed tower next to the Crozier-Williams student center on the Connecticut College campus, for many years the site of the station's studios and recording archives.
Early broadcasts of the FM radio station were wide-ranging, including a wide variety of music genres, old radio serial dramas, local history and live performances. To raise funds for government-mandated emergency broadcast equipment the station held its first on-air fund raising marathon in the spring of 1975. Although the early FM broadcast signal of WCNI was not strong the station had a notable body of off-campus listeners in the New London, CT area and its on-air staff included non-student members from that greater community. The eclectic nature of WCNI's broadcasts, its community involvement and the freedom of its staff to select interesting and wide-ranging music was well established from its early broadcasts and continues to this day.
For a period of time late in the Cold War
era the station's proximity to the U.S. Navy submarine base
across the Thames River in Gales Ferry, CT and the General Dynamics submarine manufacturing facility in Groton, CT earned the station the informal moniker "Ground Zero Radio" in recognition of the region's presumed high priority as a Soviet nuclear strike site.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting a Freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
format. Licensed to New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, USA, the station serves the New London area. The station is currently owned by Connecticut College Community Radio, Inc.. It is operated by students and community members from New London
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
and surrounding towns. The station features in eclectic musical genres that are less often heard on the majority of radio stations.
History
WCNI was originally an on-campus AM radio station broadcast to Connecticut CollegeConnecticut College
Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women...
students and staff via low-power carrier current transmitters placed in college dormitories and facilities. Although the presence of the station encouraged engagement in media arts the quality of its signal was typically poor and its interference with the broadcast signal of New York City's WNBC-AM led to students sometimes turning off the transmitters in their dormitories - most notably during broadcasts of New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
hockey games. This led to an application being filed with the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) in 1972 to allow WCNI to broadcast on FM frequencies. The application was filed by the Connecticut College Broadcast Association, Inc., a non-profit corporation established to limit the college's liabilities from the station's broadcasts to the general public.
In 1974 WCNI-FM made its debut on the 91.5 MHz FM broadcast frequency with ten watts of transmission power, one of a wave of college radio stations introduced in that era using low-power FM transmission facilities. Early station promotional spots created by student and staff member Ken Abel hailed it as having "less power than a common light bulb." Subsequent increases in transmission power led to a reassignment of its frequency to 91.1 FM and eventually to its current 90.9 FM frequency assignment. The original antenna tower for FM transmissions was erected atop Bill Hall on the Connecticut College campus using as its base a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
air raid siren tower modified by Connecticut College maintenance staff to hold a steel pipe that acted as an antenna mast. The antenna was subsequently relocated to a professionally installed tower next to the Crozier-Williams student center on the Connecticut College campus, for many years the site of the station's studios and recording archives.
Early broadcasts of the FM radio station were wide-ranging, including a wide variety of music genres, old radio serial dramas, local history and live performances. To raise funds for government-mandated emergency broadcast equipment the station held its first on-air fund raising marathon in the spring of 1975. Although the early FM broadcast signal of WCNI was not strong the station had a notable body of off-campus listeners in the New London, CT area and its on-air staff included non-student members from that greater community. The eclectic nature of WCNI's broadcasts, its community involvement and the freedom of its staff to select interesting and wide-ranging music was well established from its early broadcasts and continues to this day.
For a period of time late in the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
era the station's proximity to the U.S. Navy submarine base
Submarine base
A submarine base is a military base that shelters submarines and their personnel.Examples of present-day submarine bases include HMNB Clyde, Île Longue , Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Naval Submarine Base New London, and Rybachiy Nuclear Submarine Base .The Israeli navy bases its growing submarine...
across the Thames River in Gales Ferry, CT and the General Dynamics submarine manufacturing facility in Groton, CT earned the station the informal moniker "Ground Zero Radio" in recognition of the region's presumed high priority as a Soviet nuclear strike site.