WMLU
Encyclopedia
WMLU is the student-run College radio station located at Longwood University
in Farmville, Virginia
, United States. It currently braodcasts at 250 watt
s of effective radiated power
on 91.3 FM
. Its antenna is on the top of the high-rise Frazer Hall dormitory, while the studios are in the basement of the Business School building, Hiner Hall (G17).
In the late-1990s, many people in Farmville complained of being unable to receive a signal from an NPR affiliate in downtown. Even in other parts of town, only marginal signals could be received from WCVE-FM
or WVTF. At the same time, WLCX was looking to reach audiences outside of Longwood College. In 2001, with the help of National Public Radio station WMRA
in Harrisonburg, Virginia
, WLCX's programming was expanded to 24 hours with the addition of NPR programming and classical music. At the same time, an FCC Class A license was granted, allowing the station to increase its signal to its present 250 watts and move its frequency to 91.3 MHz. The station now has a receivable signal from about 10 miles in any direction from its antenna. In 2002, in preparation for the transition from Longwood College to Longwood University, the station changed its call letters to WMLU.
, including WMRA 90.7 in Harrisonburg
, WMRY 103.5 in Charlottesville
, WMRL 89.9 in Lexington
, and translator W233AA 94.7 in Winchester
. NPR programming from WMRA is played whenever student programming is not on the air, as well as specifically set aside times for programs such as All Things Considered
and Morning Edition
. WMLU receives its feed from WMRA via the web.
WMLU also regularly hosts two concerts at Longwood: "Battle of the Bands" in October as part of the university's Oktoberfest
activities, when student-run bands compete for money prizes, and Bandfest at Spring Weekend every April. Bandfest 2004 was the largest student-run college concert in Virginia. Such artists as Something Corporate
, Andrew W.K.
, Regina Spektor
, Saul Williams
, Nada Surf
, The Fray
, Mute Math
, The Used
, Les Savy Fav
, Reel Big Fish
, and Against Me!
have performed at Bandfest over the years, which began in 1993.
Longwood University
Longwood University is a four-year public, liberal-arts university located in Farmville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 and became a university on July 1, 2002...
in Farmville, Virginia
Farmville, Virginia
Farmville is a town in Prince Edward and Cumberland counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 6,845 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Prince Edward County....
, United States. It currently braodcasts at 250 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of effective radiated power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
on 91.3 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
. Its antenna is on the top of the high-rise Frazer Hall dormitory, while the studios are in the basement of the Business School building, Hiner Hall (G17).
History
Originally founded in 1981 as WUTA, it broadcast from Jarman Auditorium with a low-power 10-watt signal. The station was shut down by staff in 1984, only to come back on the air the following year as WLCX, broadcasting still at 10 watts on 90.1 FM.In the late-1990s, many people in Farmville complained of being unable to receive a signal from an NPR affiliate in downtown. Even in other parts of town, only marginal signals could be received from WCVE-FM
WCVE-FM
WCVE-FM is a public radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Richmond, Virginia, serving the Metro Richmond area. WCVE-FM is owned and operated by Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation....
or WVTF. At the same time, WLCX was looking to reach audiences outside of Longwood College. In 2001, with the help of National Public Radio station WMRA
WMRA
WMRA is a Public Radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Harrisonburg, Virginia. Repeater stations serve Charlottesville, Lexington, Winchester and Farmville, VA. The network broadcasts primarily NPR news and talk programming, with classical music weekday evenings, and folk and blues...
in Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
, WLCX's programming was expanded to 24 hours with the addition of NPR programming and classical music. At the same time, an FCC Class A license was granted, allowing the station to increase its signal to its present 250 watts and move its frequency to 91.3 MHz. The station now has a receivable signal from about 10 miles in any direction from its antenna. In 2002, in preparation for the transition from Longwood College to Longwood University, the station changed its call letters to WMLU.
Today
WMLU is part of a group of NPR stations in central VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, including WMRA 90.7 in Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
, WMRY 103.5 in Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
, WMRL 89.9 in Lexington
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
, and translator W233AA 94.7 in Winchester
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
. NPR programming from WMRA is played whenever student programming is not on the air, as well as specifically set aside times for programs such as All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
and Morning Edition
Morning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
. WMLU receives its feed from WMRA via the web.
WMLU also regularly hosts two concerts at Longwood: "Battle of the Bands" in October as part of the university's Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
activities, when student-run bands compete for money prizes, and Bandfest at Spring Weekend every April. Bandfest 2004 was the largest student-run college concert in Virginia. Such artists as Something Corporate
Something Corporate
Something Corporate is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. Their current line-up includes pianist and vocalist Andrew McMahon, guitarist Josh Partington, bassist Kevin Page and drummer Brian Ireland....
, Andrew W.K.
Andrew W.K.
Andrew W.K. is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, entertainer, and motivational speaker. He is the host of the television series Destroy Build Destroy.-Early life & career:Andrew Wilkes-Krier was born in Stanford, California, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
, Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor
Regina Ilyinichna Spektor is a Russian American singer-songwriter and pianist. Her music is associated with the anti-folk scene centered in New York City's East Village.-Early life:...
, Saul Williams
Saul Williams
Saul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, Nada Surf
Nada Surf
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
, The Fray
The Fray
-Literature:*Fray, a phenomenon in Terry Pratchett's The Carpet People*Fray , a comic book series by Joss Whedon**Melaka Fray, titular character of the comic book series-Music:*"Fray", a song from the album 14 Shades of Grey by Staind...
, Mute Math
Mute Math
Mutemath is an American alternative rock band from New Orleans that formed in 2003. The group consists of lead vocalist and keyboardist Paul Meany, Darren King on drums, Todd Gummerman on guitar, and bassist Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas, but they often perform on any mixture or variation of these...
, The Used
The Used
The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah. The band was founded in 2001 and signed to Reprise Records the same year. They rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third...
, Les Savy Fav
Les Savy Fav
Les Savy Fav is a New York City indie rock band. Their style is influenced by art rock and post-hardcore. The group is known for the stage presence of lead singer Tim Harrington...
, Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
, and Against Me!
Against Me!
Against Me! is an American punk rock band formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida and relocated to Gainesville, Florida in 1999. Their first full-length album, released on No Idea Records in 2002, was Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose. They have released music on Misanthrope Records, Crasshole Records,...
have performed at Bandfest over the years, which began in 1993.