WVBU-FM is a college radio station broadcasting

Broadcasting

Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...

 an alternative rock

Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 radio format

Radio format

A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...

. Licensed to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union...

, USA, the station is currently owned by Bucknell University

Bucknell University

Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...

. WVBU calls itself “The Voice of Bucknell University”, and is Bucknell’s only student-run radio station. While the station predominantly plays a format of modern and alternative rock, there are a number specialty shows as well. These include such genres as classical, jazz, and classical rock. In addition to its musical content, WVBU issues public service announcements and relevant news, such as information about Bison Athletics, to Bucknell’s campus and the Lewisburg community. A remote services division of WVBU plays music for on-campus entertainment.

History

In 1933, the original Bucknell Campus Radio Station was sold to a C.S. Blue in Northumberland. However, in 1948 Stanley C. Marshall, Alice C. Marshall, and Paul N. Bosted successfully reclaimed the station. Early plans indicate that WVBU members believed the station could reach a potential audience of a quarter million people in the Montour, Northumberland, Lycoming, Union, and Snyder counties. After considering both AM and FM broadcasting options, the station initially settled on the AM frequency. However, the AM line eventually became a closed circuit only to be used within the Bucknell community. In response to listener concerns and requests, WVBU switched to FM broadcasting on March 1, 1963. On March 21, 1980, the station received an ABS Congress approval to fund the necessary equipment to convert from 10 to 190 watts. ABS Congress granted WVBU twenty-two thousand dollars, allowing it to comply with an FCC order that all 10 watt stations either up their power to 100 watts or go off air entirely. This endowment provided the means for the station to continue its operations, and ultimately helped get WVBU to where it currently stands today.