Re: WMFO

[Shawn Mamros <mamros@MIT.EDU>]

>IMO, WMFO is one of the reasons why community members DON'T get involved
>with college radio more often.  The frequent use of "colorful" language (on
>and off air), and the attitude by the students that it's their radio station
>discourages members of the general public, including myself, from becoming a
>part of the station.  While there are a few members of the general public
>doing shifts at MFO, most of the "staff" is student run, making new
>community members feel unwelcomed.

One thing to keep in mind is that every "college radio" station is a very
different beast in terms of exactly who runs it and how it is run, which
in turn affects whether or not the station is open to community involvement
(and, if so, how much).  Ultimately, it's up to whoever holds the license,
the same as for any other radio station.  (And the license might be held
by the college directly, or it may be held by a separate organization
specifically chartered to hold the license, which in turn can have varying
levels of dependence on the host school...)

I know that in the past WMFO has been very open to community involvement.
Sometimes these things go in cycles, depending on who happens to be in
charge of the station (or any of the other individuals or organizations
within the school with whom the station has to deal with on a frequent
basis) at any given time.  It can be a real political mess sometimes...

I can't speak for MFO (or ERS), but I've been involved at WMBR since I
was an MIT freshman in the fall of 1984, and I've served in various
management roles as both a student and an alum (including a nine-month
stint as GM while I was an undergrad).  We've always been open to community
involvement, but there have been occasional conflicts (now *there's* an
understatement!) over the years.  The stories I could tell - it's been an
interesting ride, to say the least...

- -Shawn Mamros
Comptroller, WMBR Cambridge MA 88.1 FM
E-mail to: mamros@mit.edu

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