The Observer, February 29, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 19
WRUW radio offers award-winning collegiate take on music, public affairs
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Turn off your iPod and turn on "more music, fewer hits." Case's own radio station, WRUW, has gone by this motto to provide Cleveland with 15,000 watts of constant, commercial-free compilations of diverse music.
Completely run by volunteers, WRUW plays the music you won't find on other radio stations, as evidenced by program director Andy Krajewski: "There is no limit on what you can play. One hour you could be listening to a metal show and the next you might hear Latin, jazz, or an indie rock show. The options are extensive and allow the station to show the listeners the best new and old stuff that people probably haven't heard before." With its vast music library of over 100,000 albums, DJs handpick what they want on their shows without using playlists.
WRUW broadcasts 24 hours a day and seven days a week with a variety of different programs, unlike other college radio stations. Junior Paul Anderko, DJ of "A Scratch Across the Lens" addresses the appeal of the station: "While people may not like every show on WRUW, there is at least one program that they will like because there is an amazing amount of diversity at the station." In addition to the smorgasbord of underplayed music WRUW unearths, it also recognizes local bands around Cleveland such as The Skatastrophes, 80HD, The Sidekicks, and Johnny Red and the Skammunists through both broadcasting and events.
Case students are not the only ones listening in on what WRUW has to offer. "The majority of our listening audience are just Cleveland residents," says DJ Clark Short. "I've gotten callers from southern Canada." Named Cleveland's Best Radio Station three years in a row (1999-2001) by Scene magazine, WRUW has definitely earned the listeners it has, but one could question why more Case students haven't tuned in, and the station is definitely working on that. The station hosted a "Be a DJ with WRUW" event at the beginning of the semester that brought attention to the station and allowed newcomers to become a DJ and start their own radio show.
For those not as interested in music, the station also provokes awareness and discussion about topics concerning the community. Voices and Choices, Democracy Now!, Domestic Decay, and Guerilla Radio are all public-interest programs featured at least once a week to bring up relevant topics around campus and the community. On Feb. 20 and 21, the studio participated in the Homelessness Marathon Broadcast along with 120 other radio stations across the nation to raise awareness about homelessness through discussion and allowing homeless individuals to speak their mind on the air.
The station also hosts live performances and interviews with artists, most recently Grammy Award-winner Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains. The station not only broadcasts on the radio and online, but it also has weekly archives of every show available for download, so those who had class during their favorite program won't miss a beat.
Operations Director Julia Obejero-Paz has the large task of making sure the 24/7/365 station runs smoothly, and shares a main goal with other DJs on WRUW. "The main thing I want to do is just play good music for people… It takes dedication to run WRUW, and I think it shows in the quality of our programming."
The station has certainly reached its goal and is worthy of more listeners around campus. Look for the station's annual telethon in April.
