|
Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2017 1:33:45 GMT -5
I see on the official university website we're still touting WÊXP as an activity where the faculty with experience in broadcast communication are involved, for "thousands of listeners around the world." (This is worse than embellishment. It is dishonest. I did not see it ever come to that level.)
I really hope they could get involved and soon. I do not like setting people up with false expectations with what WÊXP "could" be if there were such an investment from faculty, instead of the exact opposite being true. When we were going to open houses 20 years ago, students would tell us very little about the radio station, or say things that were the God's honest truth, like "You can't even pick it up outside of one building." Or, "I used to listen but had to go way out of my way to avoid the electrical interference." This lack of investment or development of a bona fide signal could have sent me to Drexel, Princeton, Rowan, Seton Hall, or a Cabrini or Villanova (all of which have licensed FM's) if I were really serious about a career in radio/comm, but back then I was more interested in the engineering and networking side of the station. So I took it on as a hobby or challenge instead of as a total career setback.
With our very low but reasonable expectations, my group challenged ourselves tirelessly, and we gradually got it from dead air my freshman year to working somewhat reliably 24/7 by junior year. I say "we" because it was a group effort... the people that came before me and the people that came after us all contributed bigger parts than I could even dream up. It was actually I believe under the subsequent leadership (Neumann, etc) that it really got some wings, procured a new signal that reached as far as B&G to Broad Street, went from winamp only to all browsers/mobile apps, put flash additions on the website, and made some stream/podcast/youtube content that was more accessible to modern listeners. All of that effort to me was worthwhile and seemed to have an upward trajectory, but now feels like almost wasted.
ÊXP has been 100% off the air for over a year now, going on three. The excuses that I hear are nothing unlike what we faced 20 years ago with respect to use of the budget, the IT restrictions, the retaining student interest for solid two hour blocks or on weekends, etc. These challenges should not mean pack it in, it means someone could rise up to the occasion and make something become their legacy, once again. My experience drafting a student activity annual budget and going before funding board and networking with IT administrators gave me as much experience as I could derive from in the classroom if I had majored in radio (a stretch on the Truth or Sarcasm meter, but not 100% false). ÊXP (and Collegian) even sent me on Amtrak up to NY and Boston area to attend a few conferences and some on location journalism. I am indebted to the university for giving me a taste of the industry as well as a challenge that made me proud to be a part of something small but good. Some of my colleagues, unlike me, even went into TV and radio full time. No doubt they learned to hone their craft in front of a very small but loyal audience of radiophiles at ÊXP.
In summary, I believe that we have a real opportunity to do something meaningful with this club. I think the most effective method would be to put it on the open, tell the prospective students like it is, put out a call for help and tell anyone with some semblance of initiative (regardless of their major or career path) that they should take it and create something better with it.
|
|
|
Post by JoeFedorowicz on Mar 23, 2017 7:01:17 GMT -5
In summary, I believe that we have a real opportunity to do something meaningful with this club. I think the most effective method would be to put it on the open, tell the prospective students like it is, put out a call for help and tell anyone with some semblance of initiative (regardless of their major or career path) that they should take it and create something better with it. This is sad. You wouldn't want them to focus on a radio signal though, right? In the era of podcasts, OTA radio just seems decades-old. That said, communication students should be putting out podcasts. "Podcasting" should be a class. The studio equipment should mostly be the same, the only difference being the transmission.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2017 7:28:16 GMT -5
Correct, Joe. Low power FM, and radio signals in general were too costly and in most ways obsolete when I was a student. Did not stop somebody from kicking a few grand into it which makes today's situation all the more disappointing Return On Investment. The thinking I bet was that the signal would differentiate exp from mere hobbies/clubs that are merely online or podcast. but the gradual lack of focus and declining commitment to that model has resulted in a failure to maintain anything from year to year, most notably redesigning a website or logo that wasnt even broken, just no one maintains anything to a level that resembles the evolving culture of the station.
Because of my own personal involvement as well as the investment of the student fees over the years I feel we have been let down. Other schools have built everything we wanted but at one time so did we. it requires the ongoing work of some committed volunteers to maintain a level of success.
I have previously asked the GM if there is a way to be relevant in such a way that Joe F. suggested even if "on the air" is not an option. The response seemed tepid. Like they have more obstacles thanI could possibly know about. (False.)
They need to revisit their mission statement. Another real world application in the business world is to have a strategy and a mission and execute them. The radio station today resembles somethingof a missed opportunity.
|
|
|
Post by theneumann64 on Mar 23, 2017 11:34:54 GMT -5
I'm going to try to post something a little on the longer side after I get home tonight. I was involved with WEXP for all 4 years, and to see it go away sucks. Even stripping anything educational and career related away, college radio is just fun.
......more later.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2017 19:55:04 GMT -5
Without being at all involved on campus daily life for years, I got the impression the pinnacle of the station was about 2004-2010 timeframe and it has seemed to have declined quickly or altogether in just a few years since. Prior to 2004 we had a few shows recorded on cassette tape... so we started with nothing but a sound mixer going into a cassette deck. It was a club that had to come a long way at becoming something almost professional career relevant for a time. Here is an example of a successful EXP podcast which produced 3 seasons in 2013-14. They also interviewed Dr Hanycz in 2014, which is something I intend to go back and listen to today which I could not have done unless it had been heavily advertised at the time it was live, assuming that advertising reached me and that I was available to tether myself to a computer at that moment. So I see there is a clear cost and effectiveness advantage of recorded content instead versus live... even the way most college age people watch TV now relies on the on demand feature. Using the podcast model, it's clear to me they didn't necessarily need a hefty budget, clear signal, or even dedicated bandwidth to produce their shows. They could survive some lean years unlike most clubs that have revolving expenses. talkingpointsradio.blogspot.com/Live content becomes further obsolete now that most of the A10 and specifically La Salle sports are aired on streaming video, most with added commentary that has replaced the need for streaming audio, which was admittedly lacking all of the interest and the effectiveness of a video stream to be worthwhile enough to continue. The obsolescence of certain technology doesn't have to mean the students don't need a creative outlet. I would hope this club could at the very least sustain itself, or better yet morph into something relevant again, and in order to do so, they would need to have a team with a clear vision as well as the willingness to invest some time. This supposed idea of a "free format" radio station doesn't mean it has zero form, it means that the station is not directly influenced by cookie cutter impressions of what it should be from other sources. It needs to be something that has direction created from within instead of from a copycat model of public stations (or college stations, even, and because of that freedom, none are all that alike).
|
|
|
Post by nyalum on Apr 6, 2017 23:07:06 GMT -5
As someone who was on the air at La Salle for three years, I've got to say its' sad to hear it's gone away. Not only was it fun when I was there, it gave a chance for students to sharpen their skills for a possible career on the air.
One thing that needed to improve from when I was there was the studio. Having uninsulated walls and a window in the DJ booth just wasn't sustainable.
|
|
|
Post by JoeFedorowicz on Apr 7, 2017 21:10:26 GMT -5
it gave a chance for students to sharpen their skills for a possible career on the air. Did it work?
|
|
|
Post by thelasallelunatic on Apr 8, 2017 7:38:45 GMT -5
Where the hell has Bags been anyway?
|
|
|
Post by theneumann64 on Apr 8, 2017 22:08:36 GMT -5
I never got around to the long post I had planned, but even though he could be tough personality wise, Bagni did a lot to help the station. He got a lot done in terms of equipment, access for sports and stuff that a lot of college kids would have only made passing effort at before losing interest.
|
|
|
Post by classof2019 on Apr 9, 2017 19:39:06 GMT -5
So I do have an update about WEXP. IT IS NOT DEAD. A group of students and I are trying to reboot the station back up, we are working with Dr. Lashley who is the advisor for WEXP to get new equipment in the radio station, and to hopefully have the stream back up by the fall semester.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2017 0:36:11 GMT -5
I never got around to the long post I had planned, but even though he could be tough personality wise, Bagni did a lot to help the station. He got a lot done in terms of equipment, access for sports and stuff that a lot of college kids would have only made passing effort at before losing interest. He definitely tried to take it up a level ...I defended him because I truly wanted his effort to succeed, before learning what he did with it. He tried to talk the only woman in the sports dept to just cover the women's games because he thought the makeup of the broadcast industry had no room for her in men's sports. Never mind that sideline reporters are usually women in the broadcast world, he should have given her equal access. He also strongarmed the next year's board elections to ensure that any people he didn't want to work with (again: women) became even further marginalized than they may have felt already. He did a lot to help himself. That's been his sole legacy with WEXP, Not that he founded or grew anything. So I do have an update about WEXP. IT IS NOT DEAD. A group of students and I are trying to reboot the station back up, we are working with Dr. Lashley who is the advisor for WEXP to get new equipment in the radio station, and to hopefully have the stream back up by the fall semester. Glad to hear an effort is already underway to fix this. If equipment needs a reboot, how much money are we talking? Are there any roadblocks we don't know about? Is it just the usual key equipment isn't being maintained or flat out stopped working, and you're waiting to see what happens at next year's budget planning, etc?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2017 21:59:30 GMT -5
WEXP had more of a pulse in the 1980s than it does now. Why is that? Bad management?
I am bumping this because every time I have been on campus this year, the former studio has been dark. Here's a couple of things that can be fixed, regardless of equipment and budget issues:
1) I hate googling WEXP and finding dead links and the high school. Fix the broken links. Have some pride in what the station could be.
2) Connect up the phones. Return calls/tweets. Start going to the funding board and/or fundraising. Not all at once, but please just show signs of life. "Thousands of listeners over the internet" somebody penned that. What does it even mean? At its peak, it never had that. Why embellish the facts? Why create a lie?
It's too simple to have a social media presence and a few podcasts. So easy that anyone even I can do it! Is this why the novelty has worn off? 15 years ago, WEXP was a hole in the wall, but it provided a unique outlet. Today, is it not seen as needed or vital, because so many radio jobs are consolidating and automating? When I asked this question of current management, I was told it was just not the direction WEXP is meant to be heading anymore. With all due respect, what the heck is the focus or drive of a now defunct campus radio station? And who gets to make that decision? Students? Advisers? Funding sources?
|
|
|
Post by classof2019 on Oct 1, 2018 9:54:43 GMT -5
Hi all, Just wanted to give a quick update on WEXP. With the help of Dr. Lashley, WEXP is back! Though we are still working on some kinks, we are functioning and are on the airwaves. We have a new streaming app, RadioFX, it is a primarily college radio app where a lot of colleges are on there. RadioFX is on both Apple and Android. The schedule for shows is on the app as well. Let me know if you have any questions!
|
|
|
Post by JoeFedorowicz on Oct 1, 2018 11:28:23 GMT -5
Will games stream over the app?
|
|
|
Post by durenduren on Oct 1, 2018 13:02:09 GMT -5
Will games stream over the app? That's what we really want to know...
|
|
|
Post by classof2019 on Oct 1, 2018 15:13:46 GMT -5
Will games stream over the app? That is something that we have discussed, it is something we could implement in the future, but for now the answer is no
|
|
|
Post by durenduren on Oct 1, 2018 15:15:12 GMT -5
Take the hint - get it done. It's what the people want.
|
|
|
Post by GlitterBro #2 on Oct 1, 2018 16:05:31 GMT -5
This takes me back. My roommate and I had a show for 2 years on WEXP in the early 90s. I believe we were the first station in Philly to play unedited 2 Live Crew and N.W.A. (intermixed with station drops of Brother Patrick Ellis - we were fairly certain the FCC wasn't in the dorms picking up the weak AM signal and were willing to risk the fine).
I'll check out the app, but it would be cool to get the programming schedule up on a website or Facebook page.
|
|
|
Post by blueandgold on Oct 2, 2018 9:36:34 GMT -5
Take the hint - get it done. It's what the people want. Yeah, seriously - like, where will be able to turn for game feed when Kale inevitably passes out from screaming after a gazillion threes per game under Ash?
|
|
MisterD
The Baptist Himself
Voted Most Popular Poster 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
Posts: 8,394
Likes: 6,325
|
Post by MisterD on Oct 2, 2018 10:13:32 GMT -5
If La Salle is getting revenue from pay streaming services, they're not going to allow the station to stream for free.
|
|
|
Post by JoeFedorowicz on Oct 2, 2018 10:40:49 GMT -5
If La Salle is getting revenue from pay streaming services, they're not going to allow the station to stream for free. Audio only might be ok.
|
|
|
Post by durenduren on Oct 2, 2018 13:03:28 GMT -5
Just thinking of when I'm on the road, pulling up audio in the car sucks.
|
|
|
Post by hykos1045 on Mar 13, 2019 23:45:49 GMT -5
Just thinking of when I'm on the road, pulling up audio in the car sucks. Following WEXP news... speculation over the past five years sadly reminds me of those penny stocks that occasionally may promise viable returns at an undefined point "next year" just to prolong getting delisted. Well, according to the clubs.lasalle.edu URL, WEXP has officially been delisted. I'm unaware if their new app ever panned out for them, but this is a sign it ain't working. Maybe I'm wrong and there is some "other channel" that they're pursuing and it's going live again in three weeks and I'm just not aware of it. But then again, I've heard those attempts come and go before. A rebranding attempt with not much awareness is destined to fail anyway, in my opinion. Attachment Deleted
|
|
MisterD
The Baptist Himself
Voted Most Popular Poster 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
Posts: 8,394
Likes: 6,325
|
Post by MisterD on Mar 14, 2019 9:17:44 GMT -5
I imagine it would be a lot more efficient as an internet station / podcast anyway, no?
|
|
|
Post by JoeFedorowicz on Mar 14, 2019 19:52:27 GMT -5
In summary, I believe that we have a real opportunity to do something meaningful with this club. I think the most effective method would be to put it on the open, tell the prospective students like it is, put out a call for help and tell anyone with some semblance of initiative (regardless of their major or career path) that they should take it and create something better with it. This is sad. You wouldn't want them to focus on a radio signal though, right? In the era of podcasts, OTA radio just seems decades-old. That said, communication students should be putting out podcasts. "Podcasting" should be a class. The studio equipment should mostly be the same, the only difference being the transmission.
|
|
|
Post by hykos1045 on Mar 17, 2019 9:36:38 GMT -5
This is sad. You wouldn't want them to focus on a radio signal though, right? In the era of podcasts, OTA radio just seems decades-old. That said, communication students should be putting out podcasts. "Podcasting" should be a class. The studio equipment should mostly be the same, the only difference being the transmission. That's right, Joe. Podcasting resolves a lot of issues. I had made this exact suggestion. A rotation of a few to a dozen Free podcasts for half an hour a week each, would make much more sense than producing a live show for two or three hour blocks just to be heard for a few minutes (average listener would spend before tuning out). Or if they did "live" segments, it would be for a certain audience, e.g a sports talk show. I thought maybe once in a week they could also host studio sessions with musicians, or interviews with someone in the studio, or even remote live material like XPN has on their Friday @ Noon. This way, they have visibility on campus as well as possibly gain more relevance/ listenership. As I recommend something that can be useful for learning the professional tools and honing a craft, I usually get the pushback from defeatists that just want it to be their thing and not built for such an audience. "We're not a WXPN, we're student-run" they might say. Well, I'm all for other suggestions. There has to be a mission behind this, and a model for success. I was not actually suggesting to copy another station's purpose verbatim. I'm slightly sympathetic to some of the excuses I hear about lack of tech support or investment, because they're familiar challenges over the years. However, the opportunity is there if somebody really wanted to reorganize a defunct club. We had to start with a mission statement in 2001. I thought this process was unusual for it at the time but I now see that the lack of a unified mission, or a lack of one at all even, is what might allow such a program to whither away.
|
|
|
Post by JoeFedorowicz on Mar 17, 2019 14:25:00 GMT -5
I was just blindly quoting myself from two years ago.
|
|
|
Post by classof2019 on Apr 1, 2019 21:10:09 GMT -5
So a quick update about WEXP, we were on air for the first semester, it was great, we had a solid schedule of different kinds of shows, but unfortunately the streaming service we were relying on was discontinued. We have since purchased a new streaming service, but we have been waiting on support from IT to get it up and running and we have waiting patiently, but IT hasn't gotten back to us yet. However, some students have been recording podcasts and putting them online in the mean time, so even though we are not able to stream radio shows, we are pushing out podcasts and hopefully we can be back on the air soon.
|
|
|
Post by hykos1045 on Apr 20, 2019 23:58:32 GMT -5
April Fools?
|
|
MisterD
The Baptist Himself
Voted Most Popular Poster 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023
Posts: 8,394
Likes: 6,325
|
Post by MisterD on Nov 11, 2019 11:30:59 GMT -5
Carseat Headrest is a nice first song to hear from them.
|
|