Sending Clear Signals: Getting YU Radio Back On Air

After three years of silence, Yeshiva University's official radio station, WYUR, could soon be disturbing the airwaves on both undergraduate campuses. A student led committee headed by Hadar Weiss successfully coordinated negotiations with Jeffrey Socol, Associate Director of Facilities Management, and Bell Atlantic, the communications provider, to resuscitate the station and get it back on the air.

Confining the radio broadcast to designated YU buildings, the organizers of the WYUR have managed to avoid the treacherous waters of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) red tape. Through the use of customized telephone wiring, WYUR steers clear of broadcast medium guidelines, rather serving essentially as an elaborate in-house Public Address system that can be picked up on any household radio within a few feet of the wiring.

Promising to fill a three-year-old chasm in undergraduate life at YU, the campus radio station is seen by many as an opportunity to revive campus life and student activity. Citing neglect and poor wiring as a cause of the station shut down about four years ago, organizers are optimistic that the updated and carefully planned wiring will provide years of reliable service as an effective student sounding board.

Weiss commented that LPB Manufacturers, the original station equipment provider, has been commissioned to provide the necessary transmitters and other broadcast devices. Dror Barber, YCSC President, explained that the station's move from the underground parking lot to its present location in the Uptown Schottenstein Student Center significantly undermined the station's wiring system. The administration, according to Barber, approved of the proposal submitted to Bell Atlantic to overhaul the wiring, with work to begin in the next few weeks. Funding has been provided by the President's Circle as well as the Stern and Uptown student councils.

While the organizers are not sure when the equipment will be ready for installation, the return of WYUR will usher in new opportunities for meaningful student expression. Ilan Rubinstein, a YC Junior, will serve as station manager. With programs ranging from popular Jewish and contemporary music hours to talk shows hosted by both Stern and Uptown students, undergraduates will be allowed to enjoy the diverse characteristics of their fellow students. While much freedom will be given to program content ideas, a governing board will be set up to regulate programs in line with the mores befitting a YU student organization.

With innovative program ideas such as plans to broadcast on-campus sporting and other events, the rejuvenated radio station touts itself as a welcome return to a rich and diverse undergraduate experience on both campuses. Weiss, "hoping everything will come together soon," foresees a successful and significant campus institution that will serve the expressive needs of all undergraduates for years to come.