WUAG explained

WUAG
City:Greensboro, North Carolina
Area:Piedmont Triad
Branding:The Music 103
Frequency:103.1 MHz
Airdate:1964 (at 89.9)
Format:Variety
Erp:18 watts
Haat:79 meters
Class:D
Facility Id:68667
Former Frequencies:89.9 MHz (1965–1981)
106.1 MHz (1981–1989)
Owner:University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Licensing Authority:FCC

WUAG (103.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a variety format.[1] Licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina, United States, the station serves the Piedmont Triad area. The station is currently owned by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.[2]

History

Since 1964[3] this college radio station has been through several changes. The station has changed location and frequency three times. First, it was 89.9 (a frequency that had been abandoned by Greensboro's Grimsley High School),[4] then 106.1 in 1981,[5] then by 1990 had changed to what it is today, 103.1 FM.[6] WUAG currently broadcasts at 18 watts, reaching the entirety of Greensboro. The station was on the second floor of Elliott Hall (now the Elliott University Center) until 1984, when the station moved to the Taylor Theater building. Then, operations moved to the third floor of the Brown Building in 2011, where WUAG has a broadcasting booth, recording rooms, and offices., Taylor Phillips is the General Manager.[7]

Programming

The official format of WUAG is Progressive but with a philosophy of "willful eclecticism and minimal musical boundaries". The station broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with DJs and shows changing each semester. The station plays a constantly changing rotation of everything from Americana, punk, electronica, reggae, hip-hop, rock, jazz, local and world music. Since WUAG is primarily student-run it has to adapt each semester to the influx of new DJs who may have more of an interest in one type of music over the other. Examples of Specialty programming are the '80s shows and the Night Zoo, a top 40-leaning show that aired through the early-to-mid '90s.

In 2010, music director Matt Northrup said WUAG had 85 CDs in "heavy rotation", and 15 to 20 new recordings each week, introduced on Northrup's weekly show on Thursday afternoons. WUAG had 100 student DJs, who were told "Less talk, more rock" (though the musical genres varied) and to play eight cuts per hour from the CDs in rotation.[8]

Operations

The day-to-day operations of WUAG are led entirely by students, through a student executive board. The board is staffed with a general manager, office manager, news and sports director, music and productions director, and social media director. DJs are volunteers and consist of UNCG students and other community members.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: WUAG Facility Record . United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division .
  2. Web site: Station Information Profile . Arbitron .
  3. Web site: 103.1 WUAG. UNCG. 2021-09-09.
  4. Web site: Spartan Stories: Fifty years of WUAG. Gwynn. David. 2014-07-07. Spartan Stories. 2019-07-17.
  5. Web site: WUAG frequency change promotional announcement. UNCG Archives. 2021-09-09.
  6. Tom Steadman, "It Started with a Tuesday Night Jam", Greensboro News and Record, September 30, 1990, p. 1.
  7. Web site: Contact Us. WUAG. 2021-09-10.
  8. News: College radio stations are a hit . Puterbaugh . Parke . . 2010-12-16 . 2010-12-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101219223704/http://gotriad.news-record.com/content/2010/12/15/article/city_s_college_radio_stations_are_a_hit . December 19, 2010 .