WVAU launches fall semester season

Media Credit: DAVE STONE/The Eagle ON AIR - With the start of a new season comes new challenges. This semester, WVAU attempts to raise the bar for college Internet radio by roping in more listeners. Interactive programming, like Tyler Budde's program, is key to bridging the gap between the audience and the deejay.

Today marks the launch of AU's student-run radio station, WVAU. Unlike most college radio programs, WVAU is an Internet station, which brings an equivalent amount of pros and cons to the table.

On the positive side, as an Internet station, anybody in the world with access to the World Wide Web can tune into WVAU. Yes, even country bumpkins can listen to WVAU DJs spin tracks. In prior years when the station was on the actual radio dial, the signal was confined to a measly one- or two-mile radius, thus limiting WVAU's listener demographic.

On the other hand, Internet radio has its share of disadvantages. Rather than coincidentally stumbling on WVAU's station on the radio dial, listeners must consciously choose to seek it out online. General Manager Lindsay Zoladz asserts that as easy as logging online and tuning into radio programs may sound, finding listeners has been difficult.

"Even though those are actions that only take about a second, it's been a lot harder than we thought to motivate people to do those things," Zoladz said. Apart from sheer laziness on the part of listeners, WVAU is relatively unknown due to its lack of presence on campus. Fahima Haque, a sophomore in the School of Communication, characterizes the general consensus of students who wish to partake in WVAU but are unaware of how the station operates.

"Honestly, I don't know when or how or what goes on with WVAU, which makes me realize that there isn't enough advertising to inform students," Haque said. "If there was more word of mouth, I would be more involved."

This year, though, the station is taking an initiative to step up its promotional campaign. It's clear that finding listeners is not always easy, but the station's DJs, including Tyler Budde, are eager for the challenge.

"I love being involved with the rebuilding process," Budde said. "It's something that's just taking off and that's exciting to be a part of."

Continued...

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