WGCS
| City of license | Goshen, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Goshen, Indiana |
| Branding | 91.1 The Globe |
| Slogan | Your Home for Culturally Progressive Music |
| Frequency | 91.1 mHz |
| First air date | October 2, 1958 |
| Format | AAA, Americana |
| ERP | 6,000 watts |
| Class | A |
| Callsign meaning | Goshen College Station |
| Affiliations | Regional Radio Sports Network |
| Owner | Goshen College Broadcasting Corporation |
| Website | Globe Radio |
WGCS is the noncommercial education radio voice of Goshen College and identified over the air as 91.1- The Globe. WGCS is a student-run college radio station based in Goshen, Indiana.
Contents
Mission Statement
"As a federally licensed trustee operating in the public interest, the Globe serves the greater Goshen community with a distinctive and professional radio voice. The Globe also serves Goshen College, its owners, by providing a quality on-air product that supports and extends the college's core values, mission, programs and standards. Within this framework, the Globe provides a dynamic environment in which students learn industry standards of operating, marketing and managing a radio station."
History
The history of WGCS actually begins prior to the actual start-up of the station. The initial interest for a radio station at Goshen College dates back to the 1940s. Clarence Moore, of WCMR in Elkhart, built a "carrier current" radio transmitter that was placed next to the public address system in Assembly Hall. The antenna was a 50-foot wire running from the Administration Building to a light pole near the library, then running just below a high-tension power line of the next pole. The makeshift "station" broadcast programs in Assembly Hall, which included chapels and church services. When a student placed a ticking alarm clock next to the microphone, listeners as far away as Milford, Indiana could hear the ticking. The output coupled into the high-tension line, causing the output to exceed FCC limits. On May 7, 1952 the Federal Communication Commission was conducting surveys in the Goshen area. The station was found to exceed power for limited power radiation. An immediate cease operation was issued. The "station" would need a station license covering its broadcasting equipment plus each person working at the station would need an operator’s license.
Clarence Moore tried to obtain permission to continue broadcasting church services but the FCC denied it. After a few years another attempt was made to reduce power and limit broadcasting to only the college campus. The output line was rerouted but the station could not continue to broadcast because of too much power.
In the fall of 1954, Goshen radio station WKAM asked the college to prepare programs to air on their station. On October 15, 1954 the first program was aired at 8 a.m. The 30-minute programs aired Monday through Friday consisting of previously recorded chapels along with hymn music, news, and some classical records. The listeners criticized the classical music being played but the station continued to air classical music as their main format. The Goshen College graduating class of 1956 donated $1845 toward the construction of an FM station. A construction permit was submitted to the FCC on January 31, 1957 but was denied due to some of the proposed licensees not being United States citizens. Another permit was submitted to the FCC with the licensee being the Goshen College Broadcasting Corporation. It was not-for-profit and consisted of three members appointed by the Mennonite Board of Education. The construction permit was granted on January 17, 1958. The next step was for the radio station to choose call letters. The first few choices had been taken but WGCS was available. In April 1958 WKAM ceased broadcasting college-produced programs due to program changes at the station. Many hours were spent hooking up the console and other equipment in the studio, located in the college's Union Building. Equipment tests began April 28, 1958. The 98-foot tower was erected in July 1958. The application for a station license was granted on October 2, 1958.
Throughout the first 40 years classical music had been the mainstay of the WGCS program lineup. On June 21, 2004, under the management and direction of Jason Samuel, WGCS changed format to Americana, and Triple a music. This time they also adopted their moniker of "The Globe". During its history WGCS has also broadcast a variety of college events, including chapels and convocations, sports, and music department concerts. In the mid-70s student-produced and oriented programs were added to the WGCS late night lineup (a cause led, interestingly enough, by a communication major and WGCS student station manager named Jon Kennel, who later became a General Manager at WGCS). Around 1980 the station began broadcasting in Spanish on Saturday mornings (which currently fills from 6 a.m. – 10a.m.) using community volunteers and students in the college’s Hispanic Ministries program. Past secondary formats in the evening have included Christian rock. Since 1970, the station has been broadcasting Goshen College athletics. In the late summer of 2005 Penn High School) football was added through the Regional Radio Sports Network and continues to be a regular part of their autumn programming.
Programming
91.1 The Globe is a student-operated college radio station that also broadcasts some programs like NPR's "World Cafe" and "Country Fried Rock" hosted by Sloane Spencer. WGCS features locally produced programs such as "Could Lead To Dancing," "The Mystery Mix," and "Acoustic Crossings." Some programming on 91.1 the Globe is sponsored by Ignition Music Garage located in downtown Goshen, Indiana. WGCS reports its playlists to the Americana Music Association weekly album chart which is available online. 91.1 the Globe also broadcasts Goshen College Athletics from the Crossroads League such as men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, softball, and baseball. In a partnership with Bethany Christian Schools, WGCS also broadcasts some of their high school basketball and soccer games. The Globe also provides listeners to enjoy in-studio interviews and concerts over the air featuring local artists.
Awards
2011
- Awarded the Abraham & Borst Award for Best College Radio Station in the Nation at the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System conference in New York City
2012
- Awarded Best College Radio School in Indiana by the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters
2013
- Awarded the Abraham & Borst Award for Best College Radio Station in the Nation at the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System conference in New York City
- Awarded Best College Radio School in Indiana by the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters
- Best Radio Station of Market 2 in Indiana at the 26th Annual Indiana Broadcasters Association Spectrum Awards
2014
- Awarded Best College Radio School in Indiana by the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters
Our students have won many individual awards at both the state and national level. Students have been nominated for awards through the College Broadcasters Inc., Broadcast Education Association, Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, Indiana Broadcasters Association, and the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters Some of these awards include best sports play-by-play, best newscast, best radio documentary, and best on-air personality. The Globe is the first radio station to win the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters Award for the Best College Radio Station back-to-back and three years in a row.
Globe Programs
- World Cafe (Every week night 5-7p)
- Woodsong (Mondays 11p-12a)
http://www.woodsongs.com/index.php
- Country Fried Rock (Fridays 11p-12a)
- Momentos de Gozo (Saturday 6-10a)
- Artist Spotlight (Saturday 8-9p)
- Weekly Feed (Saturday 11p-12a)
- Human Kind (Sunday 6-7a)
http://www.humanmedia.org/catalog/home.php
- Voices of our World (Sunday 7:30-8a)
http://www.voicesofourworld.org
- Bioneers (8-8:30a)
- Sing for Joy (Sunday 8:30-9a & 11:30a-12p)
http://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/
- College Mennonite Church (Sunday 9:15-10:45a)
- Trinity United Methodist Church (Sunday 11-11:30a)
- Patterns in American Music (12:06-2pm)
- Acoustic Cafe (Sunday 4-6p)
- Could Lead to Dancing (Sunday7-9p)
- Music City Roots (Sunday 9-11p)
WGCS Faculty General Managers
- 1958-70, 71-75 Jacob Swartzendruber
- 1970-71, 75-81 Roy Umble
- 1976 Alfred Albrecht
- 1981-83 Vernon Schertz
- 1983-85 Mark Kelley
- 1985-88 Stuart Showalter
- 1988-91 Ron Johnson
- 1991-92 Kerry Strayer
- 1992-95 Bill Frisbie
- 1995-2003 Jon Kauffmann-Kennel
- 2003- Jason Samuel
WGCS Student Station Managers
- 1958-59 Fancheon Emmert
- 1959-60 Dale Sloat
- 1960-61 Gerald Kauffman (I) Irene Yoder & Bill Davidson (II)
- 1961-62 Mary Miller
- 1962-63 Bill Davidson (I) Charles Hostetter (II)
- 1963-64 Carolyn Stoltzfus
- 1964-65 Clyde Hockman
- 1965-66 Charles Kauffman
- 1966-67 Ken Eigsti
- 1967-68 Leslie Miller (I) John Frankenfield (II)
- 1968-69 H. James Kauffmann
- 1969-70 Randall Snyder & Judy Beechy
- 1970-71 Larry Heatwole, (W&S)
- 1971-72 Larry Heatwole, (F) Phil Richard, (W&S)
- 1972-73 Larry Heatwole
- 1973-74 Merle Snyder
- 1974-75 Jon Kennel
- 1975-76 L. Merlin Hoover
- 1976-77 David M. Groff
- 1977-78 Larry Becker
- 1978-79 Barth Hague
- 1979-80 Robert Kehr
- 1980-81 Bill Frisbie (F) Molly Murphy (W)
- 1981-82 Molly Murphy
- 1982-83 Nelson Geigley
- 1983-84 Stan Zehr
- 1984-85 Sheldon Beachy
- 1985-86 Gary Oyer
- 1986-87 Stan Martin
- 1987-88 Bruce Hostetler
- 1988-89 Marta Brunner
- 1989-90 Christy Risser
- 1990-91 Joe Manikam
- 1991-92 Jason Samuel
- 1992-93 Angie Richard & Matt Smith
- 1993-94 Matt Smith
- 1994-95 Rachel Lapp
- 1995-96 Andrew Bruinewoud
- 1996-97 Abir Sarras
- 1997-98 Amy Gingerich
- 1998-99 Chrissy Kilmer
- 1999-2000 Courtney Papa
- 2000-01 Josh Byler (F) Stephan Bontrager (S)
- 2001-02 Dikshya Adhikari
- 2002-03 Hannah Livengood
- 2003-04 Joel Short
- 2004-05 Nick Gingerich
- 2005-06 Kimberlee Rohrer
- 2006-07 Josh Gross (F) JD Windhorst (S)
- 2007-08 Zach Miller
- 2008-09 Abri Houser
- 2009-10 Rachel Halder
- 2010-11 Trisha Handrich
- 2011-12 Summer Hasan
- 2012-13 Kelsey Morris
- 2013-15 Danielle Kerschhackl
- 2015-16 Victor Garcia
Associations
- Regional Radio Sports Network WGCS has been associated with the Regional Radio Sports Network since 2005. Together, they broadcast Penn High School Football Friday nights in the fall during high school football season.
Ignition Music Garage WGCS and Ignition Music Garage have been partnered since Ignition Music Garage began. They bring together national and local artists to perform in a small concert venue to connect the Goshen locals with what is going on in the music world. Goshen College
References
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External links
- Globe Radio Online
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WGCS
- Radio-Locator information on WGCS
- Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WGCS
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