By Liz Raftery
15 March 2005

On Thursday nights - technically, Friday mornings - at 4 a.m., when most college students are studying, socializing or perhaps even sleeping, Alex Black is spinning discs in a studio in downtown Boston. Black, a sophomore media studies major at Emerson College, is one of the hosts of “Uncommon Rotation,” the overnight show at Emerson’s WERS 88.9 FM. WERS was recently named the top college radio station in the country by The Princeton Review for the fourth year in a row.

“I enjoy it,” Black says of his odd hours. “It’s really fun. The people who call in at that time are really strange. The truckers are the most normal ones.”

Founded in 1949 by Emerson professor Charles Dudley, WERS began by broadcasting for six hours a day at 100 watts. Today, the student-run station broadcasts to five New England states, 24 hours a day, at 4000 watts. The station also boasts a listenership of 3.5 million people.

“Most college radio stations don’t reach much of an audience,” says Mike Weed, a junior audio/radio major who deejays the overnight shift on Tuesday nights/Wednesday mornings. “Working at WERS gives you a look at the real world of radio.”

WERS offers students at Emerson an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in all areas of the radio industry, from behind-the-scenes marketing and public relations to on-air broadcasting.

“[Working at WERS] prepares you for a career in the radio business later in life,” says Andrea Dempsey, director of public relations for WERS and a junior marketing communications major at Emerson.

Rachel Paiste, a junior audio/radio major and program director for WERS, agrees.

“I think it’s one of the few places you can go and test out being a deejay,” she says. “It’s an invaluable education for the students, especially being in a big market like Boston.”

Dempsey estimates that there are currently over 100 students involved with WERS in some capacity. All hope that their experience with the station will eventually lead to a successful career.

“Working at the station, you see firs-hand how everything comes together and is run,” says Black. “It’s also nice to have some control and be able to have a say in what is played.”

“At most institutions, the radio station is just an extra-curricular activity… at Emerson, radio is a varsity sport,” adds Jack Casey, station manager at WERS.

The average starting salary for students who graduate with a degree in radio or broadcasting varies from market to market and job to job. According to a study conducted by >New Jersey’s William Paterson University, the average initial offer for a telecommunications/broadcasting major, a likely candidate for a position as an on-air deejay, is $17,500.

However, for students who are interested in the management end of radio, chances are that their first job will be more lucrative, while still depending on the market. According to monster.com, the median starting salary for a Media Program Director in the United States is $54,920; and $37,356 for a Broadcast Technician.

Dempsey believes that the station’s success is due in large part to its unique format. At any given moment, listeners who tune in to WERS via 88.9 FM or streaming online at wers.org will hear one of the 21 different programs the frequency has to offer.

Among the shows are “Jazz Oasis” (weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), featuring jazz pioneers; “The Left End” (weekends from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.), which plays underground rock; and “Standing Room Only” (Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), which gives listeners a diverse array of Broadway show tunes. “Uncommon Rotation,” the overnight show that broadcasts nightly, allows the deejays to pick their favorite songs from the station’s other shows, in a quasi “Best of” format.

“[The station] has such dynamic programming,” Dempsey explains. “Every show is different, so it’s not like every other radio station where you have the same songs all day.

According to Paiste, it is this consistent diversity that has enabled WERS to attract fans and sustain them over the years.

“Our programs have been on for 20, 25 years, so the listeners can rely on them, which is important in radio,” she says.

It is often said that employers are beginning to pay less attention to grades and test scores, and to focus more on concrete experience. For students at Emerson College, a stint at WERS 88.9 FM is a step in the right direction.

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