Radio relaunch promises niche content
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January 13, 2010 8:16 AM
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The new face of Radio Laurier was revealed to the campus and community on Friday as they re-launched their newly-designed programming and broadcasts. They will now have live or prerecorded programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Radio Laurier is now part of Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, and is back on air for the first time since it was dropped by the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union and went off air last April. The broadcast is currently only available at radiolaurier.com.
“We have regular programming and we actually have a schedule requiring people to meet it,” said station manager Carla Bowes.
Under its previous direction with WLUSU, there was often inconsistency with programming; the new station is taking steps to prevent this and make sure DJs and programs are regular and reliable.
“If you’re involved as a volunteer and you don’t do that you have disciplinary action, so the volunteers take it more seriously, almost like a job,” explained Bowes.
Every weekday morning there will be an “Alive at Nine” variety show between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. playing music, taking requests and providing local news and weather reports. Bowes explains that they have reached an agreement with CBC who will provide news broadcasts three times a day free of cost.
There will be regular music and talk show programs scheduled throughout the week. When there are no planned live shows, the station will broadcast prerecorded programming or themed music collections.
Radio Laurier has organized programming to cater to the student body, playing some mainstream music but also covering a wide variety of genres and artists.
“Since there’s already mainstream radio stations we try and represent the student body by bringing up a lot of niche shows as well, and they’re great because [students] know all about it,” said program manager Judith Brunton.
In addition to talk show and music programming, the station is looking to host a one-hour platform once a day where student, campus or community groups can talk about who they are and what they do.
There will also be a round table with The Cord on Wednesdays at 4 p.m.
“We’re trying to be less of a radio station and more of a community network based on audio content,” said Brunton.
Radio Laurier is now working towards getting a broadcasting license, although as Bowes explains, they are “nowhere near ready for that” yet.
“We’ve structured the programming in a way that it works in order for us to eventually be able to get one … but by the time we are there in might not be so relevant anymore,” said Bowes.
Radio Laurier has a street team working to spread the word about the station and their events, and it is also looking to negotiate locations on campus where their broadcasts can be aired.
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