UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 29, Page 6
April 30, 1992
Judge, social worker, students, retirees command airwaves

     The University of Delaware radio station, WXDR (91.3 FM), has a
record-spinning, cassette-playing contingent catering to the diverse
tastes of listeners in four states.
     Over the station's 23-year history, its format evolved to the
current "alternative" programming blocks of jazz, classical, bluegrass
and folk. The format, according to station manager Chuck Tarver, meet
the needs of listeners whose desires are not served by stations that
tend to play only one type of music.
     "WXDR is programmed more like a TV station than a radio station,
" he said. The daytime blocks of shows are consistent Monday through
Friday, with special programming in the evenings and on the weekends.
     Tarver works with two other station employees and about 150
volunteers, most of the latter being students. Members of the local
community also help run the station. Staff, ranging in age from high
school students to retirees, take on a variety of
responsibilities-from disc jockeys to behind-the-scene jobs that help
publicize station events, engineer public service announcements and
ensure that operations run smoothly. Some volunteers keep tapes and
programming logs and handle other administrative tasks.
     But like commercial radio, DJs command the most attention at
WXDR. Once a specific block is set, the host may select any music he
or she wants within that genre. WXDR DJs have considerably more
freedom than commercial DJs, who often must follow prescribed song
lists, Tarver said. Most take full advantage of that freedom to create
special, creative shows.
     For listeners who have ever wondered about the faces that belong
with those smooth voices and eclectic personalities, check them out!
     -Laura Reisinger
     Photos by Jack Buxbaum and Robert Cohen