WVUM - History

History

In 1967, a group of engineering students in Mahoney Hall (a University of Miami dormitory) created an unlicensed transmitter and began operating an illegal radio station. Shortly after being discovered by the FCC, it was requested that they discontinue broadcasting. In order to amend relations, the University of Miami decided to register the station and create what expanded to be WVUM.

So on February 1968, WVUM received its license to broadcast a 10-watt non-commercial, educational radio station (it was barely enough power to be heard throughout the university campus). The Station was located on the second floor of the Whitten University Center. The first call letters were WVOH (Voice of Hurricanes) and later changed to WBIS (IBIS) which was later changed to WVUM (Voice of the University of Miami).

At the time, the radio station was controlled by the Mahonney Residence Hall Association, Inc. In the Spring of 1977, Mahonney Residence Hall association, Inc changed its name to WVUM, Inc, the company that still runs today.

WVUM offers rotation and specialty shows. Rotation shows feature albums selected by the music directors and music staff while specialty shows focus on a specific genre, style or concept.

The radio station also offers news, public affairs and sports programming. WVUM is the flagship station for Hurricane baseball. It also covers women’s volleyball and basketball and men’s football and basketball. The news department produces hourly newscasts, featured news, public service announcements and community outreach programs.

While WVUM has a corporate and advisory board consisting of staff advisors, the station is student-run by the main decision-making entity: the Executive Board, which consists of 13 students. The WVUM staff focuses on programming, community involvement, and engaging with Miami’s art and music scene.

Listeners of WVUM tend to be within the age range of 16 – 49 years old. The station’s online stream is well above the average for college radio stations, and receives hits internationally. Because of WVUM’s unique position in the Miami community as the only radio station playing innovative underground music, listeners are often very loyal to the station and its mission.

WVUM works with many institutions in the Miami music and arts scene. Some of these organizations include but are not limited to: Ultra Music Festival, Sweat Records, MoMA’s WPS1 Art Radio, The Electric Pickle, CMJ, Friends With You, Poplife / Grand Central, Nightdrive, FREEGUMS, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), IamYourVillain, Miami Art Museum, The Fillmore, The Vagabond, OHWOW, The Overthrow, Roofless Records, SCOPE Art Fair, WSVA Radio (NYC), and Bardot.

The station has been recognized by both the community and the press, as the Miami New Times’ Reader’s Choice as Best FM Radio Station (2010 / 2009) and Editor’s Choice Best FM Radio Station (2007 / 2006). Zoom Out has recognized WVUM as one of the top noncommercial streaming radio stations in the country. In March 2011, the station was awarded mtvU's Woodie Award for "Best College Radio Station."