WUSB (FM) - Programming

Programming

Since its inception, WUSB has provided free-form programming, encompassing a variety of different styles and genres, ranging from jazz and classical, to punk rock, reggae and world music, and many genres in between. Additionally, the station also aired a large variety of public affairs programs, ethnic programs, and programming of interest to students.

To this day, WUSB's programming remains consistently inconsistent! Many original volunteer staffers remain involved with WUSB, along with newer volunteers who range from undergraduate and graduate students, to alumni, university staff, and local community residents, as well as listeners who have become involved with the station.

Originally, the station broadcast from 7 a.m. (8 a.m. on the weekends) to 2:30 a.m. Over time, WUSB began to broadcast 24 hours per day, which it still does today with rare exceptions. Notable programming included The Early Morning Riser, hosted by General Manager Norm Prusslin, Turmoil, which became the longest-running punk rock radio program in the world before ending its run in 2004, Onda Nueva, featuring Salsa music and public affairs programming geared to Long Island's Latino community and which has been on the air since the late 1970s, and Saturday's a Party, which remains on the air to this day as the world's longest-running Reggae music program on the radio.

Morning programming is usually dedicated to eclectic forms of music, ranging from contemporary to exotic to hiphop blues. Jazz musician Sam Taylor hosted a live program (Sam Taylor's Blues) every Friday morning, until his death in 2009.

Midday and early afternoon programming features public affairs and political commentary. On weekday afternoons, between 2:30 to 5:00 p.m., WUSB has traditionally featured new music, ranging from punk to indie to electronic music to underground hip-hop. On weekday afternoons from 5 to 6 pm, WUSB rebroadcasts the nationally syndicated Democracy Now! (hosted by Amy Goodman, of DCTV).

Early evenings feature a variety of programming, ranging from "Seawolves Night Live" on Monday nights at 7 p.m., Emmanuel Goldstein's Off the Wall on Tuesdays, to programming featuring campus and student issues, the local music scene, folk music, and more. Late evenings are almost exclusively dedicated to music, featuring such genres as rockabilly, new wave, global music, soul, reggae, hip-hop, industrial, noise, blues, Bluegrass, classic rock and more. On Friday nights, Destinies-The Voice of Science Fiction airs; the longest-running (since 1983), and possibly only science fiction radio program on college radio. The music continues into the overnight hours, where a mixture of first-time DJ's and long-time volunteers air a variety of genres, including some material which is only legally permitted by the FCC to be aired between the safe harbor hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m..

Weekend programming features a lot of ethnic fare, including Onda Nueva, Polka, and programming in Italian, Korean and Chinese, as well as jazz, country music, a cappella, children's music, Celtic and folk music, electronic music, political talk, and The Sports Section, Long Island's longest-running live sports call-in show.

WUSB also airs many Stony Brook University events, ceremonies and lectures, including numerous broadcasts of Stony Brook's NCAA Division I WUSB SPORTS BLOG teams, the Stony Brook Seawolves, as well as the university's winter and spring commencement ceremonies. Numerous public service announcements are also regularly aired.

WUSB is a member of many organizations, including the National Association of Broadcasters, the Press Club of Long Island, and the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS). For the past several years, WUSB has served as the host station for IBS's national conference, held in New York City each March.