WUSC-FM - Content

Content

WUSC-FM is a free-format non-commercial educational radio station. The station's policy prohibits playing music that is in rotation at any other local station, or that has been on the Top 40 charts within the past 40 years. (This rule is sometimes ignored for special events, such as all-Beatles weekends or weekends devoted to the music of the 1980s). Some DJs have specialty shows, handling one genre such as soundtracks, hip-hop music, or electronic music. DJs who have "free-format" shows are required to play three genres of music during their show. Free-format show DJs are also required to grab 50 percent of what they play from heavy and light rotation. The station is owned and operated by the University of South Carolina.

WUSC is governed by the Board of Student Publications and Communications, the Department of Student Life, the Director of Student Media, and the USC Board of Trustees (the USC Board of Trustees holds the station's license).

A vast majority of the DJs at WUSC are current students at the university. However, the station allows faculty, staff, and WUSC alumni to host shows as well. One particular show, Red Bank Bar and Grill, has been aired off and on since 1978. It is currently the only show that is three hours long year-round; during the fall and spring semesters, shows are two hours long and air once per week. During summer and some academic breaks, shows become three hours long.

Each DJ is responsible for the content of their show, and several of the shows have unique names and themes. Names in the Spring 2006 semester include "Bitch Stole My Fish", "Concordia Discourse", "Billfred in the Niiiiiightiiiiiiiiime!" (which airs on Friday mornings), "Ska is for Suckers", and "Still Questionable".

Some notable shows over the years have included Locals Only (a current show featuring bands from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia), The Columbia Beet (local bands played live in the studio), the Red Bank Bar and Grill (an alternative country program), The Weekend Kicker (on Friday afternoons), Musical Mutiny (Sunday afternoons 1977-8, a progenitor of experimental/mash-up/sampling/"difficult" sounds; "Knox Abbott" was doing guerrilla radio about 30 years before it would become fashionable) and Blast From the Past (one of the earliest shows to focus on more esoteric music from the 1960s, first aired 1978, featuring groups such as the "Chocolate Watchband" and "Lothar and the Hand People"; a few years after the originator of the show had graduated and moved on, more recent listeners remember his apprentice, Freewheelin' Frank assuming the role of host).

Some notable DJs have included Orlando (from the early 1970s), Steven Prazak (late 70s-early 80s), Terry Rosen (musician) (jazz programming, late 70s-early 80s), Uncle Gram (host of the Red Bank Bar and Grill), "Knox Abbott" (host of Musical Mutiny), Clair DeLune (host of the Blues Moon), "Aris" (70's-80's hosted a weekend show of folk/Celtic/etc.), Brent "Studdog" Riley (a long time alumni DJ), Marc Minsker (The Outside Jazz show), Brian Kushera (jazz), William Sprouse (host of "Still Questionable") Brian Glazer (mainly news/talk, but did music shows, too), and Mark Bryan (guitarist for the band Hootie and the Blowfish).