WMCN - FM 91.7 - Saint Paul, MN

Content A Brief History of WMCN Like many college radio stations, WMCN does not limit itself to any particular genre[s]. Our programming consists of a broad spectrum of music from indepedent record labels and artists, along with a spattering of talk, news, and announcements. Unlike most radio stations of any ... See more sort, however, WMCN is a truly freeform broadcast. We have 68+ unique weekly programs [see guide], each with its own host DJ[s] and theme. While we do select our DJs in part based on their tastes and knowledge, they determine the playlists for each broadcast of their own shows independantly, with no need for approval from management and no "master list" to choose from. Since the majority of our listeners are Macalester students, we try to provide a mix of genres proportional to their tastes, while representing as many genres as possible in the spirit of liberal arts philisophy. If you see an underrepresented genre you enjoy, do a little research on influential/innovative/independent artists in that genre, and APPLY FOR A SHOW NEXT SEMESTER! Broadcast: WMCN broadcasts at ERP 5.4W under a class D non-commercial eductional LPFM FCC license on 91.7MHZ from 8am to 4am, with the periodic exception of some weekend hours and most academic breaks. As of 2004 we have recently installed new equipment, maximizing the power/range of our signal under the limits of our license. Our signal now ranges right around the FCC number of 3.5 miles with good clarity. While far more reliable than AM, many factors affect reception of low-power FM signals, especially in the city. There are a few pockets of poor reception within said 3.5-mile radius, and a few pockets of good reception farther away. The best off-campus reception is generally downhill, to the W/NW of Mac. The worst is to the E/SE of Mac, where MPR and a station we haven't identified start to interfere with our signal. Under WMCN's license, we are not allowed to complain about such interference and if a station with a better license complains about interference from us, we have to lower our broadcasting radius accordingly [which does happen to us]. Thus, WMCN will probably never broadcast much farther than it currently does.

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