WRPI
Encyclopedia
WRPI is a non-commercial college radio station run by students attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
and community members in Troy, New York
. WRPI broadcasts 365 days a year with an effective radiated power
of 10,000 watt
s, serving listeners in eastern New York
and western Massachusetts
and Vermont
. The studios are located in the basement of the Darrin Communications Center on the RPI Campus with transmitter and tower three miles away in North Greenbush, New York
. WRPI programming includes a wide range of music, cultural and public affairs programs, live local bands, special events, and sports simulcasts, particularly of RPI hockey, football, and baseball.
formed Campus Review, a program devoted to college-oriented entertainment and news for the Troy area. The show itself was run by a senior and junior board, as well as a group of apprentices, and programmed a half-hour of WHAZ's then-six-hour-long schedule on Monday nights. A new organization, the Rensselaer Broadcasting Association, began programming WHAZ's whole schedule in the spring of 1947, deploying a staff entirely from RPI's student body and working with the still-existent Campus Review.
An on-campus radio station was formed as an experimental carrier-current AM
station in the fall of 1947, affiliated with the call sign W2SZ and broadcasting out of the attic of the Russell Sage Laboratory on campus. Though the listening area was limited only to RPI's freshman dorms, the station soon gained the WRPI moniker locally, and gradually added more equipment from donations and war surplus. Around 1948, W2SZ, the RBA and the Campus Review merged into a single Radio Council to cut down on the proliferation of student broadcasting clubs. In March 1951, the Radio Council was divided into amateur and broadcasting clubs; FCC
-licensed broadcasting at 640 kHz began at that time for the latter. By 1954, WRPI's listenership included 85% of all students listening to radio sets.
Later, WRPI became a pioneer in FM stereo radio; it obtained an FM license in 1957 and began broadcasting on its current frequency of 91.5 on November 1, 1957 with 750 watts. In April 1969, WRPI boosted its power to 10,000 watts, while simultaneously moving to a new transmitter site. The format was also changed to Free Form Progressive Rock during this period. Now with a powerful signal, WRPI functioned as the Progressive Rock station of the Albany area throughout the early part of the 1970's. Today, WRPI's "free format" programming includes an eclectic, robust mix of rock, folk, classical, electronic and contemporary music, as well as talk shows all aimed at the diverse tastes of its listening audience. In 2008, the station adopted the on-air slogan "The Upstate Underground".
The amateur radio club still exists, and still uses the call letters W2SZ.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
and community members in Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
. WRPI broadcasts 365 days a year with an effective radiated power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
of 10,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s, serving listeners in eastern New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and western Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. The studios are located in the basement of the Darrin Communications Center on the RPI Campus with transmitter and tower three miles away in North Greenbush, New York
North Greenbush, New York
North Greenbush is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. North Greenbush is located in the western part of the county. The population was 10,805 at the 2000 census....
. WRPI programming includes a wide range of music, cultural and public affairs programs, live local bands, special events, and sports simulcasts, particularly of RPI hockey, football, and baseball.
History
The history of WRPI begins in 1924, when a sub-staff of WHAZWHAZ (AM)
-WMYY:-External links:...
formed Campus Review, a program devoted to college-oriented entertainment and news for the Troy area. The show itself was run by a senior and junior board, as well as a group of apprentices, and programmed a half-hour of WHAZ's then-six-hour-long schedule on Monday nights. A new organization, the Rensselaer Broadcasting Association, began programming WHAZ's whole schedule in the spring of 1947, deploying a staff entirely from RPI's student body and working with the still-existent Campus Review.
An on-campus radio station was formed as an experimental carrier-current AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
station in the fall of 1947, affiliated with the call sign W2SZ and broadcasting out of the attic of the Russell Sage Laboratory on campus. Though the listening area was limited only to RPI's freshman dorms, the station soon gained the WRPI moniker locally, and gradually added more equipment from donations and war surplus. Around 1948, W2SZ, the RBA and the Campus Review merged into a single Radio Council to cut down on the proliferation of student broadcasting clubs. In March 1951, the Radio Council was divided into amateur and broadcasting clubs; FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
-licensed broadcasting at 640 kHz began at that time for the latter. By 1954, WRPI's listenership included 85% of all students listening to radio sets.
Later, WRPI became a pioneer in FM stereo radio; it obtained an FM license in 1957 and began broadcasting on its current frequency of 91.5 on November 1, 1957 with 750 watts. In April 1969, WRPI boosted its power to 10,000 watts, while simultaneously moving to a new transmitter site. The format was also changed to Free Form Progressive Rock during this period. Now with a powerful signal, WRPI functioned as the Progressive Rock station of the Albany area throughout the early part of the 1970's. Today, WRPI's "free format" programming includes an eclectic, robust mix of rock, folk, classical, electronic and contemporary music, as well as talk shows all aimed at the diverse tastes of its listening audience. In 2008, the station adopted the on-air slogan "The Upstate Underground".
The amateur radio club still exists, and still uses the call letters W2SZ.
Important broadcasts
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Famous past shows
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