WSUC-FM
Encyclopedia
WSUC-FM is a college radio station broadcasting
a variety
format from the State University of New York at Cortland
(SUNY Cortland). The station is owned and licensed by the State University of New York
at Cortland in Cortland, New York
, USA.
with the call sign
WCSU. The station had expected to retain the WCSU call sign but the FCC's FM license application required 5 potential call sign choices.
The 5 choices given on the application were WCSU, WMLF (Station Manager Michael Flaster's initials), WCJL (Corey Leibow, the Program Director's initials), WRTC (the Chief Engineer, Dick Crozier's initials), and as a joke, WSUC. It turned out the first 4 had already been assigned so the station was assigned WSUC for its FM license.
version of the lead single "Yo-Da-Lin in the Valley" from the Kid Rock
album Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast
and the explicit lyrics
version of "I'm Not Your Puppet" from the Hi-C
album Skanless.
At the time, this was the largest fine the FCC had ever levied against a non-commercial radio station for a violation of the commission's "obscenity, indecency, and profanity" regulations.
The university appealed the $23,750 fine stating that the fine was excessive and that due to a lack of a playlist
and with no identifying announcements on the recording submitted to the FCC, SUNY was unable to ascertain if the alleged broadcast had actually aired on WSUC.
SUNY also argued that it had been discovered shortly after the alleged broadcast that the student DJ
who was logged on the transmitter at the date and time of the alleged broadcast had also stolen station equipment and forged purchase orders.
According to a certified arrest report provided to the FCC, the student was criminally convicted, sentenced and later officially banned from the SUNY Cortland campus on threat of criminal trespass.
On July 28, 1998 the FCC fine was reduced to $4,200.
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
a variety
Variety (radio)
The term variety as a radio format is loosely defined as a format that plays music across numerous genera.Freeform variety is associated with a wide range of programming including talk, sports, and music from a wide spectrum. This format is usually found on smaller, non-commercial...
format from the State University of New York at Cortland
State University of New York at Cortland
The State University of New York College at Cortland, also officially called SUNY Cortland or informally known as Cortland State, is a coeducational university located in Cortland, New York...
(SUNY Cortland). The station is owned and licensed by the State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
at Cortland in Cortland, New York
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
, USA.
History
WSUC-FM went on the air officially on November 29, 1976. Prior to becoming WSUC-FM, the university radio station broadcast in AMAM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
with the call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
WCSU. The station had expected to retain the WCSU call sign but the FCC's FM license application required 5 potential call sign choices.
The 5 choices given on the application were WCSU, WMLF (Station Manager Michael Flaster's initials), WCJL (Corey Leibow, the Program Director's initials), WRTC (the Chief Engineer, Dick Crozier's initials), and as a joke, WSUC. It turned out the first 4 had already been assigned so the station was assigned WSUC for its FM license.
FCC Notice of Apparent Liability
On January 7, 1993 the radio station was fined $23,750 by the FCC for a June 21, 1992 mid-afternoon broadcast which included the uncensoredCensorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
version of the lead single "Yo-Da-Lin in the Valley" from the Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
album Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast
Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast
Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast is Kid Rock's debut album, released by Jive Records in 1990. A college radio station, WSUC-FM 90.5 Cortland, NY which played an uncensored version of the song "Yo-Da-Lin in the Valley" was fined $23,750 by the FCC. Jive dropped Kid Rock soon after and Kid Rock...
and the explicit lyrics
Explicit Lyrics
Explicit Lyrics is the third studio album recorded by the French artist Ophélie Winter.-Track listing:# "Sache in Progress" # "Sache"...
version of "I'm Not Your Puppet" from the Hi-C
Hi-C (rapper)
Hi-C is an American rap artist. He has collaborated with DJ Quik and AMG.-Singles:*I'm Not Your Puppet *Leave My Curl Alone *Sittin In The Park *Got It Like That *Let Me Know...
album Skanless.
At the time, this was the largest fine the FCC had ever levied against a non-commercial radio station for a violation of the commission's "obscenity, indecency, and profanity" regulations.
The university appealed the $23,750 fine stating that the fine was excessive and that due to a lack of a playlist
Playlist
In its most general form, a playlist is simply a list of songs. They can be played in sequential or shuffled order. The term has several specialized meanings in the realms of radio broadcasting and personal computers.-In radio:...
and with no identifying announcements on the recording submitted to the FCC, SUNY was unable to ascertain if the alleged broadcast had actually aired on WSUC.
SUNY also argued that it had been discovered shortly after the alleged broadcast that the student DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
who was logged on the transmitter at the date and time of the alleged broadcast had also stolen station equipment and forged purchase orders.
According to a certified arrest report provided to the FCC, the student was criminally convicted, sentenced and later officially banned from the SUNY Cortland campus on threat of criminal trespass.
On July 28, 1998 the FCC fine was reduced to $4,200.