Radio has a venerable history at Vassar with the earliest shows airing in 1938. From those earliest broadcasts, the college has sought eclectic and informative programming pertinent to the community.
In the early 1970’s, WVKR Vassar College Radio was born. Starting as an AM current carrier station, WVKR broadcast from Main Building up to twenty-one hours per day via a campus-only closed circuit. With the emergence of broad popularity for FM broadcasting, Vassar petitioned for and was granted an FCC license to switch to FM and broadcast on 91.3 MHz over an 18 mile radius via a 10 watt transmitter atop Main Building. The station strove to broadcast up to twenty hours per day during the academic year.
Over the years, year-round programming, 24-hour programming, and a strong signal have been incorporated. Since 1994, WVKR has been broadcasting at 3400 watts and the transmitter sits on the west side of the Hudson River. In addition to Vassar students, DJs also come from the surrounding community. Although the station has undergone many changes the mission has stayed very much the same: “to promote music not heard elsewhere and to serve the community interest through eclectic radio programming”.
Via broadcast, WVKR has been heard in five states (NY, MA, CT, NJ, and PA). Via webcast, accessible from the WVKR home page (www.wvkr.org), listeners in Japan, Sweden, Brazil, and outposts unknown have tuned into the same shows you do on 91.3 MHz.
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Independent Radio
Looking for information regarding music played on a polish radio show in or around poughkeepsie,NY. Can you help located the show and person(s) to contact? Thank you.
Dear WVKR,
I first discovered your station 6 years ago and listened with anticipation. The refreshing introduction of eclectic genres and exposure in sub-culture music is appreciated and welcomed. I coach a roller derby team (the only in Orange County, NY)and we’ve been reaching out to independent/underground entities like you in hopes to expose the average lives of more than average people. For example(and very true..) the physical therapist grandmother by day, the fearsome jammer on a game day and practice by night. The college students, newspaper journalists and countless other professionals we have on the team work hard and play harder. We would love to advertise for you and exchange promotion ideas. Fundraisers are also an activity we are well acquainted with as being a small “mom n pop” group. If you feel we can assist each other in anyway or have suggestions to point us in the right direction, it would be beyond appreciation.
Sincerely,
Tienty Deville #17