The 1990s: BSR
The (Re)Birth of Brown Student Radio
BSR staffers unpack equipment in the Faunce House studio, ca. 1998.
In 1994, outgoing managers at WBRU-AM handed leadership to a group of freshmen determined to revive the defunct station.
The University saw WBRU-AM as a potential outlet for Brown sports, which were of no interest to WBRU-FM's widespread listeners. Students saw it as an outlet for less commercial music.
With University funding, WBRU-AM purchased airtime from the Wheeler School's 88.1 FM (WELH) to broadcast Brown basketball and hockey games. In 1995, WBRU-AM was reborn as Brown Student Radio, or BSR.
Meredith Tenhoor '98 of Washington, DC, cues music during the weekly music show she hosts with Diane Bolton '98. Photo by Suzanne Goldish, May 1998.
In 1996, facing limited time on 88.1 FM and no room to expand elsewhere on the FM dial, BSR's Daniel Oppenheim ran for general manager of WBRU-FM. He saw the position as an opportunity to change radio at Brown. He lost to WBRU news director Pam Young.
The election sparked a year of debate about the role of radio at
Brown. Who should it serve? Who did it serve? Supporters of WBRU highlighted the unique training it offered as a commercial and student-run station. But for students seeking traditional, non-commercial, college radio, BSR wanted to be the alternative.
Rafael Sanchez '00 of New Jersey (left), Raafi Muhammad '99 of Massachusetts, and Yusuke Naito '99 of Connecticut produce the weekly "Show With No Name," a two-hour hip-hop and rap music show. Photo by Suzanne Goldish, April 1998.
On November 10, 1997, BSR began broadcasting with a regular block of weeknight airtime leased from WELH. BSR aired an eclectic mix of cross-genre music, news, sports, and features. The station extended its programming and recruitment efforts to the greater Providence community through talk shows like "Not Your Classroom," launched by Paul McCarthy '02 to highlight work of Rhode Island professors.
Today BSR defines itself as "Providence student and community radio that serves the curious listener." The station continues to look for a new home on the FM dial, and its own round-the-clock license.