WAER

Radio programming began on the university campus as early as 1931,[7] the year when AM station WSYR-WMAC in Syracuse built its new transmitter site on the university campus. This station employed the WMAC call sign only when it carried Syracuse University programming originating from Crouse College.[8][9] In late 1933 the call sign was changed to WSYR-WSYU, with WSYU, being used when broadcasting the university programs.[10][11] In 1940, the use of dual call letters was ended, and this station became just WSYR.

On April 1, 1947, an experimental low-powered educational FM station began broadcast at 88.1 MHz as WJIV-FM, primarily as a practical workshop for SU radio students,[12][13] becoming first class D educational station in the nation.[11] After three months, a license renewal from the FCC allowed the students to change the call sign letters to WAER (W Alpha Epsilon Rho), referring to the radio honorary society).[14][15][16] The call sign was also interpreted as Always Excellent Radio.[17] The studios, financial supported by General Electric, were located at Radio House, a set of prefabricated houses near the steps to Mount Olympus, immediately south of Carnegie Library.[14] GE provided the setup, valued at 150,000 in 1948,[18] and asked Syracuse university to experiment with this type of transmitter, in hopes of pioneering educational broadcasting by using the low-powered FM transmitters.[8][19]

The enterprise was overseen by the dean of Radio department Kenneth G. Bartlett and professor Lawrence Myers Jr. served as the faculty manager.[12] Student staff was soon appointed to create schedule of broadcast.[18][20] The broadcasts included classical music, sports, news, religious programs from the Hendricks Chapel, immediate university news, student activities, as well as official university events. The station operated from 4 pm to 10 pm to avoid lecture hours.[20][21][22][23]

When it began in 1947, WAER was authorized radiated power of only 2.5 Watt, but in 1951 FCC granted an increase in power to 1000 watts.[8] The station began broadcasting seven hours a day, seven days a week, and became Syracuse University's permanent radio station.[20][24][25] By 1984, The station ran at 6,000-watt power.[17] The station had moved to the then newly-built Newhouse II building by the seventies.[11]

Up until 1983, WAER was student-run, but in a controversial decision in 1983, SU took over WAER and hired full-time professionals to run operations and train students.[7]

Former logo

In 2017, a full length documentary titled "The Miracle Microphone: The Impossible History and History Makers of WAER Radio" chronicled the 70-year history of WAER.[14] The documentary was researched and produced by Scott MacFarlane and Keith Kobland and won New York state AP Press Association award in 2019.[19][26][27]

Formerly a component of the auxiliary services department, the station became part of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in July 2021.[16] The station continues to be housed at Haft Hall, 795 Ostrom Ave, where it has been located since 2003.[11]

The station programming includes jazz music,[28][29] NPR programming, news,[30] Syracuse Orange play-by-play,[31] and special reporting projects.[32][33]

Music

The WAER/88.3fm transmitter, atop Day Hall.

The music department is organized by Eric Cohen, multiple-time winner of National Jazz Programmer of the Year.[28][29] Larry Hoyt is the longtime voice of Common Threads on WAER. Cora Thomas is the office supervisor and runs gospel music programming, as she maintains a Sunday morning show on WAER airing from 6-8AM.

Since February 2010, WAER has partnered with Syracuse University's WERW 1570. WERW is a student-run, free-format station, which returned to the air in 2017 after six years of only being available through iTunes radio.[37] The partnership has resulted in a weekly, 3-hour show, called Real College Radio on WAER, which is hosted by alternating reps of a select cohort of WERW DJs. The genre is adult album alternative (AAA), and each DJ brings their own new flavor to the WAER offerings.

• WJPZ
• The Daily Orange
• CitrusTV
• WERW (student radio)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to WAER.

• WAER in the FCC FM station database
• WAER on Radio-Locator
• WAER in Nielsen Audio's FM station database