20 Years of Z89 Airplay Celebrated

By: Tim Gosseling

Posted: 1/31/05

Although many of today's college students stay connected to music trends through their computers, radio has survived the evolution of listening - from vinyl records to the mp3. This year, one of Syracuse University's three radio stations, Z89 FM, is celebrating its 20th anniversary of keeping students current with the new sound.During the 1970s, WAER was the main college station on campus. It was a typical college station with a relatively small staff. However, students wanted a professional sounding station that would play top 40 hits. Students Craig Fox and Bill Bleyle set out to form the AM radio station WJPZ 1200 in 1975, with Professor Richard Wright as its advisor.

Around 1985, the University Administration assumed control of WJPZ to change the form to a public station. Wright said the station's employees wanted to keep control of their station, and began to search for a new frequency to broadcast on. The students found 89.1 on the FM frequency and on Jan. 30, 1985, Z89 went on the air for the first time.

Currently the station has a staff of over 100 employees, and plays a wide variety of contemporary top 40 hits. Wright said one of its recent focuses is to perfect streaming broadcasts over the Internet. The station also prides itself on its strong alumni program, which helps provide jobs for recently graduated Z89 employees through networking; alumni are currently employed from Seattle to Atlanta in a wide variety of communications jobs. The alumni association also gives out a scholarship in honor of Dr. Wright.

The station is currently working to re-energize the student population about radio. This task is a hard one, particularly due to that fact that many students' main source of music is mp3s and programs like iTunes, which organize and shuffle music in much the same manner as a radio show.

"On the computer I can select my own music, rather than have someone select it for me," said Will Grove, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Many students do not even listen to the radio at all. Grant Kreider, a freshman television, radio and film major, says he never listens to radio except when he is in the gym.

There are many events planned to commerate this exciting year for Z89. Joan Kump, a sophomore art history major and promotions director at Z89 promises "a month of prizes." Kump's goal is for listeners to constantly be able to call in and win. She said programming will also include many "oh shit" songs - hits from the station's first 20 years on the air, including "Vogue" by Madonna and "What a Man" by Salt 'N Peppa.

"I'm very, very excited about it," Tessa Sandler, a sophomore photography major and promotions and music member of Z89.