Monday, March 10, 2008

Day in the Life of Maine's WMPG-FM

Here's a little "day in the life" piece from The Free Press about Maine college/community radio station WMPG-FM from the University of Southern Maine in Portland. From the article it's clear that the station has some long-time DJs, including one who's been at the station for 19 years. Another has a show that began as a talk-show for stay-at-home dads. It's a diverse schedule including '80s music, talk shows, indie, Vietnamese music, Latin music, gospel, and more. According to the article:

"WMGP is not exactly a college radio station. It sits on one edge of campus - the first of the white houses as you drive past the garage - but bumper stickers, t-shirts, banners and DJs all proudly proclaim it as southern Maine's community radio."

The author walks through part of the day profiling several DJs:

"John Dennison wanders in with a pile of records under his arm. He is happy to get behind the microphone for Soundscapes, his 'all-too-short' weekly music block. He's been kicking Soundscapes around, through various incarnations across different regions, since about 1979... Dennison has been working with radio since his teenage years, or 'the high of punk rock.' He has no qualms about using digital files, CDs, or cassettes, but records remain his favorite. 'I love being able to see the music laid out on the vinyl,' he says. He watches as Miles Davis' 'My Man's Gone Now' quiets down, and readies the Supertramp song 'Fool's Overture.' When finishes the changeover and pulls his hands off the board triumphantly. 'I had that segue in my head for a couple of days. It was just a matter of making sure it's not too abrupt.' Less than a minute later, the phone rings: an old friend listening online from Rochester, NY appreciated the transition."

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