Old controversy still haunts radio station

Fifty years ago at WXPN, students participated in every aspect of the station's operations -- programming, sales and marketing, engineering and performing as disc jockeys. But now, students are primarily involved in the sports department, which does live coverage of Penn football and basketball games. Founded by students, the University-owned radio station no longer receives operational funding from the Student Activities Council. The decrease in student involvement was not because of lack of interest but was the result of an agreement made with the Federal Communications Commission after several complaints were filed against the radio station. According to WXPN General Manager Mark Fuerst, the station's programming in the mid-1970s included news and talk shows such as "The Vegetable Report," that were fairly radical. In 1976, the dean of Villanova University filed a complaint against the station in response to what he considered sexually offensive material. As a result, the radio station's license was seriously challenged by the FCC in 1977. WXPN (88.5 FM) was allowed to stay on air during the investigation. According to Brian Madden, WXPN's attorney, the FCC concluded that the University's Board of Trustees who hold the license had lost control of the station. "In order to keep the station running, the University was allowed to apply for a new license under the conditions that the trustees would establish a new structure for governing the station," Madden said. The University decided to hire professionals and convert the station into a public broadcasting station which now airs adult alternative programming, Fuerst said. The station is not concerned that there is a lack of student involvement since its objective is to provide quality programming to the general public. "It is certainly not the universal principle for universities to have radio stations so students can work on them," Fuerst said. WXPN does offer work-study positions and internships in the business section of the radio station but most of the student involvement occurs in the sports department. A staff of 11 to 16 students works each week on features for the halftime show and the actual coverage of each Penn football game. Although professionals are hired to do the play-by-play for the football games, students do call the courtside action for basketball games, according to College senior Andrew Monfried, WXPN's student sports director. He added that there should be more students involved, but WXPN's minimal sports coverage does not warrant a larger staff. Monfried said it has been a positive experience working at WXPN. "WXPN has given me opportunities in college radio which I never thought I would get," Monfried said. "It's really given me the background I needed, technically and professionally." The University now funds WQHS, a low-power AM station run exclusively by students that is also carried on Resnet.

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