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WDAV-FM (89.9) Radio Station. Advisory Board, Completed Projects, Publications and Public Files, 1981-1997

 Sub-Group
Identifier: RG5-9

Scope and Contents

Box 1 contains information on several of the more prominent Advisory Board members. Each folder contains information on one particular person and this information generally is in the form of correspondence. Box 2 contains the minutes and general information from Advisory Board meetings beginning in November 1981 and going through March 1995. Each meeting has its own folder and contains minutes, correspondence with members, list of members who attended the meeting, etc. It also contains minutes, correspondence, and a radio station consitution beginning in 1977 and going through August 1979. Box 3 contains specific information about the WDAV Advisory Board. The By-Laws of the Board are located here, as is information on various committees formed by the Advisory Board. The Handbook is a good source of general information about the Advisory Board because it provides the group's mission statement, credo, list of members, etc. Box 3 also contains information on several completed projects of WDAV such as its Community Involvement Program with A Child's Place and North Carolina Harvest and information on meetings with the North Carolina Public Radio Association. Box 4 contains information on WDAV's Annual Operating Plans, its Satellite Fund, and the Signal Improvement Campaign which was launched in 1994-1995. Box 5 contains more information on the Signal Improvement Campaign as well as the Task Force on Federal Funding which was launched in 1995 after the announcement that the government may cut funding to federally supported radio stations. Box 5 also contains copies of various publications such as the Soundings Magazine, envelopes used by WDAV, the station's Christmas Greeting Card in 1994, and a Music Listening Contest Study Guide from 1995. Box 6 and 7 contain copies of publications of Soundings magazine and The Source magazine, both produced by WDAV-FM 89.9. Box 8 contains the Winter 1991 Arbitron Report and all correspondence to WDAV from the public files, as well as Listerner Information Reports. Listen Information Reports are completed when as listener calls in with a question or comment about WDAV. These public files contain correspondence from various listeners regarding the popularity of WDAV, what they like or dislike about WDAV, etc. These letters are then shared with the entire WDAV staff. In Box 9 the New Releases, 1983-1985 folder documents changes in ongoing programming and special offerings such as Young Arist Week, Theatre Week, and celebrating Women's Equality Day. It also contains letters to the editor the Charlotte Observer and a memo to the college community about the station's space in the College Union.

Dates

  • Creation: 1981

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Files on donors and individual members are restricted from public access.

Biographical / Historical

WDAV-FM Radio Station was established in 1970 as a volunteer operation in the basement of the student union at Davidson College. In 1978, the station went professional and began playing classical music full time. In 1981, the station boosted its signal from 18,500 to 20,000 watts and raised its transmiter from 250 to 350 feet. In 1986, the station moved from the basement of the student union to the spacious McMillan Building on Ridge Road behind Davidson College. In 1987, WDAV-FM (89.9) became qualified by the corporation for Public Broadcasting and the same year, the station's main competitor (WFAE 90.7 FM) switched to jazz. It 1988, the station expanded its programming to 24 hours a day. In 1989, it pushed its signal to its FCC limit of 100,000 watts. WDAV-FM 89.9 is a commercial-free radio station. It relies on listeners and underwriters for as much as 60% of its expenses. In 1991, Davidson College paid $60,000, and the rest, about $152,000 came fram a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In 1995, the elimination of federal funding for public broadcasting threatened the future of WDAV-FM 89.9. Under the leadership of the WDAV Advisory Board, the station launched a campaign to raise support for WDAV.

Extent

13.00 boxes_oversize (13 boxes + oversize)

Language

English

Arrangement

The files have been divided into four categories: (1) Information on the Advisory Board of the WDAV-FM (89.9) - RG 5/9.1, (2) Information on Projects Completed by the radio station - RG 5/9.2, (3) all Publications produced by the radio station - RG 5/9.3, and (4) Public Files - RG 5/9.4 and contain those files that had any correspondence written generally to WDAV as well as any reports from random Listeners.

Physical Location

B6.1

B6.2

C6.6

A12.5

Mapstand D-5

Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the College Archives Repository