WVKR revamps lineup for year, debuts new talk shows

Lauren Tennenbaum Assistant Arts Editor

This year, Vassar’s student-run radio station, 91.3 WVKR, came back from the long summer with energy. Armed with a brand new Web site (wvkr.org) and new merchandise from American Apparel, the station is in the process of training new DJs, adding new shows, and cooking up exciting events, all while pleasing the community with a varied feast of existing radio programs.

“Our goal is to get the word out, to get more people involved in what we’re doing,” said WVKR Music Director Noah Kardos-Fein ’08. They seem to be doing just that, with a variety of programs that run the gamut from hardcore heavy metal shows to spiritual talk shows, from contemporary indie-rock blocks and soul sessions to book discussion shows.

What follows is just a slice of what will be offered this semester from WVKR:

The coveted weekday 10 p.m.-12 a.m. slot (the first hours WVKR can play profanity on the air, according to the Federal Communications Commission) will feature WVKR News Manager Trevor David ’09 on Mondays. His show, “Cows and Beer,” features “a mixture of a lot of loud music, but nothing too specific…mostly metal and hardcore, some thrash,” said David.

The same spot on Wednesdays now features Kardos-Fein’s contemporary indie-rock show. In his program, he features mainly new independent music influenced by a ’60s and ’70s sound, with some soul thrown in for good measure.

Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman’s tremendously successful project in investigative journalism is back at WVKR on weekdays from 5 p.m.-6 p.m. The show features interviews with a number of prominent speakers; for those out of the loop, the views expressed are predominantly left-wing.

Additionally, WVKR’s first religious talk show, “Spiritually Speaking,” broadcasts on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. The show is hosted by Assistant Director of Residential and Spiritual Life Rabbi Rena Blumenthal, along with Reverend Jim Bridges and David Beldon.

Another talk show, run by librarian Tom Hill on Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m., represents an interesting addition to the weekly lineup. “Hill discusses one book each week, and features interviews with professors who have written books,” said WVKR General Manager Halimah Marcus ’07.

In addition, WVKR runs shows that play old rock and roll on Fridays, as well as polka, jazz, and even old “mystery theater”-type programs on the weekends.

As always, 91.3 WVKR runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with updates on wvkr.org, which will eventually feature a complete schedule of shows.