WAVM

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A WAVM mural at Maynard H.S. in 1994. Station founder Joseph Magno appears as the Superman caricature.

WAVM is a high school radio station broadcasting from Maynard High School in Maynard, Massachusetts, on an FM frequency of 91.7 MHz. Station programming provides the local area with news and church service broadcasts among other types of programming. Founded in 1973, WAVM has aided the careers of several of the school's successful alumni.

[edit] FCC Controversy

The station's studio in 1994. The 10-watt transmitter is the gray box on the counter.

For several years WAVM petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to increase the power of its signal from 10 watts to 250 watts. Per FCC regulations, and a tentative decision, the station's frequency was now available for bidding from other broadcasting companies, one of those companies being Living Proof Inc., a Christian broadcasting network headquartered in California that distributes programming to its affiliates via satellite, with minimal local programming.

Another interested party was WUMB (91.9), the radio station of the University of Massachusetts Boston. WAVM entered into an agreement with WUMB to jointly own the frequency and their partnership has since been appealing the FCC's decision.

Congressional Representative Marty Meehan and Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy have all contributed their support to WAVM in the form of letters to the FCC, and the station's plight has attracted national attention.

Part of WAVM's music library, consisting of a large number of vinyl records

The station was sent deeper into turmoil when station founder and faculty administrator Joseph Magno was arrested and charged with sexual assault in January 2006. [1] Magno died in January 2007 of an apparent heart attack, just before his trial could begin.

[2]

The FCC and all other parties involved have come to an agreement. WAVM will increase power from 10 to 250 watts and maintain its partnership with WUMB. Living Proof Inc. of California will change its frequency to not interfere with WAVM.

[edit] Telethon

Every year WAVM hosts a telethon which donates money to the needy in the areas getting the Beacon newspaper. Taking place over one weekend in December, this is a 40 hour event, meaning that there are students working every hour of the night and day. There are normally six- seven telethon hosts, who stay up for the full forty hours.

This telethon earns money for the poor and needy many ways. They have each staff member accumulate at least 100 dollars in donations and pledges in order to stay overnight. An auction takes place up until one hour before the end of the telethon, with hundreds of items being bid on. Every donation of 25 dollars or more goes up on the Donor Board.

Popular acts that tend to reappear are a colonial marching band, Christmas Carol singing, and Mrs. Clause reading a story to children.

The Grand Finale takes place at noon on Sunday, where the hosts thank the sponsors, donors, and parent volunteers, and reveal the grand total, which they are always striving to get higher than the previous year.