Princeton Radio Station Finds New Home, And There is Finally Room for all Those LPs

Matthew Hersh

"We don't really know."

When two of the more prominent officials at Princeton's WPRB can't tell you the extent of the station's music repertoire, you immediately assume two things. First, if they don't know, it's safe to say that it's too substantial to make any fair estimation. Second, if they really don't know, then maybe it's time to organize the collection.

Wait, they already have; they just haven't gotten around to counting the records yet. Now tucked away in a sparkling studio in the new Ellipse Dorms on campus, WPRB is settling in for what appears to be a new era for the commercial, non-profit radio station that is to categories as Teflon is to adhesives.

Considering the range, from rock to classical to jazz to "noise" (yes, noise), it is no surprise that the variety of styles emerging from 103.3 on the FM dial indeed demands such a vast music library. While the unofficial estimate is "hard to say," according to Station Manager Dan Ruccia, the LP count ranges between 15 to 20,000, or, double what the station was able to contain when it was located in Holder Hall.

But regardless, the collection is now properly shelved, neatly stacked, and easily accessible. Further, since going live in the new studio on June 9, the easy access allows DJs to find music that had gone unnoticed in the old studio, according to Summer Sales Director and station DJ Jon Solomon.

"It's really amazing to have everything in one central location," he said, "as compared to having several rooms where you had to comb through stuff to find everything."

"It's also helping us find things," Mr. Ruccia said, adding that there is "a greater amount of stuff that can be played."

With two DJ studios, a live music studio geared for on-air performances, and administrative offices all located in one area, the surroundings are impressive, if not impeccable. What is missing, however, is the lived-in aura of an old radio studio where the DJs are surrounded by walls that bleed music.

But the worn look can't be contrived, Messrs. Ruccia and Solomon insist, and, like any new home, it's only a matter of time before the station achives a character of its own.

"It's bit-by-bit," Mr. Ruccia said as The Pixies' 1989 track, "Debaser," spun by DJ Kendall Turner, blasted from the studio speakers. "Some of it is just a matter of getting posters up to get this to look like a radio station," he added.

The new studio also does not encourage the haphazard selection process DJs often used in getting together a playlist for a particular show. Before, Mr. Ruccia said, records were "just all around the broadcasting studio," meaning the DJs had to pick from what was within reach.

"If you weren't sure what you were going to play, you were just like 'I want this and this and this'," he said, motioning toward records scattered around the room.

But the station manager said the new music library will ultimately improve the quality of the station's output.

Mr. Solomon, who is entering the 18th season with his own show, agreed, saying that having easier access to their selections will make the DJs more attentive to what they are putting on the air.

"In reference to my show, I've definitely come across old records and I've set some things aside knowing that I want to play them or give them a second listen and see if they should end up in the main library," he said. The veteran DJ began his stint at WPRB when he was only a freshman at Princeton High School. The 1991 PHS graduate returned intermittently throughout college to present, most notably, his well-documented annual Christmas Show that runs for 24 hours straight.

One could say WPRB is officially on the "underground" end of FM radio, but has more character than the run-of-the-mill college radio station. It was selected by U.S. 1 Magazine as the "Best Jazz Station" in 2000, although it actually only offers about two hours of solid jazz per day. Mornings are devoted to classical, and rock prevails after 1 p.m. However, the "rock" slot actually encompasses hip-hop, electronica, reggae, and an assortment of other varieties. Thirty-year WPRB veteran DJ John Weingart, whose "Music You Can't Hear on the Radio," with its tongue-in-cheek title, exemplifies what the station is trying to achieve: to offer its listeners something other than the garden variety, pre-programmed fodder found all over the FM dial. Even its frequency, 103.3, enjoys a prominent location.

"Most college stations, especially in this area, are non-commercial stations at the left of the dial," Mr. Solomon said, adding that "you can get us in four states if you count Staten Island," he said, "Which I do."

Call it alternative programming, call it FM revolution, but boasting a listening area from "Newark, NJ to Newark Del.," WPRB does indeed give listeners another choice, and the new studio, if all goes as planned, should help it cultivate an even more eclectic audience.

"Doing a good radio show is an artform," Mr. Solomon said. "If a show goes well, it's like a good mix tape, where it's a variety of styles and sounds, but everything works."