1) Publicity/Promotional items
2) Programming
3) Fundraiser/Donation
4) HD Radio
1) Publicity/Promotional items
1. How do I get in touch with [so & so]?
The best way to reach our staff is via email. If the person you are trying to reach is a Department Head or Board Member, you can find his/her contact information listed on our Contact Us page. If the person you are trying to reach is not a Head or Board Member, include the programmer's name at the top of the message in your mail/email to the programmer's Department Head. The Department Head will forward it along to him/her. If you hear the person you're trying to reach on-air, call in to reach him/her. The programmer might be busy with on-air programming, so please be understanding if he/she cannot receive all of your calls.
2. Where do I sent my new record? How do I make sure that it gets played on air?
You can sent materials for airplay consideration to our mailing address:
WKCR c/o (the name of the department(s) that may be interested)
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
Department Heads listen to records, CDs, and tapes sent to their departments and add some submissions to the record library for airplay. Ultimately, each programmer decides what to play on his or her show. Unlike many radio stations, we do not keep statistics on the number of times that a specific song or CD has been played.
3. How can I confirm that you received the mail that I sent?
You can contact Department Heads by e-mailing them at their WKCR e-mail addresses, which are listed on our Contact Us page. If you are looking to get in touch with someone who does not have a listed e-mail address, you should get in touch with that person's Department Head. The Department Head will then forward your mail to the appropriate person.
4. I don't know which department to send my CD to. Whom should I contact?
Please check out the individual department pages to learn more about what kind of content each of our departments plays. If you are still unsure, you can address your mail to the Program Director.
5. To whom may I address ...
a. gig announcements and press releases?
Gig announcements and press releases can be sent to relevant department head(s) via email or our street mailing address. Department heads and Board members are listed on our Contact Us page along with their respective email addresses.
b. PSAs?
We do not currently air PSAs.
6. What's your fax number?
We currently do not receive faxes. If you have time-sensitive material, email it to the appropriate department head or mail it to WKCR / Columbia University / New York, NY / 10027.
7. I'd like to get my client on your station as an interview guest. Whom should I contact?
Please e-mail the department head(s) who you think would be most relevant to your client. If the Department Head(s) think that your client is a good match for our station, they will offer the interview opportunity to their DJs. Please do not call the station looking for a Department Head, as not all staff members are in the station during the day. E-mail is the best way for our station officers to regularly/reliably be in touch with you.
8. Can I advertise on your station?
As a registered non-commercial radio station, we do not air any advertisements. We do offer publicity for events that are relevant to our programming content. Please e-mail the Department Head(s) most relevant to your promotion or the Publicity Director for more information
9. Where can I get a WKCR T-shirt?
WKCR T-shirts (and other merch!) are now available to the public through Custom Ink. There will be regular, new merch posts available on the top of our website throughout the year. Each "fundraiser" lasts a month, and then we switch designs, so get that T-shirt (or mug, or tote, or cap) while you can!
10. I think that WKCR might be interested in my product. Whom should I contact?
Please e-mail the Board at board@wkcr.org.
11. I'd like to donate my record collection to WKCR.
Please e-mail the Board with a list of your collection materials, in as much detail as possible (artist/group names, recording years, record labels). The Board will be in touch in a timely manner to discuss whether WKCR is an appropriate destination for the collection and, if so, what the next steps are for incorporating the record collection into our library.
We are particularly interested in the following:
- Funk & Soul
- Gospel compilations and gospel choir music
- Chicha records
- Cumbia records
- Nueva Cancion records
- Balkan and klezmer music, Celtic music, and French Caribbean music
- Women and POC in experimental and avante garde music
12. I recently won tickets during an on-air giveaway and need more information.
We do not have a single clearinghouse for managing ticket giveaways. It'll be best to follow up with the DJ who hosted the giveaway.
13. I emailed WKCR with a question / comment / request. Why haven’t I heard back yet?
If you haven’t received a reply from us, we're working on it, and you'll hear from us soon. Our station officers are busy attending to programming matters. Thank you for your patience!
1. What song was playing at [x time]?
You should be able to find this information by clicking on the Playlist tab. These are organized in the order that each show aired. You may also use the drop-down tabs and column headings to filter by program, DJ, or department. If you do not see the playlist for which you are looking, please e-mail the relevant Department Head for programming questions and comments. (S)he will forward your message to the DJ who was on air. If you're not sure which show you were listening to, you can find that information on our schedule.
You could also try to catch the programmer while he or she is on air at 212-854-9920. Please note again that our programmers, who would be the best people to field your inquiry, are often busy handling the show and do not always have time to answer the phone.
2. To whom should I address my comments about your programming?
Please mail/e-mail specific Department Heads to comment on programming. You can check out our schedule to confirm which shows are associated with each department.
3. How can I start programming a show on WKCR?
WKCR is Columbia University’s student-run radio station. Any current Columbia University undergraduate or graduate student may intern and become licensed to program for us. This includes Barnard College, Teachers College, and any of the other schools associated with Columbia University. If you are interested in interning, please e-mail the relevant department heads or the Board. We cannot accommodate hosting requests from non-Columbia University students.
4. Why can't I get your signal on my [listening device]?
Our online streaming is subject to occasional breakdowns that may limit access to one or both streams. You can also access our signal through radio apps like TuneIn or iTunes Radio, but the streaming on these will be subject to the same issues to which our regular streaming is subject. Our FM service is more constant but covers only the geographic area for which we are licensed to broadcast.
5. How can I make a music request?
Call our listener line: 212-854-9920. Not all DJs will take requests, but this is the best way to reach them and find out.
6. Does WKCR have a podcast? Does WKCR archive material? Can I get a copy of a WKCR show?
We do not have a podcast or regularly archive our programs online, but you may find that the particular show you are looking for has some materials online. Check out the department pages on our website or, for more recent materials, contact department heads. You can also check out our Online Archive to find select content available for streaming. We cannot offer hard copies of our programming.
All playlists may be found at WKCR's Spinitron account. Simply search the day or via key word to find the program you're interested in. If no playlist was logged, try reaching out to the appropriate department head.
7. I tuned in for my favorite show and heard something else instead. Why?
In addition to our regularly-scheduled programming, WKCR offers a wide variety of special programs that sometimes preempt regularly-timed shows. These include birthday broadcasts, memorial broadcasts, sports games and more. You can check our Special Programming Schedule to find a list of our annual Birthday Broadcasts, along with information about festivals.
Sometimes, there is illegal interference on our frequency, known as "pirate radio." If you think that the content you are hearing is not part of WKCR's broadcasting at all, but is rather being sent out by a pirate radio station, please file a report with the FCC. You can fill out a form on the FCC website, found here: https://www.fcc.gov/complaints. Choose "Broadcast (TV and Radio), Cable, and Satellite Issues," then "Unauthorized, unfair, biased, illegal broadcasts...," and choose the method through which you would like to file the complaint. Thanks for helping us take action against this issue.
1. How can I make a contribution to WKCR?
You can make a contribution on Columbia's pledge page. Please indicate your support for WKCR by typing in WKCR in the fund line.
However, if you would prefer to mail in a cheque, please address it to:
CU Gift Systems
622 W 113th Street
MC 4524
New York, NY, 10025,
With “WKCR Studios” written on the memo line.
2. I've made a contribution to the station and would like to follow up on the status of my gift.
Please contact the Board at board@wkcr.org.
3. Why does it say "Giving to Columbia" on the pledge page?
All contributions to WKCR are processed through Columbia, but they are ultimately directed to the station's accounts.
As of 2012, WKCR broadcasts in the radio format called HD—the expanded radio technology once known as Hybrid Digital. While we continue analog broadcasts at 89.9 FM and internet streaming of our signal, we also offer the same programming in a high-quality, static-free, digital version, accessible through HD radios and apps. The upgrade has been made possible through assistance with radio station WWFM, which transmits a full schedule of classical music programs on “sister” station, 89.9 HD2.
1. Is HD replacing your regular broadcasts? Do I need to purchase a different radio to listen to WKCR?
You can still listen to WKCR exactly as you have—on your FM radio or online. However, to hear the improved HD signal, you will need an HD radio. You can also find accessories for iPods, portable HD radio players, or apps for iPhones that turn those devices into HD radio receivers. Click here for a buyer’s guide to HD radios, accessories, and apps.
2. What’s the advantage of HD?
HD broadcasts our signal with greater clarity. Our HD transmitter sends a digital signal, along with our analog signal. An HD signal is immune to reception interference. Free of the static that you may hear on FM, an HD signal will sound as clear as CD. Click here to learn more about HD features in general.
3. Isn’t that the same as Satellite Radio?
No. HD radio is still a local broadcast, coterminous with the broadcast radius of local FM stations. The generic programming you hear on satellite radio is designed for worldwide consumption and dispersed from a satellite.
4. After I buy an HD radio, do I need to pay a subscription fee?
No. Unlike satellite radio, HD is free.
5. How can WKCR and WWFM be on the same HD radio frequency?
HD Radio allows for sending simultaneously completely different levels of broadcasting. With your HD tuner, you can choose to listen to WKCR on HD1 or WWFM on HD2.
Happy listening!
