WMSV

WMSV

File:Wmsv tower logo.jpg
Starkville, Mississippi
Broadcast area	Golden Triangle (Starkville, Columbus, West Point)
Frequency	91.1 MHz
Branding	91.1 FM
Programming
Format	College
Ownership
Owner	Mississippi State University
History
First air date	1994
Technical information
Class	C2 Non-Commercial FM Station
ERP	14,000 watts
Repeater(s)	WANN-LD 29 (DTV 32.23)
Links
Webcast	Listen live
Website	www.wmsv.msstate.edu

WMSV FM 91.1 is a radio station in Starkville, Mississippi located on the campus of Mississippi State University.

History

Prior to WMSV, Mississippi State had a student-run radio station, WMSB which went off the air permanently at the end of the spring semester of 1986. WMSB was a low-power FM station with studios on the top floor of Lee Hall. WMSB was started the Fall Semester 1971 in a freshman dorm room on the third floor of Critz Hall utilizing a FM stereo transmitter that was designed and built as a high school science fair project by one of the station's founders. The station's original call letters were RHOM. It was on air from 8:00-12:00 pm each evening. Later, funding was solicited from the Student Association. Funding was approved, the low-power RCA FM transmitter was ordered and the call letters WMSB were issued by the FCC. The station was moved to studios on the top floor of Lee Hall that were formerly occupied by a student-run AM station.

File:Wmsv first staff.jpg

The first student volunteer staff at WMSV (1994-5)

WMSV - Radio With a Vision

On March 21, 1994, the campus radio station went back on the air after a 8-year absence. This time with the call letters WMSV. The 14,000 watt station broadcasted across a 50-60 mile radius around the campus and went by the slogan was "Radio With a Vision" (playing off the V in the station call letters, but also alluding to its format). When it began operations, it was a blend of alternative rock and album oriented rock (AOR). In addition, the state also broadcast many specialty shows such as blues, jazz, new age, urban and a number of public affairs programs.

In the beginning, the station was run by more than 75 student volunteers with a paid general manager, Steve Ellis, on staff with the University. The first student staff included:

• Christine Evans - Program Director
• Norris Agnew - Promotions Director
• James Martin - Music Director
• Robby Stanley - Public Affairs Director

WMSV quickly garnered two first place awards from the National Association of College Broadcasters in its first year of operations as well as numerous Gold Awards from the Mississippi Association of College Broadcasters. It was also recognized as one of the College Music Journal's most influential college stations in the country.

By 1996, an assistant station manager, Scott Wilson, had been hired, but volunteers still worked in the capacity of DJ's, music staffers, news reporters, anchors, specialty program hosts, public affairs program hosts, and office staff.

WMSV - World Class Radio

In January of 1999, WMSV changed their slogan to "World Class Radio". The decision to change the identifying logo/slogan of the station was due to the change in the music format to more of a Adult album alternative blend.

Logos

• 
  Radio With a Vision logo (1994–1999)
• 
  World Class Radio logo (1999-2002)
• Current World Class Radio Since 1994 logo (2002-present)
  Current World Class Radio Since 1994 logo (2002-present)

News Department

WMSV ran a dedicated news department from 1994-2002. In 1994, Student News Director Jay Houts, was named the top news reporter in the country by the National Association of College Broadcasters. The next year another News Director, Norris Agnew, earned the runner-up spot in news reporting at the 1995 NACB convention. In 1996 News Director, Suehyla El-Attar, was a finalist for the country's top news reporting award, and in 1997 News Director Brian McCann received several awards for journalism from the Mississippi Associated Press.

The station had 30 minute news broadcasts that aired at 7:30am and 5:00pm with an additional 5-minute news update at noon. Utilizing local student reporters, combined with the nationally known Associated Press Wire Service, the station produced coverage of national, regional and local events as well as sport reports. In addition, the station offered the Geosciences Department at MSU the opportunity to appoint student meteorologists within the Broadcast Meteorology Program to deliver weather updates.

The 30-minute newscasts were discontinued in 2002, and the news department was downgraded in favor of dedicated sports coverage and programs in the afternoon.

Public Affairs Department

As part of its non-commercial radio distinction, the station started a Public Affairs Department in 1994. The station aired a number of National Public Affairs shows following the 5pm newscast. These orginally included "The Health Show", "Special Assignment", Fifty-one Percent", "The Environment Show" and "The Best of Our Knowledge". In addition, the station produced local shows such as "Focus on Faculty" hosted by Meredith Geuder of MSU's University Relations Department, which featured interviews with faculty and staff in the news at MSU; as well as "On Campus", a student-produced program that featured interviews and news relevant to the MSU campus.

Another important facet of WMSV's public affairs programming is the airing of public service announcements. The station airs three live PSA's per hour, or seventy-two per day for local organizations, charities and events.