KWUR attracts listenership with new content
Posted September 21, 2009 at 2:22 am
Washington University’s student-run radio station KWUR is working to diversify its music offerings with live in-studio performances and its first ever DJ showcase.
The live performances —called Stack Sessions—feature a mix of local acts and nationally or regionally touring acts who have made their way to St. Louis. Stack Session is the brainchild of junior Kenny Hofmeister, one of KWUR’s music directors.
“There’s not much going on over the summer, and I was here for the summer, so [I thought], ‘Let’s give this a shot,’” Hofmeister said.
The program would have been difficult to conduct before the summer due to the large amount of regular programming that KWUR has on its schedule during the semester.
Stack Sessions has earned KWUR coverage in the Riverfront Times, a local news, dining and entertainment newsletter.
“It really helps us get involved in the St. Louis music community,” Hofmeister said of the mention. “It was really nice to get that quick little blurb. We’re always looking to get the word out.”
Despite the fact that KWUR’s full DJ lineup has returned to school, there are plans to continue the Stack Sessions.
“We’re in the process of getting more bands to come,” Hofmeister said. “It won’t be quite as much as over the summer because of programming, but we plan to continue [the sessions].”
He is optimistic that listenership and publicity surrounding the live performances are on the rise.
“Now that people are actually back, I feel like there will be a lot more listeners and people will be a lot more into it,” he said.
Besides being a driving force behind the Stack Sessions, Hofmeister was one of the DJs who performed at the DJ Showcase that KWUR hosted in the Gargoyle on Sept. 12. The event featured multiple KWUR DJs performing different genres of music, including hip-hop, electronica, funk and Afro-pop.
Nearly 2,000 students received the showcase’s invitation on Facebook, and the Gargoyle was filled to capacity before the event was over.
Junior Tara Pham, who is in charge of audio services for KWUR, organized the DJ Showcase. Pham planned the event as a way to publicize KWUR and give students an opportunity to have a good time.
“There’s still a large section of the student body that doesn’t really know about us, so we planned the Showcase as literally a showcase to show [students] what we can do,” Pham said.
When she first came up with the idea for the showcase, she did not intend for it to be a party open to the entire student body.
“It started as an idea where we would get all the social chairs [of Greek organizations] and presidents of student groups, so they could see us and they could hire us,” Pham said. “And we thought, ‘What’s the fun in that when we could invite everybody? We could have a dance party.’ And that’s kind of what it developed into.”
Since the showcase was so successful, KWUR is interested in making it a regular event on an annual or semesterly basis. Plans would likely be altered, however, so that more students would be able to attend the event in the future.
“The only real issue is that we hit maximum capacity, so we’re working with Event Services and our advisors to try to figure out how to increase capacity and ticket sales so more people can get in,” Pham said.
The number of people who listen to KWUR has already been on the rise, according to Pham. She gives credit to the publicity generated by the Stack Sessions and the DJ Showcase, as well as to other members of KWUR and the work they have put in.
“We have a very passionate group who’s really trying to increase listenership,” she said.
KWUR’s recent efforts have not gone unnoticed by the student body.
“[The showcase] was really fun,” sophomore Catie Gainor said. “There were a surprising amount of people. Everybody there was really excited, and it was a cool alternative to other weekend options.”
Besides attending the showcase, students have observed that KWUR has been making itself more visible this semester.
“I’ve noticed that they’ve been upping their PR,” Gainor said. “I’ve been seeing their signs in the DUC all week.”
KWUR is continuing its trend of new content this semester with plans to host a speaker, show a screening of a music documentary and possibly host more showcases.
To listen to KWUR, tune your radio to 90.3 FM, or stream its music online at http://www.kwur.com.
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On September 21, 2009 at 5:53 pm UHH... you failed! said
people dont listen to KWUR.
they should just host performances and stop wasting our student activity fee.
On September 22, 2009 at 10:17 am alum said
I’m no longer at wu and I STILL listen to kwur for mens basetball games and just to hear what they’re playing for music..I think you’d be surprised how many listeners they have…
On September 22, 2009 at 4:53 pm Listener in California (Jonathan Evans) said
I accidentally became a listener because I have a son who is a dj….but lo and behold….I now listen for the spectacularly eclectic music that streams out of my computer…especially the type of music that I never have access to on the commercial radio airwaves, but which I enjoy when the kid is home for the Summer….The crowd around my law office have become regular listeners also…..WUSTL community: SPREAD THE WORD AROUND THE COUNTRY!!
On October 1, 2009 at 11:39 pm Someone with an IQ said
“UHH… you failed!” clearly has no idea what goes on on WashU’s campus. His/her ignorance to KWUR’s significance on campus and in the history of national college radio is only exceeded by his/her complete unawareness of where the student activities fee goes.
Treasury gives money to student groups to buy religious idols (classified as equipment!) that sit in the basement of the Women’s Building; to fund fundraisers; to buy the SU reps water bottles and other merch; and to get drunk for WILD on a semesterly budget that is 10x what KWUR gets
annually. If groups like KWUR and the Gargoyle got the money that WILD gets for 3 bands, WashU could literally host a music festival that would attract national music media attention.
Any active student on WashU’s campus can only assume that “UHH… you failed!” doesn’t know anything about the goings-on at this school.