WESU May Not Carry Cardinals Football

By Brian Fair
Sports Editor

Despite predictions of a successful season for the Cardinals, student run radio station WESU might not be broadcasting this season’s football games due to a lack of qualified announcers.

"All I want WESU to do is what they have been doing for 16 years. It appears this year things are different," said Brian Katten, director of sports information. "This is absolutely the wrong year to look the other way when it comes to Wesleyan football."

Until approximately one year ago, WESU had a sports director within the station who arranged sports coverage. This year there were no volunteers for the position and football coverage was not addressed.

"There is no position for ‘Sports Director’ in the WESU constitution. If someone is interested in doing the position, we can appoint him or her as a board. But we do not have one by default," said Program Director of WESU Jonah Horwitz ’99.

Because the sports director position remains vacant by default, WESU would require a qualified outside volunteer to broadcast the games. Volunteers outside WESU did request to broadcast the games, but these students failed to meet WESU’s criteria for broadcasters.

According to Horwitz, Christian Frattasio ’00 was the first volunteer to ask for the position. Frattasio was unacceptable because he was not a licensed DJ, something the FCC requires for broadcasting.

Other candidates who were qualified and licensed DJs then applied for the position. Although these candidates were certified to broadcast the games, they submitted their applications after last Wednesday’s deadline and were therefore ineligible. As a result, WESU currently has no internal or outside DJs suitable for broadcasting this year’s football games.

"The administration doesn’t realize that WESU is a separate entity from the University," said President of WESU Kim Wetzel ’99. "Two groups approached us about running the broadcast. One isn’t licensed and the other group missed the deadlines and show proposals. So the people who wanted to do the games were slow off the gun."

Without a licensed broadcaster to call the games, the University will not be able to use its new "Team Line" national broadcast system. The system, which has already been advertised by the University, enables listeners to tune into football broadcasts via telephone.

Schools such as Middlebury, Williams, and Hamilton already have the "Team Line" system. Although Cardinal fans will be able to listen to some games through those systems, the announcing will be done by the opposing team’s DJs.

"From my end, it seems only fair that sports is treated like any other programming. A licensed DJ must apply for a show in a manner dictated by the WESU constitution and myself, the program director," Horwitz said. "It is not our responsibility to seek out DJs to apply for shows each season, whether they intend to provide music or sports programming."

Katten said he felt that broadcasting football games should not be disregarded just because the outside volunteers missed the deadline or are unqualified. Katten said the station should take it upon itself to find broadcasters because of the large interest in football.

Former sports director Dr. Larry Attia ’85 agreed with Katten.

"WESU has to support the views of the campus," Attia said. "They broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There has to be some time to dedicate to sports."

Head Football Coach Frank Hauser said that the broadcasts are important, because they extend beyond the Wesleyan community.

"I know people on campus listen and also a lot of alumni and Middletown residents too," Hauser said. "It’s unfortunate."

Due to the controversy, WESU will hold a meeting Sunday night to discuss the issue. The decision regarding whether Wilson, or any prospective DJ, will be able to broadcast the football games will be made by the entire WESU board.

"We will vote as a board. We will vote after hearing both sides, including those Saturday afternoon DJs who may or may not object to football pre-empting their shows," said Horwitz. "Our decision should be based on whether the football programming contributes anything to our station and its mission, which goes beyond Wesleyan students and alumni, to the entire central Connecticut community."