WPSC-FM (88.7 FM) – branded as Brave New Radio – is William Paterson University's non-commercial radio station, broadcasting an alternative hip hop format. Licensed to Wayne, New Jersey, the station serves the northern New Jersey and western New York City area. In 2012, 2013, 2017 and, most recently, March 2018, the station was named Best College Radio Station (with over 10K students enrolled) by the Intercollegiate Broadcast System. Brave New Radio serves as the founding headquarters for World College Radio Day, an annual event created by the station's former general manager. In 2011, WPSC was one of the top 25 stations nominated for the mtvU Woodie Award for Best College Radio Station.
The station is staffed almost entirely by students, with a paid faculty advisor serving as the general manager. All programming, music, promotions, and creative decisions are made by students, a point of pride for the station that has been a staple in the North Jersey radio landscape for decades.
History
1965 - 1967: Snack Bar PA
The earliest form of WPSC began as a broadcasting system that fed a former student snack bar and common area was set up by enterprising students in the Fall of 1965. With the blessing and support of Dr. Anthony Maltese, this facility proved popular and was quickly upgraded. These humble beginnings set the stage for decades of radio broadcasting from William Paterson.
1967 - 1988: WPSC-AM 590
During the 1970s WPSC-AM broadcast on campus, both over the air and piped into various buildings on campus while the quest for an FM frequency in the very crowded NY/NJ market began. For a time (1972–1974) WPSC also had an arrangement with WFMU to broadcast a weekly 2 hour pre-recorded program on WFMU. Between 1974 and 1978, programming expanded to include hourly newscasts, live sports events, campus and community affairs, celebrity interviews, radio plays, alternative comedy, live concerts and other events all created and produced in house. Programming hours increased from 12 hours a day 5 days a week to 18 and a half hours 7 days a week.
Beginning in 1977, WPSC began broadcasting on UA Columbia Cablevision's Channel 3 bringing the station into tens of thousands of living rooms in Passaic, Morris, and Bergen Counties. Programming was mostly AOR/Progressive Rock but also included some Top 40, Oldies, and Soul/R&B/Disco shows. All programming reflected the choices of the DJs on the air during their shift and also included phoned in requests. During this time, WPSC was entirely student staffed and operated with all funding coming from WPC's Student Government Association and supplemented by a small revenue stream from commercial advertising. Faculty oversight and involvement was minimal to non existent.
1988 - 1993: Laser Hits! 89 PSC & The Only Alternative
The first format broadcast on WPSC's new FM frequency, Laser Hits! was predominantly a Top 40 format. The oldest music in rotation reached back only through the mid 1970s with specialty and non-format programming running during late nights and weekends only. This format ran under the direction of John Kiernan and Drew Jacobs. A programming shift in 1991 brought the station to a more Alternative lean, running a loose Alternative Rock format under the direction of general manager Drew Jacobs through the summer of 1993.
1993 - 1998: HitRadio 88.7FM WPSC
The tightly programmed Hot Adult Contemporary format was to mimic a commercial station. Music rotation consisted of Top 30 hits from 1970-current with a heavy focus on local news, sports, and community affairs. Also known by the slogans "Your Constant Music Source," "North Jersey's Number One," and "The Spirit Of North Jersey." The format ended in June 1998 after a bitter battle between the students, who were in favor of the current format, and the Communication Department, who wanted a more traditional college radio environment.
1998 - 2008: New Jersey's Independent Rock
An alternative and college rock format. Originally under the leadership of Ken Nagelburg, then Ron Stotyn. In the late 2000s, the format took on a Loud Rock and Punk lean, a significant change from the LaserHits! format the station flipped to in 1988.