WRBB (104.9 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a variety format, run by the students of Northeastern University. Licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it serves the Greater Boston area. The station is owned by Northeastern and transmits from its main Boston campus. The station is funded through the Northeastern Student Activities fee.
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| |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 104.9 MHz |
| Branding | WRBB 104.9 FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | College radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Northeastern University |
| History | |
| Founded | December 13, 1962 (carrier current) |
Former call signs | WNEU (carrier current) |
Call sign meaning | "Radio Back Bay" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 49425 |
| Class | D |
| ERP | 19 watts |
| HAAT | 27 meters (89 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°20′19.3″N 71°5′26.1″W / 42.338694°N 71.090583°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wrbbradio.org |
The station airs over 100 music and talk programs during a typical semester, encompassing a large variety of musical and topical genres. In addition, all major Northeastern hockey, basketball, and baseball games are also broadcast live. Despite its signal coverage within Boston, its 104.9 frequency collides with nearby WNKC, which covers the North Shore area.
History
editThe station went on the air on December 13, 1962, as carrier current outlet WNEU, broadcasting only to two dorm buildings on campus. In September 1970, the station began FM broadcasting as WRBB on 91.7 MHz. In 1982, the frequency changed to the current 104.9, due to interference from other stations and FCC rulings.
The station was one of the first college radio stations in the country to broadcast hip-hop music during the early 1980s.
On December 12, 2014, the station played the Oasis song "Don't Look Back in Anger" for 5 hours continuously in what was believed to be an apparent loop glitch. This was followed by one play of "Wonderwall", after which the stream returned to the original song. This was later inferred to be a reference to a popular John Mulaney sketch.[2]
Notable alumni
edit- Wendy Williams – television personality, host of The Wendy Williams Show[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WRBB". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Michael Marotta (2014-12-12). "So, Northeastern's radio station has been playing Oasis 'Don't Look Back In Anger' on a loop for hours". Vanyaland. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
- ^ David Marchese (2019-08-26). "Wendy Williams wants to be the realest in the game". New York Times. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
External links
edit- Official site
- WRBB Sports website
- Facility details for Facility ID 49425 (WRBB) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WRBB in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- Current and past playlists on WRBB
- Student Activities records including info on WRBB
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