WDRO-LP 101.3 FM

Studio: Room A-206A · Request and studio line: ext. 2206 · Business: ext. 2280

WDRO-LP is a noncommercial educational low-power FM station licensed to the College (Facility ID 197744). The station operates at 100 watts effective radiated power from an antenna on the Corliss Pike building. The signal covers the Bellweather village limits and most of Tolliver Township. It does not reliably reach the Aviation and Heavy Equipment Annex, and the College does not recommend the station as a means of reaching Annex personnel; DroverAlert is the notification system of record.

The station streams at wdro.bellweather.tech. The stream is not available on all devices.

Participation

WDRO-LP is a recognized student organization, the WDRO Radio Club, not an academic program. The College does not offer a program of study in broadcasting, communications, or audio production. Students participate through the organization; participation carries no credit, appears on no transcript, and carries no charge. The Radio Club meets Mondays at 4:00 p.m. in Room A-206A; see Student Organizations. New members complete board training with the Station Manager before hosting.

Students may not play material for which the station cannot document licensing, including personal files and streaming service audio. This is the most common cause of a student’s removal from the schedule. The station’s music licensing is maintained through ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and SoundExchange under the noncommercial educational rate schedule.

Staff

Station Manager: Duane Pethel, ext. 2206, reporting to the Director of Marketing and Communications. Faculty Adviser: Delores Sarnak, Division of Performance and Guest Services. The station is staffed by students during scheduled programming only; at all other times it operates unattended under automation, monitored remotely by the Station Manager and by the Help Desk after hours.

Programming

Student programming does not run during final examination weeks, during the winter closure, or between the spring term and the fall term. The station is under automation for approximately eleven weeks of the year.

Licensing

The College applied for a low-power FM construction permit during the Federal Communications Commission’s October 2013 filing window. The permit was granted in 2014, the station signed on in March 2015, and the license was granted in 2016 following proof of performance. The current license term runs to 2028. The station was silent from June 14 to August 3, 2022, during replacement of the transmitter, under special temporary authority. The license is held by the College, not by the student organization, and the College may preempt or suspend programming at its discretion.

The station’s public inspection file is maintained online in the FCC’s Licensing and Management System; a link is provided at Consumer Information. The station identifies at the top of each hour; listeners noticing a missed identification are asked to report the date and time to ext. 2206.

Underwriting

WDRO-LP is noncommercial and does not sell advertising. The station accepts underwriting acknowledgments, which may identify a business and describe what it does, and may not contain price information, calls to action, or comparative or qualitative claims. Acknowledgments are written by the Station Manager. Current underwriters include Pike Lanes, Wass Monument Works, Tolliver County Farm Bureau, Sipp Excavating & Septic, Bellweather Union Chapel, and two area funeral homes. Inquiries: ext. 2280; the rate card is available on request. Underwriting revenue supports the station’s operating budget and does not offset tuition.