WFAL Falcon Radio is a commercial

internet radio station Online radio (also web radio, net radio, streaming radio, e-radio, IP radio, Internet radio) is a digital audio service transmitted via the Internet. Broadcasting on the Internet is usually referred to as webcasting since it is not transmitted ...

run by students of

Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research facilities in the ...

Bowling Green, Ohio Bowling Green is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, Ohio, United States, located southwest of Toledo. The population was 30,028 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Toledo Metropolitan Area and a member of the Toledo Metropolitan Are ...

, broadcasting exclusively online. WFA
Falcon Radio
is overseen by faculty from Bowling Green State University's School of Mass Communications. In addition to being available online, the station is simulcast via

cable radio Cable radio or cable FM is a concept similar to that of cable television, bringing radio broadcasting into homes and businesses via coaxial cable. It is generally used for the same reason as cable TV was in its early days when it was "community ...

throughout Northwestern Ohio on

Spectrum Cable Spectrum is a trade name of Charter Communications, used to market consumer and commercial cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless services provided by the company. The brand was first introduced in 2014; prior to that, these serv ...

channel 21. While operating as a commercial entity since 2008, the station is not licensed by the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

(FCC) and has roots in a now-defunct unlicensed carrier current AM station that launched in 1970, from which the unofficial "WFAL"

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...

was derived. Unlike licensed station WBGU (88.1 FM), which is also owned and operated by the university, WFAL Falcon Radio is primarily used for students wishing to pursue jobs in the radio and communications industry.

History

What is today WFAL Falcon Radio had its origins as a

pirate radio Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially w ...

station in a BGSU dorm in the late 1960s. The university soon decided to make it a school-sponsored station and "WFAL" officially began broadcasting in 1970. Over the next 20 years, the station was operated as a carrier current outlet, where a low power transmitter broadcast the signal via the campus telephone system's wiring, accessible on AM/FM radios within residence halls (and occasionally nearby) on the frequency AM 680. It reached its heyday during the mid 1980's following the relocation of the School of Mass Communications from South Hall to West Hall. In the 1990s, the station became one of the top three college radio stations in the US and was awarded two awards by the National Association of College Broadcasters WFAL recording studio

In 2008, BGSU increased funding for telecommunications, the station rebuilt the studio to make the station fully digital and add the latest equipment. The transformation included a new name and image and the station was renamed WFAL Falcon Radio. WFAL was previously known as WFAL 1610 AM until 2008 when, after problems with the transmitter being unable to broadcast at a legal range, it was decided for this station to become internet and cable TV only.

Format

The station has gone through a variety of format changes including

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...

, AOR (album-oriented rock).http://media.www.bgnews.com/media/storage/paper883/news/2006/08/18/Pulse/Campus.Radio.Stations.Look.To.Hire.New.Students-2221490.shtml The newest format consists of 5 genres departments:

modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. Radio format Mod ...

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, hip-hop,

Talk Talk may refer to: Communication * Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people * Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people * Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct ...

and

. The station has numerous shows during the day and also carries BGSU and local high school sporting events.

References

External links

* {{Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University FAL FAL Radio stations established in 1970 Wood County, Ohio Former pirate radio stations 1970 establishments in Ohio