WSND-FM (88.9
MHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...
) is a
non-commercial
A non-commercial (also spelled noncommercial) activity is an activity that does not, in some sense, involve commerce, at least relative to similar activities that do have a commercial objective or emphasis. For example, advertising-free community ...
FM radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...
licensed
A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
to
Notre Dame, Indiana. It is owned by the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...
and serves the
South Bend – Mishawaka metropolitan area and other parts of
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
and
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
known as "
Michiana
Michiana is a region in northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan centered on the city of South Bend, Indiana. The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County, Indiana defines Michiana as St. Joseph County and "counties that contribute at least ...
." The station airs
classical music during the day. In the evening, WSND-FM features other genres of music including
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 m ...
,
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
,
big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...
s,
blues,
Broadway showtunes and
Celtic music.
WSND-FM's studios and offices are in the Duncan Student Center at Notre Dame. The
transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the ...
is off Ironwood Road in the southern section of
South Bend
South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...
. Extended newscasts are heard at 7:30 am, 8:30 am, 12:30 pm, 4:30 pm, and 5:30 pm Monday through Friday, and at 12 pm on weekends.
The
PBS Newshour
''PBS NewsHour'' is an American evening television news program broadcast on over 350 PBS member stations. It airs seven nights a week, and is known for its in-depth coverage of issues and current events.
Anchored by Judy Woodruff, the pro ...
airs weeknights at 7 p.m.
History
Notre Dame University had been operating a student run
carrier current radio station, only heard around the campus, since the 1940s. It also owned
AM 1490 WNDU, 92.9 WNDU-FM (now
WNDV-FM
WNDV-FM (92.9 MHz, "U93") is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40/CHR format. The station serves the South Bend, Indiana area.
The station signed on in 1962 with the call letters WNDU-FM; it was owned by the University of Notre Dame (from whic ...
) and Channel 16
WNDU-TV
WNDU-TV (channel 16) is a television station in South Bend, Indiana, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Elkhart-licensed Heroes & Icons affiliate WSJV (channel 28). Both stations share studios on the c ...
. But they were commercial operations, staffed by broadcasting professionals. (The three commercial stations were sold in 1998.)
The university wanted to put a student-run radio station on the air to help train students in broadcasting. On September 17, 1962, WSND-FM
signed on
Signing may refer to:
* Using sign language
* Signature
A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on do ...
the air as a 10
watt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James ...
educational station licensed to the University of Notre Dame. It was operated by students during the university's Fall and Spring semesters and signed off during the summer and other school breaks.
In 1971, WSND-FM expanded its schedule and improved its signal coverage. A new 3,430 watt transmitter was installed, which covered the South Bend area and surrounding communities including parts of lower Michigan. WSND-FM added to its staff to include area volunteers who helped keep the station operating during summer breaks and other times when classes were not being held. Today, WSND-FM continues to be operated with a complementary mix of students and volunteers. In 2012, chief operator Edwin Jaroszewski celebrated his 40th year with the station.
In the mid-1980s, under the stewardship of Eliot Coe, who was Jazz Director from 1984 to 1986, the station pioneered an eclectic mix of jazz music. An evening program known as "Nocturne Nightflight" features rock, techno, metal and other current genres. "An Hour of Stories" is a weekly program featuring folktales, and "Explorations in Piano Literature" is a weekly excursion into canonical keyboard music research.
References
External links
*
SND-FM
University of Notre Dame
1962 establishments in Indiana
{{Indiana-radio-station-stub