It is only fitting that the school dubbed the "HOT college" by The New York Times would have one of New Jersey's hottest campus radio stations to match.
mtvU recognized campus radio station WTSR, 91. 3 FM, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, as a top college radio station in the Garden State.
mtvU is an on-air, online campus network television station created for and by the college audience. It diverges from the MTV headquarters and focuses on the life of college students.
According to Meghan Condran, senior communications major and station manager for WTSR, this is the first time mtvU made this selection in New Jersey. "This worldwide scale of recognition based on our quality of performance says, 'we know that you exist,'" Condran said.
"It [WTSR] is an amazing radio station," Ross Martin, mtvU head of programming, said. "We support the vibe of the station and the students who ran it."
The main reason for this recognition is for mtvU to discover the new, emerging music. "Before Fall Out Boy and Akon became popular," Martin said, "college students were listening to it first. Their stations really reflect that spirit of discovering."
According to Condran, the now Grammy-nominated Franz Ferdinand was first played on the WTSR station.
With this recognition comes a WTSR promotion on mtvU's Web site, which streams its songs, links to its Web site and includes radio features. With mtvU's more than 100, 000 online subscribers, a new audience will surely be introduced to WTSR.
"I would compare this to your child getting an honor," Jon Cataldi, senior Spanish major and the station's program director, said. "I hope the station can keep this up and go further."
The recognition only required WTSR to submit in a play list and signature logos. The play list was generated from the songs with the most air time on the station, and includes Wilco's "Heavy Metal Drummer" and My Morning's Jacket's "Anytime."
Also, to give WTSR a unique identity, a profile on a student employee was requested. Stephanie Berzinski, sophomore communications major and station's news director, was chosen for this honor. Her picture was taken and posted on the mtvU Web site, along with a list of her favorite albums.
"They asked me to come down for a picture," she said. "Then I was informed about being chosen as the best to represent WTSR right now."
"She spiced up the station," Condran said.
Clearly WTSR does not fit the image of a college radio station preoccupied with shuffling paper and dead-air silence.
WTSR's moment in the spotlight has arrived. And this time, more than just the College is listening.
