WRMC-FM (91.1 FM ) is the full power, student-volunteer-run radio station of Middlebury College . WRMC broadcasts a variety of content types, including talk, news, and radio drama, although the vast majority of the schedule is music of all genres. Shows are produced largely by student DJ 's, although staff, faculty, and other members of the college and town community contribute content on occasion. Most shows last from one to two hours and generally air once a week. WRMC airs a reduced schedule during the summer, which includes shows produced by each of Middlebury College's summer language schools, broadcast entirely in the language of that school. The station also produces an annual music festival, called Sepomana .
33-466: WRMC debuted as a carrier current station on May 1, 1949 at 1:00 pm with the call sign "WMCRS" (Middlebury College Radio Services). This original station was founded by John Bowker, an undergraduate member of the College's class of 1952. Originally broadcasting at 3 watts from a chicken coop at 129 Adirondack View, the station played six hours daily of music and interviews on 750 AM. In 1950, WMCRS added
66-464: A carrier current station initially called "The Brown Network" . This station was founded by George Abraham and David W. Borst, who had originally installed an intercom system between their dormitory rooms. The intercom links were first expanded to additional locations, and then the system was replaced by distributed low-powered radio transmitters, which fed their signals into various buildings' electrical wires, allowing nearby radio receivers to receive
99-624: A major advantage over standard telegraph and telephone lines, because radio signals can readily jump over any small gaps in cases when there is a line break. In May 1918, the Imperial Japanese Electro-Technical Laboratory of Tokyo successfully tested "wave telephony" over the Kinogawa Hydro-Electric Company's 144-kilometer (90-mile) long power line. In the summer of 1920, a successful test transmission over 19.2 kilometers (12 miles) of high-tension wires
132-562: A major publicity boost by a complimentary article that appeared in the May 24, 1941 issue of The Saturday Evening Post , and eventually hundreds of college stations were established. Responding to the growing phenomenon, a 1941 release issued by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stated that because of the stations' very limited ranges, it had "not promulgated any rule governing their operation." Therefore, to operate legally, U.S. carrier current station broadcast emissions must adhere to
165-1168: A plethora of musical acts to the Middlebury campus over the years, including Rilo Kiley , Yo La Tengo , Animal Collective , The Decemberists , Ratatat , Versus , Mates of State , Smog , Tenacious D , The National , Clearlake , Josh Ritter , Future Islands , the Death Set , Tobacco , the Bran Flakes , the French Kicks , The Ruby Suns , Menomena , The Capstan Shafts , The French Kicks , Enon , The Books , Dan Deacon , Andrew Bird , Regina Spektor , Das Racist , Palms Out Sounds , Marcus Price , Boody B , Flipturn , and E-603 among others. 44°00′25″N 73°10′37″W / 44.007°N 73.177°W / 44.007; -73.177 Carrier current Carrier current transmission, originally called wired wireless , employs guided low-power radio-frequency signals, which are transmitted along electrical conductors. The transmissions are picked up by receivers that are either connected to
198-522: A transmitted effective radiated power of less than one watt, and the distance over which signals can be picked up is usually less than 60 meters (200 feet) from the wires. Transmission sound quality can be good, although it sometimes includes the low-frequency mains hum interference produced by the alternating current. However, not all listeners notice this hum, nor is it reproduced well by all receivers. Extensive systems can include multiple unit installations with linear amplifiers and splitters to increase
231-607: Is elected annually. The General Manager serves as the Chief Operator of the station for the President and Trustees of the College, who hold the station's license with the FCC. Alumni of the radio station include award-winning journalist Frank Sesno , Vermont Governor Jim Douglas , writer Jeff Lindsay , musician Anaïs Mitchell , NYC Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe, and recording artist Jonathan Tristram. WRMC has brought
264-585: Is most often associated with college radio and high school radio , but also has applications for hospital radio stations and at military bases, sports stadiums, convention halls, mental and penal institutions, trailer parks, summer camps, office buildings, and drive-in movie theaters. Transmitters that use carrier current are very simple, making them an effective option for students interested in radio. Carrier current broadcasting began in 1936, when students at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island developed
297-399: Is the oscillation rate of an alternating electric current or voltage or of a magnetic , electric or electromagnetic field or mechanical system in the frequency range from around 20 kHz to around 300 GHz . This is roughly between the upper limit of audio frequencies and the lower limit of infrared frequencies, and also encompasses the microwave range. These are
330-503: The Muzak company, which focused on the business market. Carrier current home entertainment services would prove to be more popular in Europe. Previously, there had been a few successful telephone newspaper services, which sent entertainment to subscribers over standard telephone lines. However, carrier current transmissions had the ability to provide programs over telephone lines without affecting
363-499: The 50 or 60 Hz current used in electrical power distribution . The radio spectrum of frequencies is divided into bands with conventional names designated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU): Frequencies of 1 GHz and above are conventionally called microwave , while frequencies of 30 GHz and above are designated millimeter wave . More detailed band designations are given by
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#1732869380379396-639: The College are welcome to participate in the station's General Board meetings, which have historically met in the station lounge weekly at 5:00 pm on Mondays when school is in session. With the assistance of the General Board, the Executive Board is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the station. The Executive Board, which is composed of the General Manager, Program Director, Business Director, Technical Director, Social Chair, and two Music Directors,
429-837: The FCC's Title 47 CFR Part 15 Rules for unlicensed transmissions. Many college stations that went on to obtain FM broadcasting licenses started out as carrier current stations because of the low cost and relative ease of starting one. Although college-based carrier current stations have existed for over 80 years, their numbers are steadily declining, becoming supplemented, or replaced, by other transmission methods, including low-power FM ( LPFM ), closed circuit over cable TV channels, and Internet streaming audio and video , along with simple PowerPoint presentations of college campus news and information being streamed using low-cost consumer televisions and monitors. As with most other student-run facilities, these stations often operate on sporadic schedules. In
462-455: The United States, unlike educational FM stations, carrier current stations can carry a full range of advertising. Due to their low power, these stations do not require an FCC license, and are not assigned an official call sign . However, in keeping with standard radio industry practice, they commonly adopt their own call sign-like identifiers. Radio frequency Radio frequency ( RF )
495-523: The capability to broadcast play-by-play commentary of College hockey and basketball games. For a time, the station broadcast over the College's bell system into dorm rooms and fraternity houses. In 1967, WMCRS expanded to 10 watts and began broadcasting at 91.7 FM. The following year the station first began 24-hour broadcasting, a first for any station in the Champlain Valley. In 1980, with the new call sign of "WRMC-FM" and broadcasting at 91.1 MHz,
528-518: The conductors, or a short distance from them. Carrier current transmission is used to send audio and telemetry to selected locations, and also for low-power broadcasting that covers a small geographical area, such as a college campus. The most common form of carrier current uses longwave or medium wave AM radio signals that are sent through existing electrical wiring, although other conductors can be used, such as telephone lines. Carrier current generally uses low-power transmissions. In cases where
561-541: The coupling points to a large electrical grid (whether a campus, a high-rise apartment or a community). These systems would typically require coaxial cable interconnection from a transmitter to the linear amplifiers. In the 1990s, LPB, Inc., possibly the largest manufacturer of these transmission systems, designed and supplied several extensive campus-based systems that included fiber-optic links between linear amplifiers to prevent heterodyne interference. The ability for electrical conductors to act as waveguides for radio signals
594-522: The current proliferation of radio frequency wireless telecommunications devices such as cellphones . Medical applications of radio frequency (RF) energy, in the form of electromagnetic waves ( radio waves ) or electrical currents, have existed for over 125 years, and now include diathermy , hyperthermy treatment of cancer, electrosurgery scalpels used to cut and cauterize in operations, and radiofrequency ablation . Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses radio frequency fields to generate images of
627-464: The electrical power lines. To receive the transmissions, subscribers had to lease a receiver costing between two and five dollars a month. However, despite the power company's optimism that the system would eventually be installed nationally, the effort proved unable to compete with the free offerings provided by standard radio stations. General Squier continued to unsuccessfully promote the technology for home entertainment, until 1934, when he helped found
660-446: The frequencies at which energy from an oscillating current can radiate off a conductor into space as radio waves , so they are used in radio technology, among other uses. Different sources specify different upper and lower bounds for the frequency range. Electric currents that oscillate at radio frequencies ( RF currents ) have special properties not shared by direct current or lower audio frequency alternating current , such as
693-413: The human body. Radio Frequency or RF energy is also being used in devices that are being advertised for weight loss and fat removal. The possible effects RF might have on the body and whether RF can lead to fat reduction needs further study. Currently, there are devices such as trusculpt ID , Venus Bliss and many others utilizing this type of energy alongside heat to target fat pockets in certain areas of
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#1732869380379726-490: The neutral leg of the three-phase electric power system, a practice known as "neutral loading", in order to reduce or eliminate mains hum (60 hertz in North American installations), and to extend effective transmission line distance. For a broadcasting installation, a typical carrier current transmitter has an output in the range 5 to 30 watts. However, electrical wiring is a very inefficient antenna, and this results in
759-559: The regular telephone service, and could also send multiple programs simultaneously. In Germany, the carrier current service was called Drahtfunk , and in Switzerland Telefonrundspruch . In the Soviet Union , this approach was very common beginning in the 1930s because of its low cost and accessibility, and because it made reception of uncensored over-the-air transmissions more difficult. In Norway radiation from power lines
792-557: The same bandwidth to transmit digital data. Although the Swiss and German systems have been discontinued, the Italian it:Filodiffusione still has several hundred thousand subscribers. Programs formerly carried by "wire broadcasting" in Switzerland included: Carrier current technology is also used for broadcasting radio programs that can be received over a small area by standard AM radios. This
825-402: The signals are being carried over electrical wires, special preparations must be made for distant transmissions, as the signals cannot pass through standard utility transformers . Signals can bridge transformers if the utility company has installed high-pass filters , which typically has already been done when carrier current-based data systems are in operation. Signals can also be impressed onto
858-465: The standard IEEE letter- band frequency designations and the EU/NATO frequency designations. Radio frequencies are used in communication devices such as transmitters , receivers , computers , televisions , and mobile phones , to name a few. Radio frequencies are also applied in carrier current systems including telephony and control circuits. The MOS integrated circuit is the technology behind
891-595: The station increased its power to 100 watts. Sepomana Music Festival was first held in 1998 thanks to a loophole in the Student Government Association's financing rules. The name was invented and has no additional significance. The first festival was MC'd by an Elvis impersonator and featured a live pig as a mascot. For several years, Sepomana was held in Coltrane Lounge in the Adirondack House, but
924-424: The technology needed to set up carrier current transmissions would not be readily available until the late 1910s, with the development of vacuum tube transmitters and amplifiers. The first commercial applications of carrier current technology included the setting up of long-distance telegraph, telemetry, and telephone communication by electrical companies over their high-voltage distribution lines. This approach had
957-465: The transmissions. The carrier current station idea soon spread to other college campuses, especially in the northeastern United States. The Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) was formed in February 1940, to coordinate activities between twelve college carrier current stations and to solicit advertisers interested in sponsoring programs geared toward their student audiences. The innovation received
990-434: Was noted in the earliest days of radio experimentation, and Heinrich Hertz published the first review of the phenomenon in 1889. By 1911, Major General George Owen Squier was conducting some of the earliest studies designed to put carrier current transmissions, which he called "wired wireless", to practical use. To be effective, the radio transmitter must be capable of generating pure continuous-wave AM transmissions. Thus,
1023-625: Was relocated to larger spaces in future years due to overwhelming demand. WRMC is located on the Middlebury College campus in Middlebury, VT - approximately midway between Burlington and Rutland on Route 7. The station's studios are upstairs in Proctor, the dining hall behind Mead Chapel. The transmitter is mounted on the side of the smokestack at the Service Building. WRMC boasts approximately 150 student DJs during each semester. All members of
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1056-545: Was reported from New Jersey, and by 1929, 1,000 installations had been made in the United States and Europe. The majority of power line communication installations use transmissions in the longwave band, to avoid interference to and from standard AM stations. In 1923, the Wired Radio Service Company, a subsidiary of the local electric company, set up a subscription news and entertainment service at Staten Island, New York that used carrier current transmissions over
1089-511: Was used, provided by the Linjesender facility. In Britain such systems were used for a time in areas where reception from conventional BBC radio transmitters was poor. In these systems programs were fed by special transformers into the lines. To prevent uncontrolled propagation, filters for the service's carrier frequencies were installed in substations and at line branches. Systems using telephone wires were incompatible with ISDN which required
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