This week in Hamilton headlines…

In the interest of fostering a sense of pride for Hamilton College’s past, and to connect this past with Hamilton’s present and future,

The Spectator

has decided to re-publish a collection of archived articles.

“This Week in Hamilton Headlines” aims to furnish the Hamilton public with cultural context, such as the transition from an all-male college to the colloquially dubbed “Hamland College” (featured in a 1977 issue), or the inter-fraternal football league topped by the undefeated Chi Psi and DKE in 1965.

The Spectator

will feature op-eds, news, cartoons, and features from this week, 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 years ago in hopes of increasing engagement to Hamilton’s rich and storied history.

WHCL: Back on the Air (1977)

By Philip Ruppel ‘80

Last Wednesday, WHCL, the radio station of Hamilton and Kirkland Colleges, resumed services for the 1977–78 year.

After a long vacation, the college community can now look forward to a totally commercial-free radio station.

Except for a few changes, WHCL is the same. There’s still Trivia on Monday night, Jazz on weekday afternoons, an expanded classical show, and full coverage of basketball and hockey games. The station will also continue to broadcast till 2 a.m., 7 days a week.

John Staugaitis General Manager of WHCL, noted a few changes and improvements from last year. In the interest of continuity, there will be a one 3-hour show instead of the previous 2-hour shows during “prime time” (9 p.m. to midnight). Jim Donaldson, Henry Sneath, Sandy Gottlieb, and Mike Quinn will each have a show at that time.

A few additions to the program schedule will be a folk show on Saturday afternoons will Bill Bradbury, a public affairs show on Monday evening featuring campus news and interviews with local personnel, an Album of the Day show at noon, and a special taped concert feature on Monday evenings. The only blues show in the upper New York State area, however, had to be cancelled due to the absence of an interested D.J..

The news broadcasts, which last year were run sporadically, have not as yet been organized. The U.P.I. teletype service, though, has been discontinued. Commented Staugaitis, “We’ve had a decrease of responsibility, so monitoring the teletype just became a farce.” Instead, when the news staff gets organized, they will use the

Utica Daily Press

,

The New York Times

, and

Zodiac News Service

(a daily service providing “out-of-the-mainstream” stories).

Staugaitis noted that although there may be some budget cuts, he hopes to improve the old and out-dated machinery in the station in the basement of Minor Theater. He mentioned specifically the purchase of a noise-reduction unit, a machine which might improve the radio signal, as well as an overall increase of records in WHCL’s library.

The management of a college radio station which broadcasts an average of 18 hours a day, 7 days a week, depends heavily on a very responsible and capable staff. Yet the people of WHCL are optimistic. As Sandy Gottlieb, Music Director, commented, “It’s going exceptionally well due to great interest on the part of the new staff members. I’m looking forward to a fruitful year.”