ERP 1,050 watts Class A Website WOO 91 website City of license Wooster Owner College of Wooster | HAAT 68 meters Callsign meaning The College of WooSter Frequency 90.9 MHz Format Campus radio Branding WOO 91 | |
 | ||
Broadcast area Wooster, Ohio, United States Area Wooster, Ohio, United States of America Slogan Wooster's Sound Alternative | ||
WCWS-FM is the radio station of The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, United States. It is also known as WOO 91, Wooster's Sound Alternative. WCWS broadcasts 1050 watts of power at a frequency of 90.9 MHz to Wayne and neighboring counties. Under the FCC Table of Allotments, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, WNZR, also operates at 90.9 MHz; this keeps WCWS from maximizing its wattage potential.
Students share the administrative duties of running the station with a faculty adviser, currently John Finn, to oversee them. Herman Gibbs is the chief operator/engineer of WCWS, and has served in that role since 1984. Radio at the College of Wooster began back in the 1950s broadcasting music and local programs as well as campus activities in mono to the greater Wooster community. The 1980s saw the addition of a satellite dish to broadcast Metropolitan Opera programs on Saturday afternoons. During the school year 1984/85 WCWS went stereo for the first time under the leadership of Gibbs as well as student managers Dan Garan and Kenyon Mau. Further changes came in latter years, including the frequency change from 91.9 to 90.9 FM. For the full history of WCWS, please see WOO 91 Station History.
In 2004, RB Schools, a Texas Christian radio group, challenged WCWS and other radio stations during the FCC licence renewal process. Due to the efforts of the College of Wooster administration, Herman Gibbs, John Finn, and the student management, the FCC denied the challenge in May 2005. During the fight for their station, a new station identity, WOO 91, was created, and a new logo was designed to fit the new image. In addition, student management worked with their DJs to create a more professional-sounding station, and in November 2004, WCWS broadcast live election coverage for Wayne county, which was well received.
In August 2005, WCWS became the Wooster community's only commercial-free station to broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In early 2012, WCWS was invited to join the iHeartRadio network, allowing listeners to stream the station's broadcasts online or with a mobile app.
In the fall of 2013, WCWS moved out of Wishart Hall to Lowry Center, Wooster’s student center, increasing the visibility of the station on the college's campus.