WVFS Tallahassee, launched in 1987, is one of four radio stations that broadcast from the Florida State University in the Tallahassee area. (WFSU, WFSQ and WFSW are the others.) WVFS is often referred to as V89, "The Voice", or "The Voice of Florida State". WVFS broadcasts at 89.7 FM. The station is staffed by student and community volunteers. Featuring no automation, the DJ booth at WVFS is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. New and different music is played to provide an alternative to commercial radio.
WVFS's mission statement is as follows: "To provide diversity in programming to the Florida State campus and Tallahassee community while acting as a top-notch training facility for students and community members interested in gaining experience in radio station operations."
As a college radio station, WVFS aims to "provide an alternative to the commercially dominated world of radio, where the listener chooses if he or she loves or hates the music.". In order to enact this philosophy, WVFS provides listeners with the opportunity to make requests 24 hours a day via the station's website, or by calling the station at (850)644-1837 to speak directly to the DJ on the air. WVFS also aims "to promote bands of quality-regardless of genre-that might not get airplay otherwise; to promote diversity and open-mindedness through music; to promote public awareness through information and public service announcements; to support the community that supports us; to provide an environment welcoming and tolerant of all who wish to participate."
The programming schedule at WVFS is divided into three categories:
Regular programming time slots feature a combination of newly released material, music from the WVFS Catalog, and listener requests. Regular programming also occasionally features News, Weather, and Concert Updates, promotional announcements, and public service announcements (PSAs).
Specialty programming on WVFS consists of 28 named shows of varying lengths which air at routinely scheduled times, either once every week or once every month.
WVFS features three daily specialty segments: Caffeine-A-Go-Go, the 12 O'clock Takeover and the Album Side at Five.
Caffeine-A-Go-Go (Weekdays 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.): WVFS's morning drive-time program featuring four hours of upbeat music to start the day.
12 O'clock Takeover (Weekdays 12:00 p.m. - 12:20 p.m.): Every weekday, WVFS gives a listener an opportunity to take over the airwaves with five requested songs. 12 O'Clock Takeover forms are available at all WVFS events, including Market Wednesdays in the FSU Oglesby Student Union.
Album Side at Five (Weekdays 5:00 p.m.): 20 to 25 minutes of music from a new, historically significant, or culturally relevant album
Staring at the Sun (12:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.): Experimental music, including ambient music, sound collages, field recordings, and noise music from such artists as Tim Hecker, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Natural Snow Buildings
Your Voice (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.): Political call-in talk show discussing issues concerning the Tallahassee community as well as the national and world political climates as a whole
Tomahawk Talk (7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.): Sports talk show focusing on Florida State University athletics
New Release (8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.): Two hours of the week's latest music from independent labels such as Sub Pop, Merge Records, Hardly Art, Secretly Canadian, and others, as well as self-released independent music from around the world
Hootenanny (10:00 p.m - 12:00 a.m.): Two hours of local music from the Tallahassee and Florida music scenes, as well as live, in-studio performances from local bands, recorded in WVFS's multi-track studio
The Vinyl Frontier (10:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.): Two hours of music played entirely on vinyl. The show includes all music in WVFS's 7" and 12" record catalog, including records from labels like Sub Pop, Third Man Records, Matador Records, and Asian Man Records.
Better Off Dead (12:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.): Two hours of punk rock, from The Clash and The Ramones to NOFX and Joyce Manor
Sonic Safari (7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.): Exploring musical oddities and everything fun and weird, including garage rock, lounge music, song poems, and more
Rotating Specialty Programming (9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.)
Extra Hour of Sonic Safari (Every 1st Wednesday): Exploring musical oddities and everything fun and weird, including garage rock, lounge music, song poems, and more
Vox Populi (Every 2nd Wednesday): WVFS's monthly news and special interest program showcasing work from our News Department
The Voice Box (Every 3rd Wednesday): literature and spoken word
Sonic Safari Honky Tonk (Every 4th Wednesday): Classic country and western music
Mickee Faust Cabaret (Every 5th Wednesday): politically- and socially-driven satire from Tallahassee's Mickee Faust comedy troupe
Metal Madness (10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.): Four hours of metal, covering everything from glam metal and sludge to black metal and beyond
Club Convergence (10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.): Four hours of club and electronic dance music
Top 10 at 10 (10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.): WVFS's weekly Top 10 program, showcasing the top DJ-ranked albums of the week compiled by the Music Director
Friday Night All-Request (10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.): All-request music for Friday night parties
Time Machine (10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.): Four hours of music ten years old or older.
Vibes House Reggae Jam (2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.): Everything reggae, dub, and first-wave ska
The Undaground Railroad (5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.): WVFS's weekly hip-hop program featuring live DJ mixes, in-studio emcees, and the best in underground hip hop.
Saturday Night Fish Fry (8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.): Obscure classic and modern soul music and R&B from James Brown and Otis Redding to Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Saturday Night Party (10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.): All-request music for Saturday night parties
Sunday Morning Blues (10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.): The best in blues featuring artists like Son House, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, and more
Legacies (1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.): WVFS's weekly singer-songwriter, folk, and Americana showcase, featuring acoustic music from Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, Lucinda Williams, and more
World Music (4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.): New and classic world music from around the globe
Sunday Evening Jazz (6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.): Covering all iterations of jazz from hard bop to avant garde jazz
Solamente Latino (8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.): WVFS's weekly Latin music showcase, featuring music from Latin America and Spain
Artist Feature (10:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.): WVFS's weekly artist/label showcase featuring two hours of music from one artist or label selected by the DJ.
WVFS holds a volunteer "cattle call" at the beginning of the fall, spring, and summer semesters to recruit volunteers. WVFS accepts student volunteers from Florida State University as well as community volunteers. Each semester, WVFS accepts volunteers in the following departments: announcing, news, continuity, public relations, sports, development, and production. FSU students can also volunteer at WVFS for college credit through the Florida State University School of Communication under the course codes RTV 3941r and RTV 3926.
WVFS houses a state-of-the-art 32-track recording studio for producing and recording on-air performances as well as songs and full albums for bands and community members. Notable recording artists who have worked in WVFS's studio, either for an on-air performance or for full album production, include Andrew Bird, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Saxon Shore, Human Television, Emperor X, Earlimart, Dent May, Those Darlins, Four Tet, The Posies, and more.
