When I agreed to do an interview for The Dartmouth concerning 99 Rock, I was thrilled that we at WFRD might get some recognition from a student body that doesn't even know we broadcast from Robinson Hall ("Armed with $400, DTV battles to find audience," April 28). I spent a chunk of time talking with the reporter and gave a huge amount of factual information, in addition to conveying my own experiences as a DJ and as the current FM Program Director. Before I stumbled on 99 Rock during my freshman winter, I felt lost and out of place; finding the radio station was a blessing for me, and has been an amazingly positive experience, as well as a huge part of my Dartmouth career. So when I read Thursday's article, I was dismayed and angered to see the distortion of almost all the information I had given in good faith. The article portrays 99 Rock as a corporate sellout, and the oppressor of the free-spirited AM station WDCR.
If you turn on 99.3 FM, you'll hear that WFRD runs most ads from local businesses. And trust me, our sales are nowhere near the millions that Clear Channel stations bring in -- a company that we at 99 Rock love to demonize.
The article didn't even mention my name in reference to the station, despite the fact that as Program Director, I am in charge of everything that goes out over the air. In addition, the reporter simply fabricated a quote from AM Program Director Pamela Cortland. Pamela and I each recognize the importance of having both WFRD and WDCR; the AM station runs with a more typical "college radio" feel, and the FM station gives students a chance to experience what it's like to work at a real station. In reality, we share many of our DJs. Many of my FM DJs take an extra AM shift to explore genres outside of modern rock. In your article, Mat Brown championed the AM station, but in reality, Mat has been working at 99 Rock for three years, served as Program Director for a time, and just recently took an AM shift.
In the future, I suggest that when given information, The Dartmouth uses it in good faith, instead of altering facts to create sensationalized conflict where there is, in fact, none.
