Seton Hall University's award-winning radio station WSOU 89.5 FM Pirate Radio is celebrating its 65th anniversary on the air. Since April 14, 1948, Pirate Radio has been a signature of SHU and has broadcasted to thousands of people. In 65 years, WSOU has continued as a student-run radio station, a feat in itself that has created opportunities for generations of Seton Hall students.
To commemorate the anniversary of the station, WSOU is having a banquet at the Teaneck Marriott Hotel this month to celebrate with DJ alumni as special guests, according to station manager and recent Seton Hall grad Omar Ahmad. He spoke highly of his five years of experience at WSOU thus far.
"There is so much history behind WSOU that more students should be aware of," he said. We are having our alumni DJs come back more often, and they have some cool stories to tell listeners."
Ahmad added, "I was able to interview my favorite band Metallica last summer at Orion Festival and had the opportunity to interview Kirk, their guitarist. It was a dream come true."
Junior Erin O'Grady, who will be station manager for the 2013-2014 academic year, said that WSOU is "unique because it operates like a real radio station in the New York market" and continues to be a major part of the airwaves in the area.
"We are one of the most listened to rock stations in the Tri-State Area," she said. "We love rock and our listeners love rock. We plan to keep it that way for a long time to come."
The WSOU team showed how much they love and care about the station during Superstorm Sandy when the managers stayed in the studio for three days during the storm and continued to broadcast despite the tumultuous conditions, O'Grady said.
Even after 65 years, there is much to be excited about for listeners of WSOU. Many alumni DJs plan to return to the station on Seton Hall's campus for guest spots in the near future and station workers are constantly trying to develop unique programming tactics to boost listenership and keep things interesting on-air.
Brett Montana can be reached at brett.montana@student.shu.edu.
