88.9 fm


Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Policy

Part 3: Station Procedures

Part 4: Job Descriptions




PART 1: INTRODUCTION

Message from the Staff


Welcome to WSIA Staten Island 88.9FM. WSIA is the real deal! A New York City FM radio station that broadcasts to all of Staten Island, parts of New Jersey, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. We have the potential to reach 2,500,000 people with our FM station, and an infinite number of people on the World Wide Web, reaching anybody in the world with a computer connected to the Internet!

We at WSIA pride ourselves on our unique form of programming. The music played here transcends many different genres appealing to many different types of listeners. It is here that a listener has the opportunity to hear something new that's not being played anywhere else. WSIA has played a lot of popular music before it became popular.

The experience of working at WSIA is like none other. Here you have the opportunity to be part of something bigger than us all, at the same time developing yourself, both professionally and personally, as a valuable member of society and as a leader. THE BOOK is your guide to becoming a part of one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences you may ever have!

Please pay special attention to the rules regarding the use of equipment, guests in the station, and other procedures designed to protect our equipment. Student Activities and Technology fees have spent thousands of dollars on our studios and offices. This means we must do our best to keep the equipment in good shape since we cannot afford to replace it.

This publication is a living document that has been around for over twenty years. Its is the culmination of all the hard work and endless sacrifices made by students over the course of the station's history. This station is both run and governed by students. This book however, cannot contain the spirit and dream of making WSIA the best radio station anywhere. That can only be learned at the station.

We invite you to share your best - your thoughts and ideas, your energy and enthusiasm, your dreams and goals. Offer yourself in support of the station, your fellow staff members, and all those who will follow in the years ahead. Let the station support you as you create what you want for yourself. Together we can do great things.


8 GOALS TO SUCCESS

To successfully complete the WSIA Training Program, there are eight goals you should accomplish:

  1. . Attend the General, Music & News Workshop
  2. . Attend the Board Workshop (You must pre-register)
  3. . Attend the EAS Workshop
  4. . Attend two D.J. Sit-ins*
  5. . Complete Station Comprehensive Test (pass)
    When completing and passing the test you will be asked to sign an aggreement stating that you understand and will adhere to WSIA's rules.
  6. . Record your audition/demo tape (done during a third sit-in)
  7. . Apply for a WSIA Station I.D.
  8. . Be an active station member!
* Applicants who are not interested in being a DJ do not have to do sit-ins.

A SHORT HISTORY OF WSIA

In the mid 1970’s, a group of students interested in radio gathered in a broom closet in the C Building of The College of Staten Island. They ran some wire to the cafeteria and started spinning records. These students worked with the College and a pplied for an FM license. They were granted a construction permit. Not much more progress was made until the late 1970’s when a new group of students applied to the Student Government and Association for money to start construction. In 1980, a Genera l Manager was hired to get the station on the air. It took a year to work out an agreement with The Archdiocese of New York for an antenna site, install phone lines to the site for the transmitter, and to complete construction of the studios in the baseme nt of E building on the Sunnyside campus.

On August 31, 1981, WSIA began regularly scheduled programming. It was the culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work by members of the College and students. Yet, it was only the beginning. Since that time, a great number of students have been tra ined to become staff members. Some have gone on to careers in radio. Others look back on WSIA as an important part of their student life.

A number of changes have happened since 1981. The station's offices and studios have been enlarged and improved. Our operating budget has increased from $8,800 to $72,000 per year. In 1985, the College showed its commitment by picking up the salary of the General Manager. Previously, this had been paid out of student fees. The programming has also undergone a number of changes. Yet, students have always been committed to two things. One, to be new and innovative. The other, to serve the Staten Island c ommunity.

WSIA is a member of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, the first and only national organization of university-licensed radio stations in the United States. Today, IBS has almost 600 member-stations in the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand. In 1987, t he current WSIA General Manager (Greg Adamo) was elected to the IBS Board of Directors. Also, WSIA was selected in 1984 and 1985 as the host of the IBS Metro New York Radio Workshop.

Thanks to many years of hard work by our staff, we enjoy an excellent relationship with many components of the broadcast industry--record companies, musicians, artists, independent producers, clubs, and promoters.

THE LICENSE HOLDER

WSIA's license is issued to and held by The College of Staten Island. The FCC requires that the College maintain both legal and actual control over the station. The College does this through the Office of Student Life which serves as liaison and superv ises the radio station with the Board of Directors and General Manager. Actual planning and day-to-day operations are carried out by the student Board of Directors in cooperation with the General Manager.

The Director of Student Life oversees the operation on behalf of the College to ensure conformity with FCC rules and regulations. Of particular concern to the license holder is the FCC requirement that programming meet the needs of the Staten Island co mmunity.

The College community has input through the Radio Station Advisory Board, which meets periodically to discuss and evaluate issues of concern with regard to WSIA. The Radio Station Advisory Board consists of the Vice President for Student Affairs, the D irector of Student Life, the College lawyer, two faculty members, a representative of the CSI Association, the President of the Student Government, and two students elected from the WSIA staff. The General Manager acts as a resource to the Board. Funding for WSIA comes from Student Activity Fee moneys earmarked for the radio station. All budgets and expenditures must be approved by the College of Staten Island Association, Inc., which is the legal depository for student fees and fundraising moneys. The As sociation Board of Directors consists of students, faculty, and administration. The Executive Director of the Association is the liaison on all Association matters.

The General Manager of the radio station is hired and paid by the College of Staten Island. The General Manager is a member of the Office of Student Activities which is part of the Department of Student Services. The General Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the station with particular emphasis on conformity to the rules and regulations of the FCC (See the General Manager's job description for more specifics).

THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK

In April of 1981, after years of negotiations, theInstructional Television division of the Archdiocese of New York granted permission to WSIA to mount their antenna on I.T.V.'s tower on Todt Hill. This was the key to taking WSIA out of the category of 10-watt radio stations and giving it the equivalent power of a 1,000-watt radio station on flat terrain. The antenna's height, 650 feet above average terrain, gives WSIA a potential listening audience of over 2.5 million people.

WSIA's contract with the Archdiocese makes no stipulations concerning programming. However, it does give them the power to ask us to vacate the Todt Hill site within thirty days of being notified. They do not have to give any reason! This gives us adde d incentive to adhere to our philosophy of having a professional sound and attitude. No one should make any unauthorized visits to the antenna site. See the General Manager first. It is better to be safe than sorry!

THE FCC

The Federal Communications Commission has granted a license to The College of Staten Island to operate a non-commercial, educational radio station at 88.9 megahertz on the FM band. WSIA is licensed to broadcast at 10 watts of power. Ther e is very little chance that the station's power will ever be increased, especially considering the height of our antenna (650 feet above average terrain). A power increase would cause interference with other stations who were on the air before WSIA. An a nalogy can be made to: The last person in a crowded theater getting the worst seat in the house.

Adherence to FCC rules and regulations is mandatory. As long as WSIA stays within those regulations, especially the mandate to serve the Staten Island community, the FCC gives the College the right to the use of 88.9 FM in the New York City area. The r ules and procedures outlined in THE BOOK are designed to keep WSIA in compliance with FCC rules and regulations.

The College of Staten Island must renew its license every seven years. At that time, WSIA must show that it has operated in the public interest and will continue to do so. Others may apply, at that time, for the license. While loss of a license is rare , it is not unheard of. We must operate in the best manner possible, at all times, to avoid any problems.

The FCC reserves the right to inspect WSIA's operations, logs, and files anytime it wishes. Therefore, we must work with a professional attitude of doing the best job possible so that if we are inspected there will be no problems. If anyone calls or co ntacts WSIA claiming they are from the FCC, or with a complaint or question in regard to the FCC, they must be immediately forwarded to the General Manager.

THE ON-AIR ANNOUNCER

The on-air announcers and newscasters are the link between all of WSIA's operations and the outside world. When someone is hosting a show, he or she is WSIA. The DJ is representing all the other hard working people at the station. This is a tremendous responsibility and should be treated as such. WSIA publishes THE BOOK and holds a series of comprehensive workshops in order that the DJ be informed and capable of carrying out his or her responsibility. If a DJ proves incapable and/or unwilling of living up to his or her responsibilities, the Programming Director and Personnel Director will, after giving the proper warning, take the privilege of being a DJ away.

The responsibilities of all staff members are:

THE STUDENT

Without students, WSIA would not exist. They are the lifeblood of the station. The students do all the work at WSIA from engineering and production to writing news, copy and announcing. The student Board of Directors, in cooperation with theGeneral Man ager, are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the station.

This makes WSIA a "student-run radio station". It does not make it a place where a student can do or broadcast anything he or she wants. There are a number of authorities that the students of WSIA are beholden to. One, is the FCC and all its rules and regulations. Two, is the College of Staten Island and its responsibilities as WSIA's license holder. Three, is the Archdiocese of New York in its capacity as owner of WSIA's antenna site. Four, is our listeners and their needs and wishes. Last but not lea st, is fellow students, those here now and the ones to come, who have the same rights and responsibilities as you.

This means that everything a student does at WSIA has an effect on a number of different people and organizations. This is why we have the rules and guidelines of THE BOOK and the structure that of WSIA.

PART 2: POLICY

BY-LAWS

  1. All changes and additions to the BY-LAWS must be made by majority vote of the staff. Proposals for changes in the BY-LAWS must be submitted for consideration at a full staff meeting and then voted on at the next full staff meeting. To vote you must be on staff at least one full semester.
  2. To have an official full staff meeting four signs must be conspicuously posted on radio station bulletin boards a minimum of one week before the meeting.
  3. Quorum for a Directors meeting is a majority of the Directors or Assistant Directors of the departments. The Program Director or his/her assistant or designee (another Director) must be present.
  4. To be on staff, you must currently be a student,have a 2.0 grade point average, have completed all workshops and passed the test. The workshops must be completed within the semester of application date. The test must be taken no longer than four weeks from workshop completion. The GPA will be checked on applying and at beginning of each semester after the last day to register. If a members GPA drops below 2.0 they are off-staff until GPA registers above 2.0 on the CSI’s computer. This can be chec ked once per week by the Operations Intern or General Manager.
  5. The Board of Directors is the policy-making body on all station matters. The Board consists of the director of each department (in his or her absence, the Assistant Director), and the General Manager. Each Director appoints their Assistant Director.
  6. The Board of Directors is elected by all eligible staff members.
  7. Voting will take place by the full staff meeting after the Spring break.
  8. A Director's term will run from June 1st through May 31st of the following year.
  9. There are 10 Directorships and NO-Co-Directors. To run for a directorship you must be on staff for at least two semesters (e.g., if you were on staff in fall ‘96, you can run for director in spring (May) of ‘97). To run for Program Director one must have been either a Director or an Assistant Director for one full semester.
  10. Each Director has one vote. The General Manager will chair all meetings and vote only in the case of a tie.
  11. Decisions of the Board of Directors can be amended and/or repealed by a majority vote of at least 2/3 of the full staff. A petition signed by one more than half of the voting staff members is necessary to hold a vote.
  12. Each Director must have weekly meetings with the General Manager to discuss day-to- day operations of their department. All policy proposals must be discussed with the General Manager before going to the Board of Directors.
  13. All purchases above $100 must be approved by the Board of Directors. All purchases must be authorized by the General Manager. Purchases under $100 cannot total more than $200 for any one department in any one month without the approval of the board of directors.
  14. Each director must have posted office hours totaling four hours per week. During these office hours, the director will be expected to conduct station business. After one month's experience in office, the director is subject to the following:

  15. If a majority of the Board of Directors deems a director to be delinquent or incapable of performing the duties associated with that office, the Board will ask the General Manager to meet with the director to go over the problems that exist. The Gener al Manager and the director must report on the situation, in person, to the Board within two weeks. If the problem persists during the semester, a 2/3 majority vote of the Board will remove the director from office. New elections will be held at the next full staff meeting to fill the vacant position.

OPERATING RULES

  1. Membership is open to all full or part-time CSI students with 2.0 GPA.
  2. WSIA property shall not be removed from the station without written permission of the General Manager. The person(s) must sign out the equipment with name, date, equipment taken, reason and return date. Equipment must be returned immediately after use . Failure to comply with this procedure will result in immediate suspension.
  3. WSIA is not a place to hang out. If you are not doing work you should not be in the studios. Only WSIA staff are allowed in the studios. Guests must have written permission from a director and/or the General Manager. Failure to comply will result in s uspension.
  4. There is no food, drinking, or smoking in the studios. Alcohol and drugs are prohibited anywhere inside or outside the station. This is a College rule that, if broken, jeopardizes the operations of WSIA. A suspension of one full semester will result i f a member is caught with alcohol or drugs.

  5. WSIA telephones are for business use only. If you need to make a personal phone call, use the pay phones in the hallway across from the bookstore.
  6. The willful abuse of any WSIA property will be grounds for immediate dismissal.
  7. All WSIA staff are responsible for the appearance and cleanliness of the station. Leave it better than you found it. The Personnel Director shall post a clean-up schedule whenever needed and there will be penalties for failure to do the job assigned t o you. If other personnel are leaving the area a mess, let the Personnel Director know (and clean it anyway).
  8. It is the responsibility of each DJ to put away all CDs in alphabetical order that they have used. Failure to do so will result in a two week suspension from their show. If records are left from the prior DJ, they must be put away by the next DJ and t he Personnel Director must be notified of the infraction.
  9. WSIA staff are expected to exhibit studio discipline and operate with a sense of professionalism.
  10. When "ON AIR" light is on in a studio, noise must be kept at a minimum and staff must refrain from walking in or out of the studio until the DJ is off the mike.
  11. All WSIA staff members must attend all staff meetings. If you cannot make a meeting, you must give notice 24 hours beforehand to the Personnel Director. If a staff member misses two staff meetings in a row, they will be off staff for the rest of the s emester. Only a doctor's excuse will be accepted. Notice of meeting date and time will be posted at least two weeks beforehand.
  12. Priority for practice and listening in the studios and listening areas is given to the person who is scheduled to be on the air at that time.
  13. News department staff using the news computer take precedence over anyone else at the station.
  14. Anyone conducting station business takes precedence over anyone else.
  15. Staff must be cleared by the Production Director before they can use the production studio or any equipment. Production time must be scheduled at least two days in advance on the sign-up clipboard in the studio.
  16. Record or Playback levels of any equipment may be set only by the Production Director, Engineering Director, or Chief Engineer.
  17. Use of the phone-delay of any on-air phone equipment must be permitted by the Chief Engineer and the General Manager. Any violations will result in immediate suspension.
  18. If you cannot make your scheduled announcing shift, you must contact the Programming Director at least one week in advance. If you find your own replacement, you should get the Programming Director's permission. If you are going to be late for your sh ow, you must let the DJ that is on the air before and after you know that you are going to be late. Failure to comply with these procedures will result in a one month probation period. Failure to comply with the listed procedures during the one month prob ation period will result in an indefinite suspension period. The length of suspension will be determined by the Programming Director, Personnel Director and GM.
  19. You must show up for your assigned shift at least 30 minutes prior.
  20. If an anyone broadcasts any obscene and/or indecent material or hears someone else, the General Manager and the Programming Director must be notified. The person will then immediately be taken off the air and suspended for a minimum of two weeks. The General Manager has full responsibility for this area.
  21. If an announcer knowingly presents false information as fact on the air, the General Manager and Programming Director must be notified. The person will then immediately be taken off the air and suspended. Any loss of show will be determined by the Boa rd.
  22. Any station member knowingly falsifying information on WSIA logs will lose their show and never be allowed on air again.
  23. If a staff member presents himself or herself as a representative of WSIA without prior notification and consent of a Board member, they will be dropped from staff.
  24. All Public Relations activities (talks with newspapers, other radio stations, TV, etc.) MUST be cleared by the General Manager.
  25. All staff members are required to work in a department and do at least two hours of work per week. (Shows are not considered work.) Failure to comply will result in suspension from staff for a full semester. New members will be assigned to a departmen t by personnel for their first month on staff. After satisfactory work in their department they may request movement to a department of their choice.
  26. A member of the CSI administration, staff, or faculty may apply for air time if the following conditions are met:
  27. If a show is lacking in quality, the Programming Director will send a letter mentioning the problems and suggesting remedies. A copy of the letter will also be given to the General Manager and Personnel Director. If the Programming Director feels ther e has been no improvement within the allotted time, he will send a cancellation letter giving all reasons for loss of show. A copy will be given to the General Manager and Personnel Director.
  28. It is the responsibility of each staff member to read the bulletin board whenever in the station.
  29. If not otherwise stated, all suspensions will be preceded by a warning and the suspension will be for two weeks.
  30. Alumni wishing to use the WSIA Production Studio can do so if they get the permission of the General Manager and Production Director (with a weeks notice). A member of the Production Department is present at the time of the use of the studio.
  31. All music interviews must be the result of well thought out planning. This must be done by either:
  32. Any on-air jock who knowingly omits a scheduled newscast during their time on the air will be suspended for a period of two weeks. Any loss of show will be determined by the Board of Directors.
  33. Movement or adjustment of any mechanical or electrical equipment is prohibited without permission of the Chief Engineer or General Manager.
Please Note: When completing and passing the test you will be asked to sign an aggreement stating that you understand and will adhere to the above rules.

Policy Regarding Community Programers

The purpose of the WSIA community programmer policy is to assist WSIA in creating programming that serves the local community with news, public affairs, information, music, and sports. Community programmers will be assigned to activities that student m embers are not currently engaged in. This can be in any type of programming that fits within our format that is approved by the General Manager. Priority will continue to be given to student programmers who meet station requirements.

Community programmers are subject to all station rules and policies as outlined in The Book. This includes rules regarding suspensions from on-air and station duties. The WSIA General Manager has the authority to remove any programmer on a temporary an d/or permanent basis. No community programmer is allowed to interfere with or jeopardize WSIA operations or otherwise violate the policies and procedures under which the radio station operates.

Community programmers are non-voting members of WSIA and they may not be a director of the station.

Community programmers will receive a Community Volunteer WSIA ID card which permits access to the radio station. They must carry the ID whenever they are on the College of Staten Island campus.

In the use of WSIA's equipment and facilities, each community programmer should conduct him or herself in a manner consistent with WSIA's goals. Each person who uses WSIA's equipment or facilities shall obey the policies and procedures as outlined in t he book and/or issued by WSIA staff in the exercise of their responsibilities.

Community programmer access to WSIA is subject to the demands of student use and judgment of the General Manager and Chief Engineer.

Community programmer access hours will be scheduled by the General Manager and Chief Engineer.

Community programmers must be 21 years of age or older.

A maximum of ten community programmers may be members of WSIA at any one time.

No more than half the total number of community programmers can be WSIA alumni.

The time period for a community programmer to be involved is twelve months. Volunteers may re-apply after that time.

This policy will be in effect for two years. It may then be renewed by both the WSIA Board of Directors and the Radio Station Advisory Board.

Becoming a Community Programmer:

WSIA will provide training to residents of our listening area on a limited basis.

Community members must apply to be programmers. The application must include an explanation of how the applicant can help WSIA better serve the community. This can be in the form of a letter.

All programmers must complete all workshops and pass the WSIA test. A $25. training fee will be charged to cover the cost of the community programmer workshops. The fee may be waived by the General Manager for hardship reasons.

A committee consisting of three WSIA students and one station professional will interview each potential programmer. The committee will give a list of recommended programmers to the WSIA Board of Directors for final approval.

All potential programmers will be evaluated using the following criteria:

The General Manager maintains the authority to turn an applicant down.

GENERAL FORMAT

WSIA is a mix of different varieties of music that emphasizes new and alternative music that is not being played on other radio stations. DJs are required to play a certain amount of new music from the emphasis and new release bins in the on-air studio . The Board has set the following criteria for what genre of music should be in the new release bins

The Music Director(s) will make the selections of what will be put in the new release bins for DJs to play. DJs will be required to play a minimum of 8 New Releases, with at least 4of them being from the Emphasis Bin, per hour.

The Board reiterated that the music should not be overplayed and should not be block programmed.

From 6 AM until 2 PM our format has a couple of requirements. The music should be on the lighter side. We have the rest of the day to play heavier music. The 1 -2 PM time can be used as a bridge to play a little heavier music to take listeners into the next time slot. The other requirement is that a minimum of 50% of the music should be labeled with a colored dot. This music is Jazz, Blues, New Age, World, Folk, and Classical. While the current format now allows a wide variety of dot music, you should be aware that WSIA has had a fifteen year commitment to Jazz & Blues Cafe every day from 10am - 2pm.

Programming

Spring 2001

  1. "The Longer you listen, the harder we get!" Format is now in effect. All DJs with shifts are required to play the format assigned to that time slot. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!
  • All DJs that are assigned a shift a required to do actual honest work in a specific department. The department director will be required to report back to the Board of Directors whether or not work is actually being done, on a regular basis.
  • All DJs are required to arrive at WSIA's studio 1/2 prior to their scheduled air-time.
  • All DJs must remain as professional sounding as possible. Unnecessary talking between pieces of music is not recommended. If you don't have anything constructive to say or something that others may useful or even funny, don't say anything at all. Don' t waste time and risk the possibility of offending or alienating the listeners. Do not do a show simply for yourself and for your "fans." Shy away from opinions. TRY TO ALLOW THE MUSIC YOU PLAY REPRESENT YOUR POINTS OF VIEW OR YOUR FEELINGS AT THE MOMENT, without saying so. The key is subtly.
  • Only guests that are interested in learning how WSIA operates and "Performers," that present themselves in a professional manner are permitted with special permission from the Programming Director. These guests are to remain under strict supervision a nd are not permitted to roam the station freely. After-hours guest are not permitted.
  • 48 Hours notice of absence from all DJs is required. Failure toshowup for an assigned time-slot without proper notification will result in suspension.
  • DJ's are required to find their own replacement if they cannot make their time-slot.
  • Only station members are permitted passed the front desk. If they are looking for somebody specifically. Let them wait and ask the first available station member that comes to the front.

    STRUCTURE

    In addition to the above station BY-LAWS and Rules and Procedures, there is an additional structure that involves the General Manager. The College regards the station as a student run organization but believes that there has to be someone who is ultima tely responsible for the operations of the station. The General Manager is employed by the College and is the person held ultimately responsible for the operations of the station. In this regard, the General Manager can veto decisions of the students when he believes that they endanger the operations of the station.

    In addition, the format of the station is formulated by the student Board of Directors and then submitted to the General Manager for his approval. If he approves, it goes into effect. If he disapproves, he will return it to the Board with his reservati ons. The Board will then submit a revised format. If the General Manager disapproves, the Radio Station Advisory Board will meet to consider the matter.

    COLLEGE POLICY

    As the license holder, the College has the ultimate responsibility for WSIA. In this regard, there are areas where certain policy and procedures are determined by the College. The College has a Radio Station Advisory Board that meets on a regular basis to discuss these areas. The Board consists of the Dean of Students, the Director of Student Activities, the Special Assistant for Legal Affairs, two Faculty members, the President of Student Government, the President of the CSI Association and two studen t representatives from the radio station.

    DRINKING AND DRUGS

    The College strictly prohibits the presence of any alcohol or illegal drugs in the radio station or any adjacent areas. People in the station should not be under the influence of these substances either.

    OBSCENITY AND INDECENCY

    You are not allowed to broadcast anything that is obscene and/or indecent. The FCC is not specific on what is or isn't obscene and or indecent. Therefore, you should be careful in what you say and play. If you are not sure if something is obscene and/o r indecent, check with the General Manager beforehand. There are copies of FCC rulings in the General Manager's office. Here is a basic explanation from the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System:

    Indecent language is defined as, "Language that depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory activities or organs."

    Keep in mind that the FCC has said it will determine what are "contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium" - not the local community.

    To be obscene, according to the FCC, "Material must meet a three-prong test: (1)An average person, applying contemporary community standards, must find that the material, as a whole, appeals to prurient interests; (2)the material must depict or describ e, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law; and (3)the material, taken as a whole, must lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value."

    It is not up to you to make judgments regarding whether or not something should be broadcast. If there is any chance that the material could be considered obscene and/or indecent, you must bring it to the General Manager. It is his responsibility to de termine if it can be broadcast.

    Since all DJs should be familiar with what they are playing, they are responsible for everything that goes over the air during their show. The added responsibility of having our antenna site owned by the Archdiocese makes keeping obscene and/or indecen t material off the air even more important. If someone broadcasts obscene and/or indecent material, or hears it, the General Manager must be notified. The person will then immediately be taken off the air and suspended for a minimum of two weeks. Maliciou s conduct in this area can result in permanent suspension from on-air. People who show they are not capable of responsible decisions in this area will not be allowed on-air. If you find a curse on a record that is not marked with a warning, write obscenit y next to the song title on the record jacket and label. Put a curse sticker on the album.

    PART 3: STATION PROCEDURES

    TEAMWORK

    Everything at WSIA depends upon teamwork. All staff members must work together to reach the goals of the station. There will always be problems, disagreements, etc. We should all understand that this is just inherent to the operation of a radio station .

    GUESTS

    Showing family and friends around the station is permitted. Guests for interviews and otherwise should have the permission of the General Manager and Program Director. All guests after business hours are required to have a signed guest permission form before hand.

    SECURITY

    One of our top priorities is that everyone should feel safe and secure in the radio station. To that end the College of Staten Island Office of Public Safety works with us on access to the radio station. All students, staff, and faculty must carry both a WSIA and College ID. Community Volunteers must carry a WSIA ID. We also maintain a WSIA access list that is on file with the College and is updated regularly. CUNY Public Safety Officers may come in at any time and check to see who is in the station an d request proper idendification.

    If there is any kind of emergency you must immediately call the Office of Public Safety at 982-2111.

    The College also maintains a Safety Escort Service. Station members can just call 982-2116 and be escorted to on-campus parking lots and bus stops.

    All station members must adhere to the instructions of the CUNY Public Safety Officers. If you believe that there are any problems with these procedures you must talk to the General Manager. If there are problems with specific officers you must get the name of the officer and give it to the GM.

    STATION APPEARANCE

    We all take great pride in the appearance of the station. A lot of money has gone into making WSIA a professional looking operation. We often have important guests and visitors. Keeping the station clean is every staff member's responsibility.

    If you see papers lying around, straighten them up. If the garbage cans are full, empty them. If anyone is smoking, kindly remind them they must do that outside the station. If people are just standing around talking or just hanging out, politely ask t hem to do it outside. If you are using your mailbox as a filing cabinet instead of what it was designed for, empty it. In other words, "Do It Yourself".

    THE PHONE

    Proper handling of incoming and outgoing calls is essential to the operation of WSIA. The Business line is 932-3050. The request line is 982-3060.

    Phones are limited to station use. They are not for personal phone calls. The only exception is for making quick calls for taxi, pick-ups, etc.. If you are caught making a personal phone call you will be politely asked to cut it short and hang up.

    Long distance calls can only be made with the permission of the General Manager. If there is an emergency need for a long distance line and the General Manager is not around, you should go see the Chief Engineer or Operations Intern to okay the call. I f they are not available, go up to the Office of Student Activities and kindly ask the Director, Assistant or secretary to get you long distance access. This procedure should also be used when the General Manager is on vacation or out sick.

    WSIA receives some very important phone calls every day. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the phones be answered correctly.

    If you hear a phone ringing, pick up the phone and say "WSIA...May I help you". If the call is not for you, tell the caller to hold on and then go see if the person they want is in. Then put the caller on hold. Go and check for the person and politely tell them which line to pick up. If the person is not in, take a complete message. Make sure you take the person's full name, phone number, date and time called, and of course, the message. Then put the message in the appropriate mailbox.

    THE COMPUTER

    WSIA has a number of Apple Macintosh computers. If you would like to learn how to use them you should ask the General Manager or Operations Intern. They are easy to learn and you are encouraged to become familiar with them. No one is allowed to change the configuration of any computer at the station (this includes installing software). No one is allowed to download or store files on the computer unless it is station business. If you need a floppy disk to store your files, one can be given to you by the GM.

    ON AIR TELEPHONE CALLS: FORMATS & PROCEDURES

    Call -in shows can bring a new dimension to radio programs, if the person running the show knows what goes into making a professional and entertaining show. There are benefits to having listeners calling your show, such as giving the listener their six ty seconds of fame. It allows you the DJ, input directly from those you reach over the air, and it can be very current.

    On the other hand there are a host of potential problems inherent in call-in shows. The main one is that you are giving on air access to totally anonymous persons who may have ulterior motives to calling up the show. There are questions of liability, p rofanity and context. The list of things that can go wrong on an ordinary show are compounded by the use of call-in format.

    As the one who is representing WSIA while you're on their air you are in essence, representing all of us who are a part of the station, with this privilege also goes responsibility. If after all this you feel you are ready to do a show then this is wha t you have to do to get it going.

    On Air Phone Interviews

    PART 4: JOB DESCRIPTIONS

    DIRECTORS

    WSIA's day to day operation is run by a student Board of Directors and General Manager. The Board meets to discuss station matters, work on ways to improve the station, and make decisions on the station's operation. If a staff member has a question, su ggestion, or problem that he or she has not been able to resolve in individual meetings with the appropriate director or General Manager, they can be put on the agenda for a director's meeting by giving the General Manager a written proposal of what they want to discuss (at least 48 hours before the scheduled meeting). Cut and dry problems in which the facts are clear, will not be discussed. Meeting date and time are posted on the bulletin board at least one week in advance. The General Manager chairs all meetings and votes only in the case of a tie.

    Each director is responsible for his or her department as discussed in their job description. Every director has an appointed assistant director who acts in the directors behest and in the director's absence. In the event a director's resignation or re moval, the assistant director becomes acting director until an election can be held at the next full staff meeting. If there is no assistant, the Board will appoint an acting director.

    Every director has office hours posted on the bulletin board. Efforts are made to make office hours convenient to both day and night students. If you need to see a director, you can come during office hours. It is a good idea to make an appointment wit h that particular director. Directors try to talk with the General Manager every other day and meet with him once a week. Therefore, if you are having a problem getting hold of a director, see the General Manager.

    All directors have a written proposal (required of any staff member running for a directorship) on file in the General Manager's office at least three days before the election. The proposal includes plans and goals for their department's organization a nd development. All proposals are open for inspection.

    PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT

    The Programming Department is responsible for the overall sound of the station.

    Though the format is formulated by the Board of Directors and approved by the

    General Manager each year, it is the Programming Department which is responsible for

    carrying out and enforcing the format. The Programming Department works with the

    Personnel Department and the General Manager to train new DJs. The training that Programming is responsible for pertains to music and the format. After the DJs have finished their training, they submit a demo tape to the director for approval. If the t ape is approved, the DJ is then scheduled for fill-ins or a regular show. The director and his or her staff work together on on-going evaluations of all DJs. Before each semester starts, DJs submit a schedule to the director. The director and his or her d epartment then formulate an overall DJ schedule for the semester. The factors used to formulate the final schedule are:

    Program Director:

    Assistant Programming Director:

    PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT

    The Personnel Director keeps track of all staff information, new and old, on the computer. The Personnel Director schedules general workshops for new staff applicants throughout the year. The Personnel Director also assists to coordinate the other wor kshops. All policy and procedure violations (excluding those the General Manager is responsible for) are reported to the Personnel Director. Depending on the infraction and whether the person has already received a warning, the Personnel Director then sen ds either a warning or a suspension with a copy to the appropriate director and the General Manager.

    Personnel Director:

    Jobs:

    NEWS DEPARTMENT

    WSIA's News Department is responsible for airing daily newscasts as well as producing weekly interview programs and covering local news stories. The Department works to make sure WSIA is doing the best job possible to serve the Staten Island community with news, information and public affairs. The director trains all news personnel in basic news operations. The director and his or her department schedules all newscasts. He or she works with the Programming Director.

    News Director:

    Jobs:

    Assistant News Director:

    Reporter(s):

    Newscaster(s):

    ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

    The Engineering Department's goal is to keep all of WSIA's equipment in good working order, assist in the recording of live music performances, and providing technical assistance in all remote broadcasts. The Engineering Department performs weekly main tenance on all equipment. The department also engineers sports broadcasts, news interviews, phone call-in programs, live music recordings in the station and at remote locations. The director and his or her department works with the Chief Engineer on all a spects of the station's engineering needs.

    Engineering Director:

    Jobs:

    Assistant Engineering Director:

  • Assist the director in the cleaning and maintenance of equipment
  • Coordinate staffing for remotes
  • Organize staff training schedule

    Maintenance Engineer: