Students trickled into the offices of WZBC, Boston College’s student-run radio station, for the second day of BC’s 24th annual Arts Festival. The dimly lit studio adorned with posters and music memorabilia deep inside McElroy Commons is hailed as a haven for musicians and music lovers.
Throughout Friday afternoon, WZBC opened its offices to the public for the first time for an inside look into its daily operations. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, students filed into a colorful and laid-back environment. People chatted with DJs and sifted through the record collection of oldies and underground tracks.
Visitors curiously made their way through the offices, looking at all the decorations and inside jokes that WZBC had formulated over the years. A large wall of CDs embellishes the otherwise unnoticeable rooms on McElroy’s first floor. Lily Telegdy, general manager of WZBC and LSEHD ’23, welcomed people into the space, sharing WZBC’s mission and her passion for music.
“I was searching for a place where I could listen to great music and hang out with people that are a bit different … people that really love the arts,” Telegdy said. “And I think this is a home for them.”
The station’s Arts Festival event consisted of open access to its offices for all BC students. The board members also gave out old, classic records. Through the event, WZBC, found at 90.3 FM, aimed to boost the student population’s awareness of the station and solidify its place in the arts culture of BC, according to Telegdy.
“I think what we contribute is an outlet for people who love music,” Telegdy said. “We have a collection of thousands of records and CDs—that music is literally historical.”
The open studio also provided BC students with a chance to meet with WZBC DJs and board members. The room was filled with hushed conversations about the interesting records available and vibrant aesthetic that flows through the studios.
The conversations inside the WZBC studios granted insight into the consistent effort that the radio station puts into promoting small artists.
WZBC began with AM streaming in the late ’60s and FM streaming in the early ’70s. It started out as a small group of students and community members streaming on the local radio station. Currently, the organization has over 45 students who intern with the DJs on their shows, and the number of students getting involved is growing at a rapid rate. Three years ago, WZBC only had about 10 interns, according to Telegdy.
The radio station specializes in playing music from underground artists in genres ranging from rap to country music. Telegdy said that the station has a rule that DJs cannot play artists that have over a million plays on three or more songs. The genre of music varies, as each DJ can choose the music he or she plays during a designated time slot.
“We love local, hyper sub-genres—anything weird, anything that you would never hear on traditional radio,” Telegdy said.
WZBC looks toward the future with optimism and hopes to further grow its team in the search for great music, Telegdy said.
“I think we’re still small because sometimes you have to work really, really hard to produce art on campus,” Telegdy said. “The people that are involved [with WZBC] are super passionate and hardworking, so I’m very proud of all the art that’s here on campus.”
