The Samford Crimson

Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: Expressions

Media Credit: Matthew Estes Junior Nathan Troost announces sports live on the radio from the WVSU radio station in the University Center.

Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis may seem like unlikely Samford ambassadors, but they and other jazz artists provide many Birmingham residents with an introduction to SU.

How is Samford connected to jazz? The answer is through WVSU, Samford's own smooth jazz station. Along with playing both classic and new jazz hits, the station offers live coverage of Samford sports and daily sports news broadcasts.

"It's a good way for Samford to serve the surrounding community with a unique style of music," the station's general manager, Andy Parrish said.

The radio station adopted a jazz format in the '80s and has kept it ever since. By broadcasting jazz, the station is able to reach a much larger audience within the community.

"It's a format that's unique to Birmingham and that is very friendly to all demographics and all ages of people," Parrish said. "Samford uses the radio station as more of an outreach to the community. That's why a format like that with a broad, diverse audience was chosen over something just college students would listen to."

Samford's radio station is the only station in Birmingham that broadcasts soft jazz.

"There is a pretty sizable group in the community for whom WVSU is their connection to Samford," Director of Communications Philip Poole said. "They like jazz, and this is where they can come to get jazz."

While all Samford students are welcome to work at the radio station, the program is especially beneficial for broadcast students.

"Broadcast majors are strongly encouraged to get some experience working at the radio station because it's a great opportunity and you don't have to leave campus to go work," Parrish said.

By working at the radio station, broadcast students gain an introduction to radio.

"They learn the business of radio and how it works, because we operate like a professional radio station," Parrish said. "They get experience with new broadcast equipment and software, and especially audio editing programs."

Junior journalism and mass communication major Nathan Troost has been involved with WVSU since his freshman year.

"I came to Samford knowing that I wanted to do journalism, so I was looking for ways to get involved," Troost said.

Continued...

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