Cornell Media Guild has flipped Rock 93.5 WVBR Ithaca NY to Alternative.
The Cornell Daily Sun reports that the change came “after increasing confusion as to what constitutes real rock” as the station “failed to focus its efforts on any particular decade or subgenre, leading to a lack of consistency within their sound”. The station is now focusing on Alternative hits from the 90s through now.
The Cornell Media Guild is a non-profit not directly associated with Cornell University but staffed by university students. Much like the now departed 95.5 WBRU Providence, the station operates commercially but as a non-profit accepts donations and listener support.
The Daily Sun adds that WVBR alumni Keith Olbermann and SiriusXM VP/Music Programming Steve Blatter have made major contributions to the station in recent years which have included moving into the Olbermann-Corneliess Studios (named for Keith Olbermann’s father Ted and close friend/classmate Glenn Corneliess) in 2014 and constructing a new tower last year. The station has been a launch pad for many notable radio industry members including iHeartMedia President of National Programming Group Tom Pohlman, Coleman Insights President Warren Kurtzman, syndicated talker Todd Schnitt, CBS News Radio correspondent Peter King.