Quinnipiac University has announced it will shut down Full Service Standards 1220 WQUN Hamden/New Haven CT at the end of May.
In a letter to Quinnipiac employees, Vice President for Public Affairs Lynn Bushnell stated that the university reexamined the necessity for the school to operate an AM radio station with a steep decline in students considering a career in radio or wishing to intern at the station. Quinnipiac has owned WQUN since 1997 and continued to operate it as a commercial facility under General Manager/morning host Ray Andrewsen and Operations Manager/midday host Pam Landry.
WQUN operates with 1kW day/305w night. Its final day of broadcasting will be May 31, with all station operations closing down on June 30.
Dear Colleagues,
To shift resources to more closely match the ever-changing needs and interests of our
students, and to better prepare them for future employment opportunities, we will cease
operations of AM-1220 WQUN, the university’s Greater New Haven community radio station,
on June 30, 2019. The building and property on Whitney Avenue will be retained and
repurposed as part of the strategic planning process.This difficult decision was made after careful consideration of our first priority, the
needs of our students. When WQUN first went on the air in 1997, it was used as a training
ground where students would learn and hone their broadcasting skills before graduating and securing jobs in the radio industry.Unfortunately, in recent years, the entire radio industry, AM in particular, has seen
tectonic changes. The number of students who even consider a career in radio, or who want to intern at WQUN-AM has declined sharply, prompting the university to re-examine the
prudence of continuing to operate a community radio station.As you may know, I have worked with some of the affected staff for 20 or more years
and could not be more grateful for their service to the station, to Quinnipiac and to our
communities, especially North Haven and Hamden. Despite the station ceasing operation, we
can be certain that Quinnipiac will continue to be a generous and enthusiastic supporter of Hamden, North Haven and the region.Sincerely,
Lynn Bushnell
Vice President for Public Affairs
