Rochester Institute of Technology relaunched its 89.7 WITR Henrietta NY this afternoon as the College Alternative moves to a refreshed slightly more mainstream based sound.
Student General Manager Adam Zaffram tells us, “It’s a significant overhaul for us. Previously, we aired a really loose format that was mostly filled with obscure music, in addition to specialty shows. We’re moving towards a Modern Rock format, maintaining indie artists and local acts, while also introducing more mainstream artists and songs. The music library will expand to include songs from the early 1980’s through today (almost sounds like an AC station there…), and cutting back on obscure music.”
After stunting most of the day with a loop of REM’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)”, Christmas Music, and blocks of Country, EDM, and 80s Hair Bands, the station’s relaunch took place at 4pm today with Cold War Kids “First”, Red Hot Chili Peppers “Can’t Stop”, and Coast Modern “Animals”. The station is now positioning as “Modern Music & More”, which it previously used in the 1990s and 2000s.
WITR will continue to feature its existing specialty shows including RIT men’s hockey games, “Reggae Sounds”, “Bad Dog Blues”, and RIT President David Munson’s “Ask Munson”. The station intends to increase its power from 910 watts to 3kW from its current antenna over the summer.
