WFNM Log

I found these in a record sleeve not too long ago. These 8 pages are from a 37 year old WFNM station log that was at least 23 pages long. The date is listed on two different pages as Saturday 11/20/76. Those same pages also list the station as broadcasting at 10 watts on 88.7 MHz and on campus at 720 AM. I believe the second frequency to have been a carrier current service to the dorms.  The DJs listed for that day were John Smith, Bill Fredricks, Spencer Thomas, Cliff Lewis and Stan Evans. Ben Fredericks notes their EAS test received from 1490 WDDL-AM at 3:15. That station is now WLPA-AM.

Today WFNM broadcasts at  100 watts on 89.1 FM. The station originally began as an AM carrier current station in 1957 "broadcasting" from the basement of Ben Franklin Hall. In 1973, WFNM acquired a class D license to operate at 10 watts on 88.7. So as small as it sounded, those 10 watts were a step up.  In 1976, WFNM moved into new studios in the Steinman College Center. It wasn't until 1980 under GM Jonathan Ziss that the station got it's Class A license and moved to 89.1 FM operating at 100 watts. More here.

So these logs catch WFNM between phases. Before 1973 they were a campus-only service. After 1980 they were a local FM service. For the 7 years in between  In 1976 it operated on an uncomfortable middle ground, only audible in parts of it's metro but at last outside of the dorms. These pages were saved not for historical reasons but to be used as scratch paper. The back side of each page is covered in mad illegible scribblings the like of which may never be decoded.

You can download it

HERE