It’s been 20 years since WSBU 88.3 The Buzz last ventured off to Cleveland for a live broadcast at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
On Oct. 19, two faculty members and 19 students broadcasted live at the Hall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., each person being able to go on air for at least 30 minutes.
One of the students who went on the trip was Erin Lanahan, a reporter for SBU-TV, who reported on location about the trip. There were two other students who wanted to DJ and were able to go on the trip after spots opened up. The other 16 students were all Buzz board directors.
“I thought overall it went great,” said associate professor of journalism, Dr. Rich Lee, who attended the trip along with his wife, Anne Lee, an adjunct professor of journalism. “I know I enjoyed talking to the students and watching the students. Everyone seemed to enjoy the fact that they were at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
The Buzz was the first college radio station to broadcast from the Hall in the last decade. The last time the station was able to make the trip to the Hall was in 1998.
“We got a once in a lifetime chance to see a little bit behind the scenes by being able to broadcast on the main stage, as well as checking out…the amazing museums and the atmosphere of not only the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but also that part of Cleveland,” said junior journalism major and Buzz station manager, Steve Wilt.
The school refunded all drivers on the trip. All hotel rooms for Oct. 18 and all tickets for the Hall were covered by underwriting and sponsorships. Sponsors included local businesses such as Studio 4 East and Mercato Olean, as well as donations from alum and listeners.
“For the experience that it was, it was worth every cent,” said Wilt.
The museum included collections of personal items, written lyrics and instruments of famous artists such as The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix and more.
Lee, whose articles for The Aquarian Weekly, a rock and roll newspaper, is featured in the library archives at the Hall. Wilt and Lee discussed Lee’s work on air while at the Hall, which Wilt considered to be his favorite part of the trip.
“They had the piano that John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote many of the early Beatles songs on,” said Lee when asked about what his favorite part of the museum was. “The other thing that struck me is how rock and roll has played a role in bringing people together across racial and ethnic lines…you would just see African American artists, white artists, Latino artists and women all on stage together and it didn’t matter what their race or background was. They were just playing rock and roll together.”
Lee noted that not all education happens in the classroom and the trip was a “tremendous learning experience” for students.
The Buzz is already undergoing plan’s for a trip to the Hall next year and potentially another trip to Radio Row for next year’s Super Bowl.
“It’s something we look forward to doing, but the logistics would have to be hammered out,” said Wilt.
The broadcast at the Hall went extremely well, according to Wilt.
“It was probably one of our most listened to broadcasts, both on 88.3 and online that we’ve had in the last couple years,” said Wilt.
William Briand, a senior strategic communication major, helped with the broadcast on campus and made sure everything was “running smoothly,” said Wilt.
“I highly suggest coming up to Reilly Center 210 to see what we’re all about,” said Wilt. “You can always reach out to myself, our advisor Carole McNall or any of the other directors to get involved and find out how you could come on the next trip.”
By Amber Canbek, News Editor
canbekam16@bonaventure.edu
