WFUV Manager's Retirement Provokes Discussion Among Fordham Radio Alumni

WFUV's home remains in Keating Hall, but little else
has remained the same since the 80's.

by Debra Caruso Marrone

Those of us who are alumni of WFUV, particularly those from the 70's and 80's took issue with comments by the recently retired general manager of the station, Ralph Jennings.

Jennings was the subject of a New York Times story by Jim Dwyer, a Fordham alum who was editor of The Ram.  Dwyer plied accolades on Jennings for the station's transformation from a student run operation with a modest listenership and a meager budget to a major metropolitan station with a greatly expanded audience and lots more money.

From an outsider's point of view, Jennings did just that and deserves credit.  The station, which had been operated on a shoestring, now competes with the bigs in the market.

But that's only part of the story.  What the former GM told the Times, an incredibly public forum, was wrong.

“You had a 50,000-watt radio station in New York City that covers 13 million people, acting as a sandbox,” Dr. Jennings told the newspaper.  Dwyer chimed in:  "When he arrived at Fordham in 1985 as the general manager, WFUV (90.7), in the tradition of college radio, featured student rock shows that were long on charm, guitar solos and shout-outs to the dudes back in the dorm."       

NOT TRUE responded a number of FUV alumni who joined a heated discussion on the WFUV Alumni Facebook page, some now noted broadcasters and journalists in their own right.

"To call FUV a 'sandbox' when we ran it is a total insult from Jennings and completely untrue," said one such alum.  "Plus, Dwyer saying that we had 'shout-outs to the dudes in the dorms' is utterly ridiculous. Perhaps we weren't such a 'professional' station as Jennings wanted us to be before he stepped in, but we accomplished a great deal and contrary to what he says, we were very professional in many ways... That's just complete arrogance on his part."

Another said:   "The article makes the era preceding Dr. Jennings arrival sound like Romper Room. We all know that is NOT the case."

And yet another:  "I think it has been made quite clear by those of us who were students at Fordham and active participants at WFUV in the 1970's that we were coming up with innovative programs, providing news, sports, music and entertainment that reached - and were supported by - listeners in the metro area. It was a wonderful experience."

I, too, worked at WFUV during the late 70's and early 80's as a member of the board of directors, first as news director and later as promotion director.

From the moment I walked through the door on the third floor of Keating Hall (the station now resides in bigger, better studios on the basement level), still 17 years old, it was drilled into me:  "This is a professional radio station; we have 50,000 far-reaching watts of power.  There are thousands of listeners throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut."  And most of all, we were reminded that the station was governed by the Federal Communications Commission and if we didn't abide by the rules laid down by the Communications Act of 1939, we risked losing Fordham University's license to operate a radio entity on the public airwaves.

There was no joking around on the air.  There were no "shout-outs." Any goofiness was consistent with what other radio stations did and still do.

More importantly, we students did everything we could to learn how to be professionals before we were even allowed to be on the air.

We took diction lessons.  We attended workshops.  We applied for FCC licenses to enable us to take transmitter meter readings, the gateway to hosting a music program.  We reported the news from such locations as national political conventions, presidential election headquarters, City Hall and more.

Being on the air was regarded as a great privilege, one not taken for granted.

I shouldn't have to repeat the names of the many FUV'ers who went on to great radio and television greatness.  There are so many.  I'd hate to leave anyone out, but readers should feel free to add names in the comments section.

Ralph Jennings should take credit for his accomplishments.  WFUV now has a professional staff featuring its own breed of notable broadcast professionals.  The studios are amazing and the programming is top notch.

But, his efforts to remove the station's amateur, though not childish status, also meant the removal of a hands-on tool that contributed to the experience and skill set of so many successful individuals, in and out of the media arena.  And to insult those individuals did no service to them or to his own reputation.

All the best to Ralph and I wish him a long and happy retirement.  I wish, though, he hadn't used The New York Times, arguably the loudest, most listened to voice in the world, to disparage the work of so many great alumni of WFUV, which by the way stands for Fordham University's Voice.

Debra Caruso Marrone, owner of DJC Communications in New York City, is a member of the Fordham College Alumni Association Board of Directors.