WALT 101

On April 5, 1989, WALT went on air at 3 p.m., broadcasting its first show from the west basement of Belk dormitory at 580 am.

How did we get there? What were the ‘Flipsides’? What was the conflict with WDAV?

And why did students, in protest, unplug the soundboard?

April 15, 1966

Davidson Radio Station Emerges

Radio Davidson? Everyone has heard about it unless he lives more than 100 or so feet away from the middle of Belk Dormitory.

On April 15, 1966, students began broadcasting from Belk using low-power AM and FM transmitters that reached only nearby residence halls. Not content with ordinary broadcasting, Steve Coover and his cohorts, mostly Mason Stephenson, took on stereo programming, "We can transmit by running two channels and transmitters, one on FM and one on AM. We get quite good reception. It's planning on using two FM signals since AM transmission is so poor. They will make it much better."

While technically limited, these early broadcasts established radio at Davidson as a space for student creativity, collaboration, and initiative. More importantly, they introduced a model of broadcasting rooted in autonomy that would later come into direct conflict with institutional priorities.

1969

WDAV

By 1969, student radio had become formalized through the creation of WDAV, a carrier-current station that transmitted through campus electrical wiring. Having a lack of funding affecting the quality of WDAV, they applied for a share of the Student Activities fund but were upset to learn that the station received only about $1300. With the administration's expressed interest in WDAV going FM, Ed Dobbs received tacit assurance that the college would 'contribute financially' to this venture and so on September 1973, WDAV transitioned to a 10-watt FM station, extending its reach beyond campus and into the surrounding community.

Despite this expansion, the station remained firmly student-operated, offering a wide range of programming that reflected student interests. Soon, however, the Presser Foundation of Philadelphia awareded WDAV $2000 for classical records, leading to a greater emphasis placed on the educational aspect of the station.

1976

Expansion Plans and WDAV’s Shift Toward Institutional Control

As WDAV expanded its capabilities (reaching up to 2 million people after going stereo in 1976), the College publicly affirmed it as a legitimate student activity and suggested there would be no radical changes. Official statements emphasized continuity, with leadership describing the goal as maintaining the station “as it is now, with increased power and increased quality of programming,” and policies framing its mission as broadcasting “a variety of programs… in keeping with the standards of good taste and a college’s duty to raise the cultural level of its community.” At the same time, students were directly involved in shaping the station’s future, initially proposing a moderate increase in classical programming from 2 to 6 hours per day.

However, internal decisions (many not shared with student staff) revealed a different trajectory. Trustees approved expansion plans tied to fill a need for a station playing primarily classical music and required that the College maintain overall control of the station at all times. Over the course of 1977, administrative authority became more pronounced: a paid executive director was appointed, student-developed programming proposals were altered to include up to 10 hours of classical music, and formal policies emphasized the station’s role in the College’s public relations function, requiring it to be closely and continuously supervised.

January–July 1978

Power Expansion and Framing of “Balance”

On January 20, 1978, College President Dr. Spencer supported increasing WDAV’s broadcast power to 18,500 watts, framing it as a major step forward. By April 6, 1978, the Board of Directors endorsed a May 1 schedule, noting that “50 percent of all music in the program schedule is classical” but importantly, this referred to music content, not total airtime. On April 26, 1978, WDAV officially went on air at 18,540 watts, and May 1 marked the start of regular programming. Then, on July 24, 1978, President Spencer overrode prior understandings and declared that 50 percent of WDAV’s total airtime must be classical, amounting to about 9½ hours per day.

At the same time, administrators emphasized the idea of “balance.” In a memo, Martha Roberts (Director of College Communications) reiterated that “policy and executive decisions are made by the Board of Directors,” while describing programming as a balance of taste and purpose. However, this framing masked growing administrative authority over the station. Even as students remained central to operations, the structure of decision-making made clear that ultimate control rested with the administration and Board.

September 1978

Davidson Students Up In Arms Over WDAV’s Classical Quota

By September 1978, tensions escalated as student staff began openly challenging administrative decisions. At a September 8 meeting, student leaders reported being told programming could reach “80–100 percent classical,” contradicting earlier assurances of a 50 percent cap. Students also questioned the legitimacy of policy language emphasizing a “primary emphasis on classical music,” arguing that such wording had never been formally approved. Complaints centered on a lack of transparency, with students stating, “We are not part of decisions, we are told what decisions have been made.”

The conflict deepened through mid-September. On September 15, 1978, multiple reports highlighted student concerns about losing control of the station, fairness to listeners, and the broader purpose of WDAV. Students emphasized that they were “not seeing it as rock vs. classical… [but] rock vs. everything else,” arguing for diversity rather than dominance of any single genre. Administrative actions, such as closing the station’s post office box without notice, further reinforced perceptions that WDAV was no longer being treated as a student activity but as a business.

"The problem," Don Lovell (Director of WDAV) remarked is that "our accounting system is with the College’s." He said any issuance of money paid by the College registers with the WDAV account. "The Post Office box was paid last year out of the $8,000 by a College check along with other post office expenses. If it was paid out of Activities-Tax Council money in the name of the station, the Administration doesn't have the right to close it down.”

September-October 1978

Students vs Trustees

Student Body President Bruce Brown declared the 1977 Trustee directive requiring WDAV to become a classical music station “unconstitutional,” arguing it violates Article XII of the College Constitution, which he says clearly defines WDAV as a student organization. Brown criticized the process, stating that “decisions were made without respect to the WDAV Board of Directors, the student Media Board, or the Constitution.” The SGA Senate unanimously voted Tuesday to send a petition to the Trustees addressing the controversy, urging Trustees to restore programming authority to the WDAV Board of Directors as outlined in the 1969 constitution and ensure programming serves the “total listening community” rather than a narrow donor base.

Student leadership argues that while they are not opposed to classical music, mandating nine hours of it in an 18-hour broadcast day or 50 percent of any single genre is excessive and limits other programming. They point to existing regional stations, including WPRV in Rock Hill and the expanding WFAE at UNCC, as already serving classical and educational audiences. Meanwhile, Davidson College President Samuel R. Spencer Jr. reportedly redefined the WDAV Board of Directors as merely advisory and described the station’s constitution as “guidelines,” despite continued SGA funding of $6,000 through the Activities Tax Council.

October 17, 1978

Radio Staff Unplugs Davidson

The 60 student volunteers who run Davidson College’s WDAV radio station walked off the job Monday afternoon amid a programming dispute with the administration, abruptly silencing the station at 4:30 p.m. and cutting broadcast operations 8½ hours short of its scheduled 1 a.m. sign-off.

"The entire staff has resigned due to an inability to work for a college who has no more consideration for its students than this," said Carrington Thompson, the station's student-elected general manager.

October 20, 1978

College-Wide Controversy

The controversial Trustee decision on WDAV sparked various responses from students, faculty, and staff of the College. Physics Professor Locke White pointed to a “lack of communication between students and administration” as the core issue, while some faculty and students debated whether students had been misled about WDAV’s shift toward a classical format or had simply failed to recognize a long-planned transition. Opinions split sharply: some, like Religion Professor Alexander McKelway, argued that a classical station was the “only reasonable sensible option,” while also admitting the administration should have been clearer from the start, whereas others felt students were justified in resisting what they saw as administrative overreach. Student responses were equally divided, with some condemning the staff’s resignation and shutdown as an overreaction, and others praising it as a necessary stand against the administration.

Beyond the immediate dispute, concerns grew over WDAV’s financial and institutional future, including whether continued funding for a professionally run station made sense when student participation was uncertain and similar programming already existed at nearby stations.

November 1978

WDAV returns to air

Davidson College’s WDAV radio station, which had been off the air since October, was scheduled to resume broadcasts on Dec. 1 at 7 a.m. under a significantly changed structure and format. The station shifted to 15 hours of daily classical music (about nine hours more than it had aired before the student walkout) which itself had been triggered by administrative orders to expand classical programming to roughly half of all airtime. Communications director Martha Roberts said four hours each night (10 p.m. to 1 a.m.) were tentatively reserved for jazz and contemporary music, while a paid staff, including some former student volunteers like juniors Frances Wilson and Robert Payne, along with a part-time engineer and plans for a full-time director, would now operate the station as the College moved toward a more professional model.

At the same time, “Flipsides” airing late nights from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. had become a defining counterpoint to the station’s classical shift, featuring alternative, punk, reggae, and rock acts rarely heard on commercial radio, drawing from an eclectic library of more than 2,000 albums and giving airtime to emerging North Carolina bands. Student hosts had described the program as both musical education and cultural exposure, bringing in artists like Fetchin’ Bones and The Replacements while maintaining a loyal late-night audience. Even as WDAV’s overall format moved decisively toward classical programming after 1978, “Flipsides” had represented a lasting reminder of the station’s earlier student-driven era.

1980

WDSR Launches as Student-Run Alternative to WDAV

WDSR (Davidson Student Radio, 580 AM) was created in 1980 as a fully student-run carrier current station, with Senior Janet Coleman and other organizers arguing it was needed because “WDAV is not a real student activity.” Funded by an initial $6,000 budget approved by President Samuel Spencer and supported later by $1,200 from the Activities Tax Council, the station used both newly purchased equipment and materials from the former WDAV setup. Broadcasting through dorm electrical outlets and reachable across campus, WDSR was designed to give students direct control over programming and operations, with an organizational meeting held in January as students prepared to build the station from the ground up.

By fall 1980, WDSR had taken shape as a campus-wide station operating out of the Belk Dorm basement, broadcasting up to 14–16 hours a day depending on staffing and offering “mixed” programming across all genres except classical, which students said was already covered by WDAV. Disc jockeys chose their own music within broad guidelines, and over 30 students initially signed up, with hopes of expanding the staff and record library over time. WDAV even provided limited technical help and records, but WDSR remained firmly student-directed, emphasizing accessibility for newcomers, experimenting with programming flexibility, and planning future growth such as campus sports coverage and expanded broadcast reach into dining halls and other campus space.

September 1987

Flipsides cancelled

'The administration giveth and it later taketh away' was murmured by students across campus after a meeting on Thursday, September 10, when the Vice-President for Institutional Advancement John Griffith announced the cancellation of the WDAV alternative program "Flipsides." A committee of the Advisory Board of WDAV had decided to review the "Flipsides" program and its place in the their classical format, explaining that "while Flipsides music is a valid art form... it is so radically different from the rest of our format that we decided to recommend to the staff that it be discontinued."

At the heart of the controversy over "Flipsides" lies a conflict of opinion regarding student participation at WDAV. Supporters of "Flipsides," claim that the death of the program signals the end of all meaningful participation by students, who are now fettered by formats, pre-written playlists, and professionals. In addition, they feel hurt that their petition, which had around 1500 signatures, was not considered in the decision-making of the final decision. According to a senior Tom Gat-tiker, supporters of "Flipsides" feel that the recent decision is "just another example of the Trustees' disregard for the students' interests."

1980-1982

The Short Reign of WDSR

WDSR, despite some difficulties, briefly resumed broadcasting after Thanksgiving break 1980, returning to the air with daily programming from 7 a.m. to midnight. The station offered a loose mix of student-driven content ranging from jazz to New Wave alongside campus announcements, with about twenty student disc jockeys operating under Programming Director Will Berson. At the time, WDSR was still in a phase of expansion, planning to develop news and editorial programming and introduce recurring features like a biweekly “Profile in Rock,” which debuted on December 12 with The Who, as well as DJ profile segments meant to help listeners navigate shifting on-air styles.

Despite this burst of creativity, WDSR’s run was marked by instability and structural limitations that foreshadowed its short lifespan. Programming Director Will Berson highlighted persistent technical issues, especially poor reception caused by uneven dorm wiring, which left parts of campus with weak or inconsistent signals and limited plans to expand into eating houses. The station also depended on a fragile “rotating library” of albums supplied by DJs and supplemented by WDAV, since commercial record services would not service carrier current stations. Despite strong student enthusiasm and a wide-open approach to on-air freedom, WDSR’s existence proved brief when on April 23, 1982, ATC budget revealed that the short lived, technologically challenged WDSR was no longer in operation.

March 12, 1988

WALT in the Works

Davidson College announced a new student-run carrier current station, WALT (standing for “alternative”) set to launch at the start of the 1988–89 school year, reviving campus alternative radio in the wake of WDAV’s cancellation of the popular “Flipsides” program the previous summer. Students Frank Lord, Tyler Smith, and Kevin Dunn spent six months developing the station, which was still seeking funding from the Student Activities Tax Council and other sources. WDAV contributed to the transition by transferring the former “Flipsides” record library, enough to fill roughly 50 feet of shelving, giving WALT a substantial musical foundation focused entirely on alternative rock mixed with student news programming.

Despite excitement among Davidson students, WALT’s reach was sharply limited by its carrier current technology, which transmitted only through campus electrical wiring, effectively restricting the signal to dorm buildings and nearby campus spaces. As a result, Charlotte-area listeners who had relied on WDAV’s “Flipsides” were left without access, sparking frustration among local alternative music fans. Club owners and musicians criticized WDAV for eliminating what they saw as a vital public service, while acknowledging WALT as a small consolation at best. Many noted that the station’s impact would remain confined to Davidson’s roughly 1,400 students unless future funding expanded its signal strength, leaving broader Charlotte still without a dedicated alternative rock outlet.

1992-95

Early years of WALT

For nearly two decades, Davidson students repeatedly tried to revive a student-run radio station after earlier iterations of campus radio collapsed under administrative pressure and technical decay. By the 1990s, WDAV still remained the college’s main functioning station, but it was still fully classical and no longer student-controlled. As one student organizer put it, the situation felt “odd,” given that Davidson students listened to “all types of music from country to alternative to classical to heavy metal.” In 1992, a small committee of six or seven students attempted to revive station that had short-lived success in the late 1980s, drafting bylaws and registering with the Dean of Students Office. The Union approved a modest amount of funding, but the effort ultimately stalled when the WALT committee was unable to raise the additional resources needed to fully bring the station back to life.

Then, in spring 1994, around 30 students petitioned the Activities Tax Council and the Union for funding to revive WALT. The effort gained unexpected momentum, as WALT received more funding than anticipated from the ATC along with a one-time $2,000 start-up grant from the Union. Later, Todd Bowman called an organizational meeting on February 27, 1995, to gauge the interest of re-starting WALT. They continued to face multiple obstacles even after its resurretion as students faced a massive amount of technical work before even reaching programming decisions. The original equipment was described as very out-dated, with wires “now rotted because of faulty installation and of not being used for the past 20 years.” Roughly 25 students attended the first meeting, with reactions ranging from excited and optimistic to extremely skeptical. Churchill Hooff, a committee member, captured the cautious optimism of the moment: “I think we could get the station running next year if we can get organized.”

1999

New changes, New Direction

By October 1999, WALT 1610 was undergoing a transformation aimed at reshaping both its image and its functionality on campus. The executive board focused on three major areas: space, technology, and programming. A key upgrade was the move into a new broadcasting room in the Union, which DJ Chas Willimon ’02 described as not only more comfortable and organized, but also significantly more accessible due to its central campus location. WALT also managed to address the issue of its weak signal quality. The long-troubled antenna was finally repaired, resulting in a noticeably stronger and clearer broadcast across Davidson. In addition, the station planned to introduce remote broadcasting equipment, expanding its reach beyond the studio and allowing coverage of live campus events like choral concerts and athletic games, integrating WALT more fully into campus life.

Another new development was the anticipated launch of the WALT web page (you're reading it). The site wwas constructed to feature photos and profiles of the DJs, along with updates and information about what’s happening at the station. According to the station manager Bobby Pittenger ’02, these changes were the result of extensive planning and sustained effort. Over the summer, the executive board spent time discussing the station’s direction, weighing a range of possibilities, including a potential shift to FM though that idea ultimately didn’t materialize at that time. Pittenger credited the dedication of the entire team, as well as the support of President Vagt, noting, “Dr. Vagt has been wonderful in helping out WALT.” Moving forward, the board made plans to build on their momentum and continue to improve the station’s professionalism while also strengthening its relationship with the administration.

2006-07

All in for WALT

By October 25, 2006, WALT 1610 had developed into a significantly larger and more participatory student-run station, marking what staff described as a period of record involvement and expansion in both content and reach. As the Davidsonian noted, “Take a group of college students, buy them a radio station, herd them into a room and toss in some records. Then lock the door and wait. Ten years later, what you have may look a lot like WALT.” By this point, the station had grown from its earlier dorm-based studio in Belk to a space located in the Union, maintaining a small physical footprint but an increasingly wide media presence. In addition to its traditional AM broadcast on 1610, WALT had expanded into digital platforms, allowing students to listen online and download shows as podcasts, a feature station manager Taylor Ansley ’07 said “fits in with the Davidson work ethic since people who are too busy to listen to the live broadcast can download it whenever they want.”

Student participation reached what program director Jared Taylor ’07 called “the greatest student participation we’ve seen in the life of WALT since its humble start almost a decade ago.” The station supported 74 student DJs across 46 shows, offering a broad mix of programming described as “music, talk and everything in between.” This included shows such as Peak Oil and Snacks, The Important Show, Tastes Like Cheerwine, and Out of the Bubble, reflecting both niche interests and experimental formats. DJs continued to operate with substantial creative freedom, as record companies sent “20 free records every week,” and each DJ was required to play “at least two songs from the list,” while otherwise being able to “pretty much do what they want.” Alongside these experimental formats, WALT also expanded its campus presence through events and initiatives, including benefit compilation CDs featuring Davidson artists and fundraising efforts for charitable causes, as well as campus-wide programming events like WALT Dayz in the Union Amphitheater.