Stony Brook University’s WUSB has restored its broadcast strength with the installation of a new 3,600-watt transmitter, supported by New York state funding. Thus ends the saga started in April 2022, when the station’s three-decade-old transmitter failed, reducing the broadcast range to a 20-mile radius.
The station’s complete signal covers parts of Long Island and Connecticut. WUSB had been an uninterrupted voice on the airwaves since the 60s until the 2022 transmitter exchange. The station prides itself on its continuous, diverse programming, which went undiminished even with the technical difficulties.
Faculty Advisor and General Manager Isobel Breheny-Schafer said, “It’s been extremely frustrating for both our listeners and supporters. We couldn’t guarantee our station’s capabilities because the transmitter had become so unpredictable.”
WUSB’s Matt Mankiewich commented, “This new transmitter makes the station whole again. Our FCC license tells us how powerful our signal must be and where it should reach, and we’ve had to accept less than that for more than a year. Now we have a chance to get the word out and reach new listeners.”
