WMTS POLICY MANUAL
Updated September 2015
WMTS
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WMTS Policy Manual
Table of Contents
Important Numbers and Contact Info
WMTS History
Responsibilities of the On-Air Staff (a.k.a. DJs)
WMTS Internship
WMTS Officers
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Station Manager
Program Director
Music Director
Promotions Director
Technical Director
Business Director
Underwriting Director
Production Director
Drive Time Producer
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Polices
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Credit System
Dues
Rotation
Programming
Concert Calendar
Show Preemption
Keys
Emergency Situations
Remote Unit
On-Air Phone Calls
Alumni
Station Business
Calls to Action
Prices
Station Meetings
Noise
Guests
Educational Endeavors
Drugs
Theft
Programming Clock
Playlists
Fundraising
Absences
Attendance
Obscene and Indecent Broadcasts
Consequences
Offenses
Appeal
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Important Numbers and Contact Info
Phone Numbers
Studio and Request Line: 615-898-5051
Office: 615-898-2636
Faculty Advisor Billy Pittard: 615-898-5867
WMOT: 615-898-2800
Campus Security: 615-898-2424 (or 911 for emergencies only)
Contact Information
Website: http://wmts.org
Mailing Adress:
WMTS Student Radio
MTSU Box 58
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
WMTS History
In 1992, a group of students came together to create what is now
known as WMTS. WMTS is the result of a fourth attempt to get a
student run radio station in operation at Middle Tennessee State
University. While our sister station, WMOT employs students, many
other students in the campus community felt “left out” and
unrepresented. The group of students, led by Reza Bhakter, managed
to create enough interest to build a studio from the Radio/TV
department’s equipment scrap heap. The first broadcast started in
March 1992 on campus cable channel 38 (the campus housing channel)
from 8pm to midnight. The call letters were WNAR which stood for We
Need a Radio. This statement expressed the need for an FM frequency
and a transmitter to enter the realm of the airwaves. As time drew on,
more interest grew in MTSU’s student radio station. Our membership
grew from around 15 students to over 100 students (which is our
present day status). In 1995, we were finally awarded a construction
permit to build our FM transmission facilities and broadcast on 88.3
FM. The initial tests and later broadcasts were in mono over a low
fidelity broadcast line. Needless to say, we sounded horrible. But we
had finally done it. We made it to the FM band and were broadcasting
to Middle Tennessee at 200 watts. As a goodwill gesture to our success
of getting a frequency, WMTS 810 AM (now known as WAPB) donated
their call letters to the station. They felt since we were MTSU’s
station, the “M-T-S” in the call letters would better represent the
university. As the year drew to a close, we knew an audience was
slowly building for the station. Near the end of the Fall 1995 semester,
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WMTS finally went stereo. This was a landmark advance in our
programming since the signal didn’t sound horrible like before. It was
a catalyst for establishing more contacts with record labels to get more
music into WMTS. Our station went to a 24/7 operation during
Christmas break with an automation system donated by WMOT. Ever
since this time, WMTS has expanded it’s programming into new
realms of entertainment. The future of WMTS is endless. Some of our
future goals are broadcasting on the Internet and increasing our power
to cover a larger portion of Middle Tennessee. Our future depends on
you and the Middle Tennessee community. WMTS can only succeed
through the power of the people.
Responsibilities of the On-Air Staff (a.k.a. DJs)
Being on the air is a privilege afforded to by responsible full
members. While operating the on-air console, DJs must keep in mind
that they represent the entire staff. Because of this, it is important to
maintain a high quality presentation while on the air.
From time to time, record and listen to your broadcasts to try to
find mistakes or things to improve upon. If you have any questions,
review the recording with an experienced Full Member or the Program
Director. Arrive to the studio no more than 10 minutes before your
show is scheduled to start. Once you have settled in and have started
your first song, you should take the transmitter readings and fill out
the transmitter log. These are to be done every two hours (or once a
show). Make sure that you check the Program Clock to see what needs
to be played during your next break. Program the wavecart for the
break as soon as possible so that it will be ready. There are three
breaks that must be played. They are as follows:
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Top of the hour (:00 minute):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Liner
Promo
PSA
(Underwriting)
Legal ID
1.
2.
3.
4.
:50 minute break:
Liner
Promo
(Underwriting)
Stab
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Bottom of the hour (:30 minute):
Stab
PSA (Public Service Announcement)
Promo
Liner
Read the Concert Calendar
A Legal ID is required by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) at the top of every hour. A Legal ID is a station’s
call letters and the city that the license is registered in. Our Legal ID
is WMTS MURFREESBORO.
Always try to stay one step ahead of yourself. Make sure you
know what song you are going to play next and have it cued up. Also,
program the wavecart ASAP so that you don’t have to hurry at the last
minute.
While on the air, run the board levels at an appropriate volume.
You want the levels to be around 0dB on the meter. DO NOT GO INTO
THE RED.
Once you are on the air, you are responsible for the security of
the station. If you are alone in the station and it is after hours, make
sure the door to the on-air studio is locked. If an unfamiliar person
walks in, politely ask if you can help him or her. If you are busy with
you show, ask them to return later.
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Only station members are allowed to use the station equipment.
Non-students walking in off the street are not allowed in the station. If
you have problems with station members, call the General Manager or
Program Director.
Clean up after yourself! Put away any CD’s, records, or tapes
you have used and properly dispose of any trash.
The Station’s Sound Depends on YOU!!
Preparing the Program
Every hour on the air requires at least 20 minutes off the air in
preparation for a quality show. Listen to music. Know every album on
the playlist. Go through the music library: get acquainted with the
music that you do not know. Be informed about the musicians. Read
about the music.
If you continue to play just what you know, it is going to get old
pretty fast. You and your listener will get bored.
How many different forms of music can you name? And how can
you fit a variety of music into the show? What makes your show
different from others? What makes it the same? These are some of the
questions you must ask yourself when preparing for your show.
Preparing the Music
There are many different genres of music. You want to keep a
balance between them during each hour. Think about the records you
are pulling and be sure that they are not all in the same groove.
DAYPARTING: consider the time of day that your show runs.
Are the listeners waking up, cleaning house, eating dinner, or are they
really ready to listen to the radio? Prepare the pacing of the show. Play
different genres of music and vary the tempo. Each set should have
some internal rhythm and flow smoothly. Going from one song to
another should make good musical sense. You can say something with
the music. You may want to explore a concept or present a state of
mind or situation from different thematic, musical points of view. If
people get the idea you are doing this, they may listen more closely.
Know how your cuts start and end to enhance your mixes.
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Announcing Songs
When beginning a break, say who is playing when you are
talking over the final notes of the song. Back announce the prior artist.
Do not back announce artists that have been forward announced.
If you have information on the artist which is relevant,
interesting and not commonly known, share it with your audience.
Look through album reviews and jot down notes that you can share
with your audience when preparing the show. At the end of the break
introduce the song you are talking into. You may also want to
“billboard” upcoming artists or on-air happenings. A billboard is a
“hook”, something to get the listener interested and keep them tuned
in. Anything out of the ordinary coming up in the show--celebrity
interviews, sports events, should be billboarded.
Effective On-Air Communication
Imagine that you are talking with your closest friend when you
are on the air. You are talking about music, something that you really
enjoy. You have just heard a new band or listened to a new album, and
you really want to turn your best friend on to it. That is the
conversation you want to achieve while you are announcing. You want
to keep your listeners interested. You must perform, entertain and
persuade your listeners--sometimes all within a few seconds. Your
announcing must reinforce the station’s mission: entertaining an
audience, affirming the station’s hold on that audience the overall
sound of the station. Your voice is your radio personality. Your voice is
that your listeners think you look like, and what your listeners think
you think about yourself. It is essential that you communicate one-onone with your listeners.
WMTS’s format consists of longer cuts and relies heavily on the
intimate conversational style of your announcing. You need to acquire
as much knowledge as you possibly can about the music you are
playing and be able to communicate this knowledge as skillfully as
possible.
WMTS DJ’s can be required to play six rotation songs an hour.
This decision is left up to the current Music Director. Music that is
kept in the main studio on the CD rack or in the “NEW” folder on the
wavecart is considered rotation. College radio’s focus is on breaking
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new artists and playing artists that can’t be heard anywhere else.
Explore the music in rotation and discover something new!!
At the end of you shift, make sure you have the top of the hour
break programmed on the wavecart for the DJ after you. Be courteous
to the next DJ by cooperating and doing whatever you can to make the
transition to the next show easy and quick. Have respect for the next
DJ and make sure that your last song is short enough to fit in your
time slot and does not extend into the next DJ’s show.
WMTS Internship
The Internship process at WMTS is an integral part of the
station. All applicants for full and alumni membership must complete
the internship process. No exceptions will be made. To complete the
internship process the intern must:
a) Attend two meetings which consist of the technical
meeting and the legal and procedural meeting
b) Spend four weeks (four shows) with a DJ learning the
operation of the station
c) Pass a written and hands-on test
There will be two test sessions offered at the end of the
semester. If an intern fails on the first test session, they will be offered
a retake on the second session. If an intern fails on the second test
session, there will be no retake even if it is the first test session they
have attended. If the intern fails, he/she will have to go through the
internship process again next semester.
If at least half of a DJ's interns fail the internship test, the DJ
will be required to take the test themselves.
If an intern fails to complete any of these requirements in a
satisfactory manner, he/she will be denied full membership.
First semester DJs may not train Interns. Only Full DJs that
have had a show for at least one semester may take Interns on their
show.
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The Internship process will be headed up by the Program
Director. The Technical Director may assist in technical training of
the Interns. The Station Manager will also monitor the interns to
assure quality training and programming.
WMTS Officers
The offices of WMTS consist of the General Manager, Program
Director, Music Director, Promotions Director, Production Director,
Technical Director, and Business Manager. These are the elected
positions. More positions can be appointed by the elected officers. The
officers of WMTS are responsible for direct supervision of the station’s
daily operations.
Officers are voted upon in March so that newly elected officers
can have a chance to learn the position from the current officer. Each
office is to be held for one year and the term begins at the beginning of
the summer semester. Persons wishing to hold the same office after
their term must run again. Each officer must familiarize him/herself
with station policy, chain of command, history, and their
responsibilities within his/her department.
Station Manager
The General Manager oversees all station operations to ensure
that the station is serving the University community in the best
interest. The General Manager must make sure that the station is
operating in an orderly fashion. Business matters, station
maintenance, and programming must be monitored to insure that the
highest level of broadcasting quality is presented. A good working
relationship with all station members and the MTSU administration is
required to maintain good operating procedures.
Running a radio station is a major task. To make this task as
simple as possible, responsibilities for specific duties should be
delegated to the appropriate department. Department heads will
develop a staff to help run each department. All station members
having an air slot must join a department. This way, no one person
will be burdened with the responsibility of doing all the work. The
station should be serving the public interest (i.e. the university
community) in the best way possible. Periodic review of the program
schedule with the Program Director and his or her staff to look for
deficiencies will help in this area. Day to day operations should be
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supervised by the General Manager. The station should be adequately
supplied with resources needed for day to day operations.
The station should be kept in good technical condition. Meetings
with the engineering staff can help to define problem areas such as
faulty or obsolete equipment. Explore new methods of expanding the
station’s technical capabilities. Keep track of station inventory.
The office hours of the General Manager and the other officers
should be posted. Any questions on major issues concerning college
radio operation may be directed to the Intercollegiate Broadcasting
Society (IBS).
Overall Responsibilities:
- Holds staff and station meetings
- Ensures that the station operates in compliance with FCC
rules and regulations and university policies
- Works with the DJs and officers to establish the station
“sound” and to promote the station on campus and in Murfreesboro
- Supervises staff on daily duties
- Sets deadlines for staff projects
Program Director
Together with input from all station members, the Program
Director establishes the type of programming that will be broadcast
throughout the week. Once the programs have been put into place,
people are to be put into appropriate slots to carry out the scheduled
programs. The Program Director must integrate music, news, sports,
and public affairs in a presentable and responsible manner. Involving
the University community with programming is a prime responsibility.
The program department is responsible for establishing and
maintaining an operation program schedule and is responsible for
whatever goes on the air. This is done by balancing the needs of our
audience with our available resources. To set up a program schedule,
first allocate time slots for different types of shows. Once the show title
and definition have been developed, find people that will execute the
show as defined. More often than not, a show will be defined by the
human resources available. Once a show has been defined, it should
remain in a consistently scheduled time. If the person hosting the show
needs a temporary replacement, the replacement should make every
effort to carry out the format of the show, causing the change in hosts
to be transparent to the listener.
When one show ends and another begins, intros and outros
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should be broadcast. An example would be a Metal show ending and a
Hip Hop show beginning. Before the last song of the Metal show, the
Metal DJ should wrap up and/or say goodbye to the listener. The FCC
requires that a station ID be given between shows. The Hip Hop DJ
should come on and greet the audience, making it thus clear that the
shows are in transition.
The program has three seasons, spring, fall, and summer (each
according to the semesters). Each season’s schedule should be
established a few weeks before it is to go into effect.
The Program Director holds the right to remove a show from the
air if he/she deems the show is no longer in the best interest of the
station. This decision must be supported by the Executive Board.
The public file is a folder that contains an outline of our program
schedule, ascertainment information, (surveys of what the listening
audience considers to be important issues), and any letters regarding
our programming sent to us by our listeners. The purpose of the public
file is to demonstrate to the community and to the FCC why we are on
the air. This file should be kept in order so that any person from the
community can inspect these files. These files can be viewed by the
public during our normal business hours. The FCC requires that this
file be maintained for license renewals.
In the public file should be the Program Service Statement
(PSS). The PSS is the listing of our program schedule and what our
broadcast intentions are (i.e. why we are on the air). The PSS should
include listings of issues and responsive programming. The PSS should
be updated quarterly, on March 31, June 30, September 30 and
December 30.
Overall Responsibilities:
- Responsible for anything that goes out on the air
- Monitors all on-air performance
- Researches audience needs and listening habits and meets
them with effective programming
- Recommends disciplinary actions against station staff to the
General Manager
- Selects announcing staff
- Trains and monitors all new announcers
- Schedules music shows
- Handles no-shows and replacement announcers
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Music Director
Maintenance and expansion of the music library is the primary
job of this department. Receiving new service, maintaining old service,
replacing damaged albums, and issuing playlists to record companies
on a regular basis are parts of the responsibilities. Since most of our
programming is music, the music department has to maintain a
smooth flow of music and music-related items into the station. These
items have to be kept in an organized manner so the staff knows where
to find them. When new music is received at the station, they are
placed in the ‘New” section. This allows the air staff to review the new
music. Music stays in the emphasis bin for one to three months. After
that, they are filed away.
This position is very important to the operation of WMTS, and
requires a well-organized, responsible and knowledgeable person to
fulfill it.
Overall Responsibilities:
- Keeps in contact with labels
- Oversees the checking-in of new records
- Distributes the monthly playlist to all record services
- Obtains music industry information for DJs by subscribing to
CMJ and other trade magazines
Makes sure there are enough music department supplies (labels,
playlists, letterhead, etc.)
- Sets up interviews with performers
- Goes to trade conventions and makes new contacts
Promotions Director
The promotions director informs the community of what WMTS
is all about. This includes information on standard and special
programming, opportunities available at the station, and station
information in general. Co-promotional events help with outside clubs
and organization are coordinated through this department. WMTS
offers a variety of programs at different times of the day. Telling the
audience when different shows are available is the responsibility of
this department. Station promotion can be done in a variety of ways.
Details of our program schedule, special broadcasts, and station
meetings should be placed in Sidelines.
Posters and pamphlets can be printed and distributed among
the bulleting boards on campus. DO NOT under any circumstances put
flyers on cars or windows on campus buildings. Promotional exchange
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can be worked out with local merchants. Tickets or merchandise can be
given away to the audience.
Overall Responsibilities:
- Advertises for the station
- Contacts local clubs, record companies, etc. to solicit giveaways
- Coordinates WMTS T-shirt sales and other fund raisers
- Compiles events calendar
- Sets up interviews with performers
Technical Director
The Technical Director is responsible for maintaining existing
equipment and for purchasing and installing new equipment when it is
required. The FCC requires that at least one person at a radio station
be responsible for the technical performance of the station. The
Technical Director is also responsible for repairing defective
equipment.
Overall Responsibilities:
- repairing equipment
- maintaining equipment
- installing new equipment
- train interns on technical aspects
Business Director
The Business Manager is responsible for handling all financial
transactions at the station. The Business Manager should keep track
of each department’s budget and how much money each department
has spent. This information should be readily available to the
department heads. Getting bills processed in a timely manner is
important to the station’s credit rating. All purchase orders should be
recorded by the Business Manager. The Business Manager should
automatically process the station’s common cost items. The Business
Manager is responsible for ensuring the University’s bidding
requirements are met. Department heads should be familiar with the
University’s bidding policies, and it is up to the Business Manager to
make sure they are. Underwriting campaigns are to be organized by
the Business Manager in cooperation with the Production Director in
order to schedule acknowledgments.
Underwriting Director
Production Director
Production Director oversees all media produced for broadcast.
He/she is in charge of the creation of all promos, PSAs, legal IDs, stabs,
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liners, and underwriting ads. The Production Director is also in charge
of all material on the wavecart machine. Updating new media to the
wavecart is his or her responsibility.
Overall Responsibilities:
- create promos, PSAs, legal IDs, stabs, liners, underwriting
- manage the wavecart machine
Drive Time Producer
Polices
Credit System
Regular credits plus 1 financial credits.
A CD Credit can be earned by the following methods:

Reviewing 2 CDs

Attending a WMTS event (i.e. benefits and live
broadcasts)

Any other activity deemed eligible by the WMTS
Executive Board
A financial credit is earned by bringing in $25 worth of
sponsorship or goods which can be used as auction items or prizes at
the benefit shows.
If a DJ does not complete the current number of credits within a
semester he/she is not eligible for a show for the following semester. If
a DJ did not earn enough credits to have a show for the current
semester, he/she can complete them and obtain a show next semester.
Dues
For every semester, excluding summer, a DJ holds a show
he/she will owe WMTS dues. The dues are currently set at 25 dollars
per semester. Failure to pay dues by the set deadline will result in the
loss of the show for that semester. If a DJ wants a show next semester,
he/she will owe the dues for the previous semester. WMTS Officers are
not required to pay dues. DJ’s volunteering for Drivetime are not
required to pay dues as long as they maintain good standing with the
Drive Time Producer and the station.
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Rotation
WMTS DJs may be required to play up to 6 rotation songs an
hour. This decision is left up to the current Music Director to decide,
with support of the Program Director. If implemented this ensures that
the new music that is not being heard elsewhere is getting played. It
is highly recommended that you play music that is in rotation even if it
has not made it mandatory. The music director works hard at getting
this music for the stations and in order for labels to continue servicing
us, we need to play their music.
Specialty shows must be approved by the program director. A
specialty show is defined as a show that focuses on a specific genre of
music that is not already available at WMTS. A DJ who has been
granted a specialty show is not required to play rotation. But in order
to keep the specialty show, the DJ must write the labels of the music
that he/she is specializing in and must add that specific genre to
WMTS’s rotation so that he/she will in fact be playing music in
rotation.
Programming
The programming on your show must meet two requirements.
The first requirement is that your show must follow WMTS mission
statement. The second requirement is that your show must follow
guidelines set forth in the National Association of Broadcaster’s
Statement of Principles. You should create your show proposal
keeping these two ideas in mind. If you are given a show you must
follow your show proposal. If for some reason you decide to alter you
show in a drastic way please contact the program director. Violation of
either of the two requirements can result in the loss of your show.
Concert Calendar
DJs must read at least 5 days of the concert calendar from the
day of their show. Providing a community events calendar is part of
WMTS’s programming statement. Failure to read the concert calendar
will result in a Class B offense.
Show Preemption
WMTS reserves the right to pre-empt shows. A situation where
this can occur would be the station’s coverage of Lady Raider
Basketball or any other special event. These special events most often
will occur during a DJs time slot. This means that the station has the
right to take over that time slot in order to air these events.
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Station Access
The CIM should be open during regular business hours. Regular
business hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. There
is a two step method to accessing the studio outside of regular business
hours. First the DJ will have to have their MTSU ID or Dummy Card
(for alumni without an ID), activated to allow them swipe access into
the Mass Comm Building and the CIM. Once inside the CIM they will
find the key to the studio located in a lock box on the conference room
door. Each semester the key code will be changed and given out to the
DJs. It will be the DJ’s responsibility to remember to lock the studio
and return the key after their show. Any DJ who keeps another DJ out
of the station by not returning the key will result in disciplinary action
against the DJ.
Emergency Situations
Through the term of office, the elected officers must be dedicated
and be available on a 24-hour basis. The show must go on! If you are
unable to make it to a show call the Program Director to notify him/her
and possibly find a replacement. If you experience major equipment
failure or need emergency assistance with technical matters, call the
Technical Director. If you lock yourself out of the station, call the
General Manager before calling the other officers.
Remote Unit
The station has remote broadcasting equipment that is capable
of doing a remote broadcast from anywhere in the Murfreesboro area.
Any DJ with a show can do a remote broadcast. In order to do a
remote broadcast the DJ must inform the Program and Technical
Director of the broadcast at least one week beforehand. Be sure to give
the Program Director all the necessary information (i.e. time, day,
location, reason). Your remote broadcast can not preempt other DJ’s
shows unless you have their permission. During the remote broadcast
you are still required to say the legal ID which is WMTS,
Murfreesboro. You may be required to sign a contract with further
guidelines if the Production and Technical Director decide to
implement one. Violation of a contract will result in a class C offense.
On-Air Phone Calls
The FCC now requires that the caller must give their permission
to be placed on air. This means the first thing a DJ must do when they
want to put a caller on air is ask their permission OFF AIR FIRST.
After the permission is given the caller may be put on air. Please
inform the caller that they have been placed on the air. This can be
accomplished by saying, “WMTS, you are on the air, please don’t
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curse.” When putting phone calls on the air, you are responsible for
what the caller says. If the caller begins to use profanity, immediately
cut the channel off on the board and then immediately hit the delete
button on the delay. DO NOT CALL UP PEOPLE AND PUT THEM
ON THE AIR WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE. It is illegal to do so
and disciplinary action will be taken.
Alumni
MTSU alumni are allowed to be members of WMTS Student
Radio. However, because WMTS is a student run and based radio
station student members will receive priority for show slots as seen fit
by the Program Director. Alumni members are allowed to run for the
Executive Board, however they are limited to one term and cannot for
General Manager.
Station Business
It is station policy that WMTS DJs do not talk about station
business on the air. This is to keep in accordance with the section of
the programming statement referring to positive programming for the
community. Station Business is defined as anything pertaining to the
internal operations of the station such as: issues covered at station
meetings, personal issues, technical issues, security issues, financial
issues, and departmental issues. Station Business does not concern our
listeners. Do not refer to what people talked about in a station meeting
because WMTS Staff should be able to speak their mind at a meeting
without having to worry about being bashed on someone else’s show. If
you have an issue that needs to be dealt with, follow the grievance
procedure as outlined in Article VIII of the WMTS Student Radio
Constitution:
Station Business & Grievance Procedure
Station business is not allowed to be discussed at anytime on the
air. Discussing station business on-air will result in immediate
dismissal. Members of the organization MUST use the following
grievance procedure to solve their problems with the Executive Board
off-air rather than on-air:
A) Make an appointment to meet with the director of the
division under which his/her issue/complaint falls. The divisions are as
follows:
1. Programming
2. Music
3. Promotions
4. Technical
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5. Business
6. Production
7. Drive time
B) Following implementation of (A), if the issue/complaint
remains unresolved, the member may make a motion for a hearing
with the Station Manager and the director of the division from (A).
C) Following implementation of (B), if the issue/complaint
remains unresolved, the member may make a motion for a hearing
with the Faculty Advisor and the Executive Board. The decision
rendered by the Faculty Advisor is final.
D) Officers of the Executive Board may use (B) through (C) for
their grievances.
Calls to Action
DJs are not allowed to perform calls to action over the air. A
call to action is any command. An example would be, “Hey go to this
show,” or “Listen to this because it’s the best CD ever.” Performing a
call to action on the air will result in disciplinary action.
Prices
DJs are not allowed to mention prices on the air. This includes
the word free. It’s best not to try and mention anything doing with
money. So for example NEVER say something like this; “The show
will cost 5 dollars,” or “This is a free event.” Mentioning prices on the
air will result in disciplinary action.
Station Meetings
WMTS DJs and Officers are required to attend station meetings.
We understand that it is not always possible to show up to every
meeting, so notify the Program Director of your absence ahead of time.
Failure to notify the Program Director before hand will result in an
unexcused absence. Missing two station meetings or 3 shows
unexcused will result in the loss of your show. Station Meetings are
important to attend so that everyone can be informed about what is
going on at the station. Also, sometimes voting occurs about certain
issues and it is important for everyone to be there.
Noise
It is important to keep the noise to a moderate level. We are
tenants of the CIM and we have to think of the others that use the
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building. Classes are held in the building and other university services
are housed in the Mass Comm Building. We want to keep these people
happy so we can continue to have a radio station. Keep all doors to the
station closed to cut down on the noise. Try and keep the studio
monitors at a decent level so that the sound does not travel in to the
hallway outside the station.
Guests
Guests are the responsibility of the DJ that invited them. If a
guest violates station policy the DJ during that time slot will be held
responsible. At no time may a guest run any part of the station. That
includes the board, CD players, phone, wavecart, etc. If a guest is
caught operating station equipment, the DJ will be charged with a
class C offense. The total number of people allowed in the studio at
any given time is 7 people. If you are going to have a band or other
types of guests on that will exceed the 7 person limit please contact the
station manager before hand. Violation of the number of guests limit
will result in a class B offense.
Educational Endeavors
In keeping with our mission of training students for future
broadcasting careers, WMTS may work deals with classes to
participate in newscasts or other areas. All scheduled education
endeavors on the air take full priority over anything else. For example,
if you have an interview with a national act and the band shows up
late at the time the News Class is supposed to do their newscast live
on the air, then you must wait to conduct your interview until the
newscast is over. If scheduled educational endeavors are pre-empted by
a DJ, that DJ will receive disciplinary action.
Drugs
There is no smoking, vaping, drugs, or alcohol allowed in the
building. That means that you cannot go into the bathroom to smoke.
Doing this does not put WMTS in good standing with the Dean. We
want to continue to have a radio station. If you have to smoke, take it
outside. No illegal narcotics are allowed in the studio. No beer in the
studio either. If your guests bring it up to the studio, you are
responsible for making sure that it is removed from the building. If
there are cigarette butts or beer bottles left behind in the station or the
bathroom, and it can be traced to your show, you will have to face the
consequences.
Theft
NO STEALING of ANYTHING. You will be immediately
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dismissed from the station and you can be prosecuted.
Programming Clock
DJs are required to follow the Program Clock when playing their
breaks. This gives our station a more professional sound. The program
clock also consists of our concert calendar which is a part of our
programming statement.
Playlists
Keep a playlist so that the music director can compile the Top 30
that he/she reports to CMJ. This is a very important part of the station
receiving new music. Keeping track of your show’s playlist is also a
good way to keep your show fresh and engage with your listeners. The
playlist logs are located in a binder in the studio. Specialty shows may
be exempt from submitting playlists; see the section on above. Make
sure to write down any songs that you play that are newer than 3
months old.
Fundraising
All station fundraising must go through the Business Manager.
There is to be NO PERSONAL FUNDRAISING. This is illegal. All
money raised by the station has to go into the WMTS account and
cannot be pocketed by station members for personal expenses. You
cannot raise money for individuals at the station. The money has to be
raised ONLY FOR THE STATION. Using the station to raise money
for personal gain is illegal and is also against University policy.
Absences
DJs are allowed two unexcused absences during the semester.
These absences are a combination of shows and meetings (i.e. if you
miss one show and two meetings that counts as three absences). A
total of three unexcused absences will result in the loss of your show.
If you lose your show you can re-apply for a show for the next
semester. Excused absences are not logged as absences. The Program
Director reserves the right to decide what an excused absence is. In
order to receive an excused absence, contact the Program Director
before your absence.
Attendance
Each week the Program Director will place a new attendance
grid in the studio. It is the DJ’s responsibility to be sure they sign the
grid in the appropriate slot every time they do their show. Failure to
sign the grid will result in an unexcused absence unless previously
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excused by the Program Director.
Obscene and Indecent Broadcasts
It is a violation of federal law to broadcast obscene, indecent or
profane language. Obscene speech is not protected by the First
Amendment and cannot be broadcast at any time. To be obscene,
material must meet a three prong test: (1) an average person, applying
contemporary community standards, must find that the material, as a
whole, appeals to the prurient interest; (2) the material must depict or
describe, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically
defined by applicable law and (3) the material, taken as a whole, must
lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. The following
words are not allowed: shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker,
tits, pussy, cock, dick, asshole, goddamn, twat. If you hear any of these
words, the only way you can be 100% sure that they won’t reach the
airwaves is to CUT THE CHANNEL OFF FIRST, THEN HIT THE
DELETE BUTTON WITHIN 5 SECONDS. If you hit delete first and
there is a cuss word waiting right there, it will get through and it will
be repeated due to how the delay works. Shut the channel off first and
then hit delete. You are responsible for any words that make it to the
airwaves.
WMTS also follows the National Association of Broadcasters
Statement of Principles. Violation of this document can result in the
same consequences as cursing.
Consequences
Offenses will be broken up into different levels based upon how
serious the offense is.
- Class A consists of minor offenses and will be handled this
way. First there will be a warning. The second time the offense occurs
the offender will be placed on suspension for 1 week. The third time
the offense occurs a 4 week suspension is implemented. The fourth
time a Class A offense occurs it will result in dismissal from WMTS.
Class A offenses of a DJ will be wiped clean from his/her record at the
beginning of the Fall Semester
- Class B consists of more serious offenses. 1st Class B offense is
a verbal warning. The 2nd Class B offense is a 4 week suspension. The
3rd Class B offense is dismissal from WMTS.
- Class C consists of fairly serious offenses. Things that may
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cause our license to be revoked are included. First Class C Offense is a
4 week suspension. The second Class C Offense is dismissal from
WMTS.
- Immediate Dismissal from WMTS without Loss of
Membership consists of serious offenses. Some of these may cause
fines and/or the revoking of our license. If found committing one of
these offenses the offender will immediately lose his/her show.
However, the DJ is allowed to apply for a show next semester. If a DJ
loses their show twice this will result in loss of membership.
- Immediate Dismissal from WMTS with Loss of
Membership consists of the most serious offenses. Some of these may
cause fines and/or the revoking of our license. If found committing one
of these offenses the offender will immediately lose his/her show and
membership to the station. This means the DJ may never get a show
again or participate in any station activity.
Offenses
Class A Offenses
- Not cleaning up after using studio A or B
- Talking over PSAs and Promos
- Failure to follow rotation requirement (if instituted by program
director)
- Performing a call to action on the air
- Saying prices on the air
- Abusing station e-mail mailing list
Class B Offenses
- Not following the Program Clock
- Not returning the studio key to the lockbox before the next DJ
needs it
- Failure to execute a Legal ID at the top of the hour or at the
beginning of a new show as required by the FCC
- Being too loud, causing a complaint to be issued against WMTS
- Exceeding the seven person limit in the station
Class C Offenses
- Talking about the station access procedure on-air
- Leaving the station unsecured (i.e. leaving the doors propped
open or not locking the doors).
- Playing curse words in music on the air
- Playing obscene and indecent music on air (see FCC definition
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above listed under “obscene and indecent broadcasts”)
- Interference with previously scheduled educational endeavors,
programs, or any other commitments (i.e. newscasts by the news
classes or Lady Raiders Basketball, etc.)
- Allowing a non-member of WMTS to run the board or operate
any station equipment
- Modifying equipment configuration (includes moving record
players or CD players from their original position, changing
compressor settings)
- Promoting illegal activity on the air (i.e. “I encourage all you
kiddies to go out and smoke some dope” “All you underage kids, go out
and make fake ID’s so you can drink”). WMTS can be sanctioned and
even rendered an inactive organization by the University for promoting
illegal activity because we also represent the University.
- Giving station members’ phone numbers to phone callers.
- Setting up cross-media endeavors involving the station without
prior approval of the appropriate officers (this includes simulcasts with
MTTV (the student-run TV Station, doing interviews with Sidelines or
other media, changes to station web-site), or doing a remote broadcast
without permission.
- Broadcasting studio production work that has not been
approved by the Production Director (i.e. Promos, Station Id’s, PSAs,
etc.).
- Defacing station property (includes graffiti on equipment &
furniture).
- Violating the Remote Broadcast Contract
Immediate Dismissal from WMTS without Loss of
Membership
- Three unexcused absences
- Failure to pay dues
- Talking about Station Business On-Air
- DJ cursing on air
- Guest cursing on air
- Caller cursing on air
- Station maintenance without approval from the engineering
department
- Removing station equipment from the station (even with the
intent of returning the equipment).
- Giving out someone’s personal phone number over the air.
- Having an open flame in studio (i.e. candles, incense)
- Being intoxicated while on the air (includes being under the
influence of alcohol or illegal substances).
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- Placing someone on the air against their will (in-studio or on
phone). This includes making someone believe that they are not on the
air when they actually are.
- Blatant and frequent violation of the WMTS Mission
Statement or the National Association of Broadcaster’s Statement of
Principles.
Immediate Dismissal from WMTS with Loss of
Membership
- Drugs, alcohol, or smoking vaping in any part of WMTS
premises or the Mass Comm Building
- Stealing anything from the station (also subject to
prosecution).
- Calling up people and placing them on the air without their
knowledge. This can get us sued.
- Embezzlement of station funds (also subject to prosecution).
- Malicious damage to station equipment. Malicious damage is
the intent to harm (also subject to prosecution).
- Losing a show twice.
Appeal
Any member of the radio station can appeal any of the above
offenses brought against them by using the station grievance
procedure.
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