First, a word from WIDB Founder Jerry Chabrian: It was my great pleasure some 52 years ago to announce that a lot of hard work and dreaming had paid off and that WIDB had in fact been born and was on the air across the Carbondale campus playing music in a format that wasn’t available from any local broadcast stations.
Today it is also my unfortunate responsibility to inform you that the WIDB we all knew and loved in some form or another has in fact – ceased to exist.
There are many reasons for the demise but I will let “WIDB historian” Gary Goldblatt supply the details. I hope you will remain loyal to our long and successful cause and come to Carbondale next June 24, 25, and 26, 2022, and raise a glass as we celebrate and remember the 50 years that were ‘Together Radio WIDB.”
“WIDB Historian” Gary Goldblatt: We will provide the full story of what happened to WIDB, but first and foremost, be assured that the WIDB 50th Anniversary Reunion WILL proceed next June 24, 25, 26, 2022 in Carbondale and Giant City!
WIDB Historical Marker: Also, the reunion will feature the official “Unveiling” and dedication of the WIDB historical marker, spearheaded and designed by original WIDB member Bruce Whiteside, at the site of Wright I. See more details about the marker at widbnetwork.org.
THE REPORT:
Recent WIDB History. WIDB had been funded by sales, student activity fees, and the student center, who paid the “grad assistant” position and some other expenses. For many years, the GA handled WIDB’s fund procurement and staff head stipends. WIDB sold few commercials but did receive some revenue from DJ services. In 2017, the Student Center cut WIDB’s funding and the grad assistant. As a result, in 2018, WIDB did not apply for Student Activity funds for FY 2019. There were no stipends and almost all staff heads quit.
WIDB managed to limp along for a few more months with a “skeleton crew,” automation systems, and a few handouts from the student center. Recruiting members in the face of enrollment plummeting at both SIU-C and R-T made it much tougher.
SIU-C enrollment has plummeted over 50% since 2010. (Edwardsville has had more students since 2018). R-T enrollment was over 300 in 2013, under 100 in 2019, and as of 2020, R-T’s functions have been split between the new School of Journalism and the new School of Media Arts.
At the nadir of the enrollment decline came the COVID shutdown. During the shutdown, during summer, during break, at night, while campus was completely deserted, the student center changed the locks and no one was allowed in thereafter. No one was there to protest, members nor students.
The official explanation was that WIDB had not enough members, the Student Center needed the space for its graphics department, and the station would move to the Comm Bldg and be part of R-T.
One year later, the space is still empty, R-T’ s previous functions have been split between the new School of Journalism and the new School of Media Arts, and nothing has been done for WIDB. Due to the enrollment decline and shutdown, almost no student activity has “enough” members (but only WIDB was sanctioned).
You may ask, “How could this happen? Why did no one protest? Why wasn’t I told? Why didn’t anybody do anything?” Others may say, “Students don’t care about radio anymore, so this was inevitable.” See below for the back story.
What happened to the records and CDs? A group of us were just there in June to salvage what we could. Chris Wissmann, Bob Acke, Chuck Bourgeois, Bruce Whiteside, John Spotts, Terry S, Slimb Landgraf and Jerry all helped. We removed 5000 CDs and 4000 albums, most with comment cards. They are temporarily resting at Misunderstudio in Murphysboro. We preserved these as best we could so that all of you could have a chance to see these one more time.
Snap photos of certain covers? Take a few of your favorites home? Find albums never digitized? It’s up to you. But you must act fast. For access and more info, please email Randy Lynch at Randy-lynch@comcast.net.
THE BACK STORY:
What created WIDB: WIDB was born because there were students demanding a certain radio service, there were students demanding an opportunity to do radio immediately (and not wait until 3rd year), and there were students who actively supported these efforts (Student Senators) and demanded the power to make them happen. That was then. We do not seem to have any of this now.
What has changed; no student leisure time: There is a handful of SIU students who are interested in radio, but have no time to devote to an unpaid activity. The last WIDB GM had received several scholarships which required him to spend time elsewhere, (such as band practice), and had to work full time at Kroger (at $10/hr.) to be able to pay the $15,000 per year tuition at SIU now.
As a comparison, SIU 9 month tuition was $600 in 1973, 1200 gallons of 1973 gas. With a retail job for $2.50/hr., 240 hours would pay the 1973 tuition.
Now, 9 months of tuition and fees are just under $15,000, 5,000 gallons of today’s $3.00 gas. At $10.00/hr., 1500 hours of work is now required to pay the tuition. No wonder students have no leisure time!
Radio still thrives at nearby universities. Meanwhile, at other nearby universities, such as Indiana University at Bloomington, Northeastern Illinois University, University of Illinois and Northwestern University, student radio stations continue to enjoy a thriving operation because they receive funds and support from the school (and some still sell spots or entitlements). These schools have not had enrollment declines like SIU in part because (unlike SIU) these schools spend money for support of activities, and for paying students in leadership roles. There is still significant student interest in radio.
Decline in Student Social functioning: Another big problem currently at SIU more than other schools is the decline in student social functioning. College recruiters, SIU professors, and current students seem to all agree that over 70% of current students do not want to be in a room with anyone, will not look anyone in the eye, and will only communicate online. At SIU this has been estimated at over 90%
Now there are less than 9,000 SIU-C undergrads. Many rarely come to campus. There are only a few hundred functional students. How many could have leisure time, and be interested in radio?
Decline in faculty functioning. With the fracturing of R-T and the demise of WIDB as examples, it appears that the priority of many SIU professionals is to enhance their personal stature at the expense of others and fight any changes or improvements while the financial pie keeps shrinking. The dean of the School of Journalism, Jan Thompson, offered a space for WIDB but certain R-T professors fought against it, claiming WIDB was “theirs,” and since then the R-T professors did nothing for WIDB.
Efforts to stem the WIDB decline: Your author was there every six months or so, meeting with the members, ready to help or advise but hoping the students would take the initiative and follow thru with recruitment and funding efforts, to no avail. The last-ditch attempt was in November 2019, where your author met with R-T administrators to implore them to grant tuition waivers to the remaining WIDB leaders, and implore WIDB leaders to recruit. There was no follow thru on either effort. Then the shutdown happened. Then R-T was fractured.
SIU-C Sinking. Helped along by its Edwardsville rival, SIU-C for many reasons is sinking, the money pie is shrinking, leadership is an ignored-until-replaced revolving door vacuum, majors and students disappear every year. The current chancellor, Dr. Austin Lane, has been there for 2 years. In the previous 20 years there were over 17 chancellors and/or presidents and WIDB has become an innocent victim of the University’s failure.
We wonder how long SIU-C can continue under these conditions, but the memory of WIDB lives on in all of us, and nothing should impede our celebration next June!
Thanks to Jerry, Woody Mosgers, and the WIDB Reunion Committee for their assistance with this report.
Please send your comments to Gary@widbnetwork.org, and we will post them.
YOUR VERY HARD-WORKING WIDB 50TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION COMMITTEE