Last Thursday, Binghamton University’s radio station, 90.5 WHRW, presented The Marathon to Restore Awesome/The Broadcast to Create Awkwardness, a 24-hour radio show hosted by DJs Joey Jamz and Salty Salt.
The marathon started at noon Feb. 2 and ran for 24 hours, until Feb. 3. The show featured a variety of music including rock, pop, top 40, dance and techno.
The show was hosted by DJ Joey Jamz, WHRW general manager from 2010 to 2011 and Binghamton graduate Joe Monte, and DJ Salty Salt, WHRW GM from 2007 to 2009 and graduate student majoring in teaching Mike Saltzman.
The show was a special event organized by Monte and Saltzman, who got together for a one-time event to take their old roles as DJs. The two DJs alternated roles, with Monte playing rock music while Saltzman’s segments focused on dance and techno.
Saltzman expressed how grateful he was to do a show with Monte.
“The best part was getting to see Joe again; he’s a really good friend,” Saltzman said. “WHRW is one of my best experiences here.”
Monte said his main motivation was nostalgia and the love of music.
“This is what it’s all about,” Monte said. “Just being here, part of the situation, listening to Electric Light Orchestra really loud.”
The broadcast was a challenge for the DJs, who explained how huge a 24-hour marathon is compared to regular shows.
“Normally, a show would last an hour and a half, while a longer show lasts around three,” Monte said. “This is an endeavor done by only five people before.”
While running such an event sounds like a complicated process, Saltzman said that planning ahead helped.
“Everything has already been set up, and it is a simpler process here in the WHRW studio,” Saltzman said. “This way we have a studio-quality broadcast.”
The broadcast featured a live show by the band Phoenix and the Ravens. Band members there included Eliana Frim, Phil Hazen Westcott, Evan Flury and Evan Greenberg.
Evan Greenberg, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering and the band’s lead guitarist, explained how the live show came about.
“The band heard about how two former GMs were hosting a marathon, and we decided to jump in and play some live music,” Greenberg said.
WHRW is Binghamton’s only free-format radio station, and covers a 25-mile radius while running 24/7. Free-format radio means that DJs are not limited to playing only certain musical genres, as Monte explained.
“[Media] is the last frontier for expression,” Monte said. “There are no requirements on what we play. Anything from pop to classical, we are free to choose.”
Monte stressed the importance of community in WHRW.
“We are a close-knit group, enjoying music for what it is with no outside influence,” Monte said. “It’s a sanctuary for freedom.”
While this marathon was a special event, WHRW also features an annual 24-hour show in memory of Paul Battaglia, a former WHRW GM who died in the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11. The show is scheduled for March 2.
While the GIMs for WHRW are over, students interested in joining WHRW can email the current GM at gm@whrwfm.org.