WFCR Radio Broadcast Collection, 1954-1987. ca.5,000 reel-to-reel records with a few cassettes (462 lin. feet)
Description:
The WFCR Collection contains nearly 4,500 reel to reel recordings of locally-produced radio programs, reflecting over fifty years of the cultural and intellectual life of western Massachusetts. Drawing upon the talents of the faculty and students of the Five Colleges (Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges and UMass Amherst), the collection offers a remarkable breadth of content, ranging from public affairs to community and national news, cultural programming, childrens programming, news and current events, scholarly lectures, classical music, and jazz.
Repository/Collector:
UMass Amherst Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives
Repository/Collector Type:
Personal and College or University
City:
Amherst
State:
Massachusetts
Country:
United States
Extent:
462 linear feet
Content types:
Sounds and Other
Formats:
Reel-to-reel and Digital tape (DAT, DCC)
Supporting documentation:
5,000 reel-to-reel records with a few cassettes (462 lin. feet)
Historical relevance:
The first public radio station in western New England, WFCR Five College Radio has provided a mix of high quality, locally-produced and nationally syndicated programming since May 1961. In 2012, the station reached over 175,000 listeners per week, with a mix of classical and jazz music, news, and entertainment.
Notes:
The collection is inventoried and described at a basic level, with about 100 hours digitized and available online at http://credo.library.umass.edu/view/collection/mums741. There are currently minimal papers with the collection, however we will be working with the station to determine what, if anything, may survive for archiving.