Then and Now: A Look at How 91.9 The Buzz Has Changed

1976 WVGS 91.9 signed on the air 41 years ago as a student-run radio station. Many of our alumni may remember the first song played was “Statesboro Blues” by the Allman Brothers Band. A year after it was created in Sanford Hall, the studio moved to the Williams Center where it remained until last year when it relocated to its original home, Sanford Hall. This photo shows what the FM radio station looked like in 1976. Check out the old turntables, the reel-to-reel tape deck, the mounted speakers, the rack of magnetic tape cartridges (they resemble 8-track tapes) and the shelves of vinyl albums.

The station broadcast at only 10 Watts back then. In 1984, the FCC granted authority for the station to operate at 1,000 watts. It has been at that level ever since. The room shown in the picture above, now houses the 1,000 watt, solid-state, transmitter currently in use.

2015 In comparison, digital recordings have replaced all things analog at today’s 91.9 The Buzz. Students can choose from thousands of recordings including songs, voice tracks and public service announcements, which are stored on a single software machine the station uses for music rotation. They can play from multiple genres of music, including pop, country, rap, rock, alternative and even South Korean, Latin and Caribbean. Today’s studio contains an audio board, over-the-air microphones and computers. The studio also houses an interview room and a production room. The staff includes a station manager, a news director, a sports director, program directors and music directors.