Students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and guests gathered outside WVUM’s offices on October 19 to celebrate the acquisition of the newly installed transmitter and antenna, which allow 1.5 million more listeners to receive the station’s broadcast signal. Among those in attendance were UM trustee Bob Mann, the station’s first general manager in 1968; Gregory Shepherd, dean of the School of Communication; Savanna Stiff, WVUM general manager; and Pat Whitely, vice president for student affairs.

Thanks to a newly installed transmitter and antenna, 1.5 million more listeners are now enjoying the unique programming of the University of Miami’s on-campus, student-run radio station.

With the recent power boost, WVUM 90.5 FM can now be heard as far south as Florida City and as far north as Ft. Lauderdale.

“We are excited to reach new listeners and provide a stronger signal to our loyal listeners,” says UM student and WVUM General Manager Savanna Stiff. “We have so much community support and listeners outside of UM who contact us every day to find out where they can hear us. It’s thrilling to be able to reach so many of them.”

The new transmitter and antenna were made possible by a generous donation that is part of Momentum2, the University’s comprehensive $1.6 billion fundraising initiative.

WVUM’s last transmitter upgrade occurred in 1998 and enabled its signal to be broadcast throughout Coral Gables and the surrounding areas. But now with the upgrade, the station is reaching a new crop of listeners, bringing to them programming that ranges from sports and news to music and public affairs.

Students, faculty, administrators, and several alumni who worked at the station when they were students celebrated WVUM’s expanded reach at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held October 19 outside the station’s offices.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of financial and technical support from alumni, the administration, and the many University personnel that helped the project succeed,” said Paul Driscoll, vice dean of UM’s School of Communication and WVUM’s faculty adviser.

The late Richard D. Buckley, a UM alumnus and School of Communication donor, led initial efforts to upgrade WVUM’s transmitting equipment. Buckley, a member of the class of 1960, was a DJ at WVUM and went on to become president and CEO of his own media company, Buckley Broadcasting Corporation, which includes 20 radio stations throughout the U.S.

Buckley was a generous UM supporter for many years prior to his death in July 2011. To help fulfill his vision for WVUM, Nick Verbitsky, father of a UM graduate and chair and CEO of United Stations Radio Networks, the largest independently owned radio network in the United States, made a substantial donation for the expansion.

The University’s Division of Student Affairs, led by Patricia Whitely, also contributed significant funds for the power upgrade. Additionally, WVUM held fundraising events to support the effort.

“Rick Buckley and I were great friends in radio for over 30 years. He was passionate about UM and determined to do all he could to get WVUM upgraded — and he did so,” Verbitsky says. “I was honored when School of Communication Dean Greg Shepherd asked me to help complete Rick’s vision.”

Awarded the “College Radio Woodie” for being voted the best college radio station in the country by mtvU, WVUM was established in 1968 and plays a variety of music, including alternative, world, hip-hop, techno, and more. The station also produces original news and public affairs programming and provides coverage of UM sporting events. The station streams worldwide on www.wvum.org.