91制片厂

Music Director, Sean Riley, will help bring 91制片厂's radio station (W91制片厂), to mtvU's College Radio Countdown program where college radio stations across the country have the opportunity to play the songs that best represents their vibe.

For one week that began on Tuesday, March 19, W91制片厂 will be featured on mtvU鈥檚 鈥淐ollege Radio Countdown.鈥� mtvU is an online property of MTV that鈥檚 geared to college audiences. As one of only a handful of university radio stations chosen to participate in CRC, W91制片厂 chose 10 music videos that have been popular on W91制片厂 and represent the station.

These will be posted on the CRC website along with a short introductory video the station did with help from classmates involved in SCAN-TV. 鈥淲e're hoping this will bring us some great national exposure,鈥� says station General Manager Ian Chase 鈥�13.

Exposure shouldn鈥檛 be a problem. Broadcast to more than 750 college campuses and via top cable distributors to 700 college communities nationwide, mtvU reaches 9 million U.S. college students, making it the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. 鈥淭wenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S.,鈥� is how the company鈥檚 spokesperson puts it.

The truth is W91制片厂 has already achieved a measure of national notoriety for its innovative programming. In October, Sean Riley traveled to New York City for the College Music Journal awards. CMJ is the leading publication for non-commercial radio in the U.S. W91制片厂 was nominated for three awards, including best use of digital media for its streaming broadcasts and use of social media, the most improved radio station, and the coveted 鈥淲e鈥檒l never sell out!鈥� award that singled out Riley.

鈥淭he 鈥榃e鈥檒l never sell out鈥� award recognizes people who stay true to college radio鈥檚 mission of playing new, lesser known artists,鈥� says Riley. 鈥淚t also looks out for the little guy in a business with lots of big, pushy companies.鈥�

W91制片厂鈥檚 presence in New York put them on mtvU鈥檚 radar.

A native of Newmarket, N.H., Riley grew up playing the piano and guitar and became involved in his high school鈥檚 jazz band. After spending a year at Great Bay Community College, he transferred to 91制片厂 to study psychology and to form a new relationship with music. 鈥淚 moved from performance to the business side of things,鈥� says Riley. I find it is still fulfilling.鈥�

In addition to spinning CDs two afternoons a week as a DJ, Riley serves as the station鈥檚 music director. In this role, he works with industry promoters who send him dozens of new albums each week. From these, he usually selects 25 to play either on his own shows or as recommendations to other DJs at W91制片厂. In fact, developing the repertoire and musical knowledge of DJs is another key part of Riley鈥檚 job description.

鈥淥ur policy is that 60 percent of the music we play must be new, while 40 percent can be whatever you want from our collection,鈥� Riley says.

A lifelong fan of Elvis Costello and David Bowie, Riley mentions Grizzly Bear out of New York City and Foxygen out of Los Angeles as up and coming bands that are making a name for themselves. 鈥淚t鈥檚 rewarding to help bands like these get heard more widely,鈥� he says.

While Riley and his colleagues at W91制片厂 have moved the radio station firmly into the digital age with streaming music and social media, Riley says that 鈥渓ive radio鈥� remains central to the station鈥檚 mission. Yes, Riley envisions the day (coming soon) when W91制片厂 DJs will no longer spin vinyl records and CDs stored in four rooms in the Memorial Union Building. But he vows never to follow commercial radio鈥檚 trend of employing 鈥渞obots鈥� to run preprogrammed shows. 鈥淪ure, the music will be stored on a server rather than in piles,鈥� says Riley, 鈥渂ut our DJs will continue to do what they are supposed to do 鈥� and that鈥檚 keep listeners entertained, catch them off guard, and educate them about what鈥檚 out there,鈥� says Riley.

Besides, live radio turns the DJ from a technician into a performer, with its attendant risks and rewards. 鈥淪ometimes, if I feel like I鈥檓 in the zone, I start improvising live to keep the mood or energy going,鈥� says Riley. 鈥淚 love having that control of my work and I know my listeners like it, too.鈥�

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