Airwaves

by Brian Goslow

When WCUW (91.3 FM) moved into its Main South home in 1980, it was equipped with a state-of-the-art performance/conference studio and a large space outside its main broadcast studio where dances and concerts could be held. The years have taken its toll on the performance area, since converted into a CD library. The other big space, which remains unused except for station meetings, is about to be reborn as a gathering place for the station's listeners.

"It's been several years since there's been any live broadcasts with a live studio audience," says Mark Paolini, host of Hullabaloo, aired Wednesdays from 8 to 9 p.m. For four consecutive weeks, he will present live music and spoken-word performances to benefit the station's operating budget. The shows coincide with the station's fall fundraiser, which begins on September 19.

"I remember seeing a show with the Horseflies when I first moved into the city," says Paolini, who hopes the series will represent the station's diverse programming. "We're trying to do different things that show a slice of everything at the station to let people know we're here and doing something different. Peter Towle is going to put up some of his artwork. We're going to have a nice looking stage and do it fine -- with any luck."

The series opens on September 17 with Pamela Means and Bret Hart. "She's got a great CD called Bone Spurs that gets played pretty frequently at the radio station. She just played Sober in the Sun and Club Passim, in Cambridge, and has performed on Rich Fox's New Traditions program. She's got a good following here, she used to pack Eleni's regularly before it closed. Bret's just put out a CD too. He's a great community organizer -- I knew he would help out." The show starts at 8 p.m. with a suggested $5 donation.

Poets Dave Nader and Nic Karcasinas take center stage on September 24. "They're both Worcester people who've been around many years. Their work concerns Worcester landmarks, streets, and stores that are no longer here." Nader will read from his latest collection of works, Tales from the Wayside Pulpit, along with more recent observations. Karcasinas, who hosted Radio Noir (where Billy Martin, Twinkies, Greece, and the back seat of the family car came together), Filmstick (an intense weekly review of current movies), and a weekly jazz program at 'CUW, will read selections from All Time Is Now. A $3 donation is requested.

Paolini is still finalizing the line-up for the second-half of the series. If you can't make it down to the station, tune in and pledge your support at 753-2284 or send a check to WCUW, 910 Main Street, Worcester 01610.

THE FALL FUND DRIVE AT WCUW is slated to run five weeks. The station needs $32,000 to cover operating costs to the end of the year, and that doesn't include taking care of ongoing problems with its everyday sound. "I'm sure everyone's aware we're having transmitter problems," says station manager Joe Cutroni. "The parts that are out of service are not repairable, and that's what's causing the problems with the signal. The transmitter's 20 years old, and it's got to be replaced." A new transmitter will cost the station roughly $7000.

"With all the stuff we've done this summer, we hope a lot more people are aware of us. Our weekend and morning guys are getting more calls, and we had 300 people at our Albanian show [part of the station's Cultural Concert Series] at Elm Park," Cutroni says.