History

The origins of WECB date over 70 years to when Emerson College obtained an army surplus AM transmitter. The station broadcasted via carrier current from the basement of the 132-134 Beacon Street dormitory, and grew in success that included legitimate commercials, news programming and a station-owned van.

In 1983, WECB was scheduled for demolition without reconstruction, as part of the Mass Communications $1.6M renovation project. Carol Kamerschen, Greg Weremey and Russ Weisenbacher were instrumental in fighting the board of trustees and allowing Greg and Russ to design and build new studios at 126 Beacon St. to replace the former facilities at 130 Beacon St. This status ended with the opening of the Ansin Building in 1998 which featured a full studio suite for the Emerson station of wider general public interest, WERS. Unfortunately, WECB was left unhoused. However, after student concerns were raised, WECB was resurrected in a modest studio within the WERS studio suite where it broadcasts today.

In approximately the Fall of 2006, WECB made the shift to online broadcasting. WECB is accessed through our official website, streaming services such as Apple Music and Windows Media, and various mobile applications including Radioflag, iHeartRadio, and Tunein. We are also accessible through the closed circuit channel 65 which is available on the Emerson College Campus.

During the Spring of 2020 the operations of WECB changed as we all became deeply impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Classes moved online on March 13, 2020 and by the next week all residence halls were vacated. Both WERS and WECB had to shut down, our Spring concert with Injury Reserve was cancelled, and we were left with no idea how to continue our station. However, with the brilliant help of Michael Rocco and Spooner by the Fall of 2020 WECB shifted to Zoom Rooms broadcasting which enabled students to broadcast remotely. While the WECB studio was still inaccessible, Michael Rocco was permitted to install the new software on our main computer. From there on we have continued to use Zoom Rooms and allowed our student DJs to stream remotely from all corners of the globe.

As of Spring 2022 WECB is back to its full operating capacity in studio and campus venues.