One of the most active student organizations on campus is RIC’s own radio station, 90.7 WXIN. Founded in 1979, WXIN started out as WRIC 580 AM, which was aired only in the residence halls. They switched to FM radio sometime in the ’80s and have become one of the region’s best college radio stations.
Today, they also consist of NIXM (WXIN upside down and backwards), which is an online station that’s uncensored and is a great way for new DJs to test the waters, and veteran DJs to play music that could not be aired otherwise. WXIN has five music genres: alternative rock, heavy metal, urban hip-hop/rap, world and country.
Each year, WXIN hosts a five week-long Rock Hunt that begins in March and ends in April. Each night, four local bands play, and the top bands go on to perform for a fifth night to determine the winner. Nicholas Lima, general manager for the station, said, “We are all about promoting local, up-and-coming music.”
In previous years, the event took place at The Living Room. However, since it shut down, the Rock Hunt now takes place at Firehouse 13. It’s highly successful, with sold-out shows and as many as 1,500 people in attendance each year. The Rock Hunt originated in the ’80s and even predates WBRU’s Rock Hunt, according to WXIN staff. Two years ago, WXIN Rock Hunt winner VulGarrity went on to win the WBRU Rock Hunt the following year.
The name WXIN holds weight when used on a resume for students applying for jobs in the professional world. There are alumni from the station in nearly every other radio station in the state, and it has more graduates in the field than any other college station in Rhode Island. The organization prides itself on being unique and professionally run. Not only that, their equipment is all new and continuously upgraded from year to year. It’s a great environment for students to learn all the different aspects of radio and become well prepared for the professional world.
WXIN gets involved with other groups on campus as well, in order to get their word out. They co-sponsor other organization’s events and often times they even DJ for them for free. Every other Wednesday, WXIN also hosts a live broadcast from 8 to 11 p.m. called Verbal Assault, a talk show with some hip-hop music mixed in. The show will be aired six more times this semester, the next one on Oct 12. It takes place at The Abbey, on 686 Admiral St. in Providence, as part of the local pub’s Rhode Island College Night. It is also aired via Ustream live video that streams on the station’s website, ricradio.org.
WXIN will also be holding a Battle of the Bands event on Oct. 13 at R.I. Billiards on 2024 Smith St. in North Providence. The event is free of charge. Members of the station are hoping students will come out, have a good time, and enjoy some great local bands including Brainfruit, Indiana Handshake, and T.R.B.
Meetings for WXIN take place on Wednesdays in Horace Mann 186 at 1 p.m. for all disc jockeys. Any RIC student is encouraged to get on air and do a show. Lima said his goal is to have every two-hour timeslot filled from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. with live DJs. So if you love music, or even talking about anything from sports to news to relationship advice, and want to be in an environment that is both fun and educational, WXIN is looking for you!
