WXYC's New Music Director Has His Listening Ears On

But bring up music in his colorful, wall-to-wall decorated office and get ready to talk.

Passionate about music and now about his new position as music director of the campus radio station, WXYC 89.3 FM, the veteran DJ has been slowly growing into his position since early January.

Strader took over for 10-year veteran Franz Kunst, who helped establish a large part of the station's image.

"I'm going to need to grow into the position," Strader said. "I don't really have the ear for as much stuff as he did."

But Strader said his philosophy about WXYC will remain true to the free-form roots that have been reinforced by Kunst over the past decade.

Strader, who began as a DJ during the middle of his freshman year, applied for the position at the end of fall 2001 and was selected by the station manager and several other members of the management staff.

"David is of the tradition of Franz and still brings a lot to the position," said Isaac Trogdon, the station manager. "I'm totally stoked. David is definitely the man for the job."

Unique to Strader's position is a recently selected staff that will assist him in reviewing new music and creating the rotation. The staff was selected to assist Strader but also to incorporate new elements of music knowledge and diversity.

And with diversity comes controversy, but the popularity of the station among some in its listening area, however, is low on his list of concerns. "We're fundamentally an educational station," Strader said. "That's our function."

Under Strader, WXYC will maintain its free-form format. While he sympathizes with the critics of the station, he understands that such criticism is synonymous with free-form radio.

"(Free-form radio) does a service to the little corner of the music industry that doesn't get heard in more mainstream outlets," Strader said.

Radio of this type allows DJs to use music as their mode of expression, whether that expression is artistic or just an expression of the DJ's mood, which is not a trait of most commercial radio, he said.

And commercial radio is something which Strader said, without hesitation, he doesn't listen to.

"I just don't like the commercials," he said. "You hear more advertisements than music."

As far as Strader's personal listening preferences go, he said he seeks out bands that tend to influence other, more modern groups that sometimes falls into the ranks of the obscure.

But preferences aside, he said that WXYC has no qualms with mainstream music.

Strader might even humor requests for the Backstreet Boys.

"Maybe the DJ would be in a particular mood where they would want to go with that," he said with a laugh.

Such willingness to give airtime to all genres has garnered a wide audience that is happy to hear that little will be changing now that Strader is WXYC's music director.

He plans on remaining at the station for at least a couple of years after he graduates.

Further illustrating his commitment to the station, Strader said the position's pay isn't exactly lucrative. "Well, it's volunteer," laughed Strader. "Guess I'll have to get another job on the side."

Strader seems comfortable at the helm and will be doing his part to foster WXYC's tradition of exploring all types of music and challenging conventional standards. Strader and company are sticking to what works.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.