situated on hills at approximately the same elevation as that original ten watt antenna, so there was no interference from tall buildings or other hills, and the frequency modulation wave could travel uninterrupted to these listeners' receivers, defying the distance limits. In the 50's and 60's, the 10-watt station broadcast on 89.9 on FM, and it had a classical format, including a show on Sundays called the "Operatic Theater." The 730am station at that time had a different format and could only be received in college dormitories. Despite its weak signal, the high quality station management and music programming WUSC enjoyed from the onset of its licensing on the FM band established it as a powerful, cutting edge musical force in the Greater Columbia area. WUSC subscribed to CMJ from the journal's inception in 1978: in so doing, WUSC's ten watt signal became one of a few brilliant beacons scattered across the national map, leading the country in the revolutionary underground music scene that would explode across America. By the time cable TV added MTV to its line-up in 1981, a significant portion of those cable TV subscribers in Columbia, SC immediately recognized MTV's "new" national artists as those which WUSC had been giving regular airplay since 1977. Due to a restructuring of FCC law regarding low power stations across the country in 1982, WUSC had to boost its signal to at least 100 watts or lose its license to broadcast. Ending broadcast was never considered an option from the moment the FCC announced the new requirements, as WUSC had made its indelible mark on the air waves in Columbia, recognized as a unique and invaluable contributor to the surrounding community. At the time, there was little cost difference between a boost to 100 watts vs. one of 3000 watts—for example, the station would have to vacate the 91.9 frequency once its signal exceeded ten watts, regardless how powerful the new signal would be—administrators, therefore, made the decision to increase the signal to 3000 watts. It was then that WUSC-FM moved to its current frequency of 90.5 MHz. In the early years of this new, wider-reaching phase of the station's existence, WUSC was led by Station Manager, Marc Fink; Program Director, Art Boerke; and Music Director, Rick "The Muffin Man" Wiener: this team instituted the fifty percent new music policy, insuring WUSC would continue its established role as one of