Most radio stations have multiple live broadcasts a year, but what about a college radio station? Live broadcasting has now become one of the main engaged learning experiences 107.7 The Bronc offers, from live broadcasting at our own station events to hitting the road and broadcasting live at community/convention events and local sporting events.
The History Of Live Broadcasting At 107.7
The short history of 107.7 The Bronc’s live broadcasting started at one of our now beloved traditions here at Rider University—Rider University’s Top Chef! This started in 2015 when the original Rider Student Top Chef contest took place at Daly Dining Hall. If you know anything about The Bronc, we do everything to the fullest! So why not take our live broadcasting off campus? 107.7 packed up the mics and moved over to the VIP After Party live at former 107.7 The Bronc sponsor Killarney’s Pub. Students would broadcast live from the restaurant every Friday night starting at 11 p.m.. This live broadcast turned into a regular event that would occur every Friday, which opened the door to many more broadcasting opportunities with other sponsors, like The Trenton Farmer’s Market, the Trenton Thunder, Terhune Orchards, the Philadelphia Flower Show, and the Philadelphia Auto Show, and it eventually grew into having the same live broadcasts at Rider men’s and women’s basketball games as well as the coverage of Rancocas Valley football and Lawrence High School baseball and football.
Broadcasting Now
When the pandemic hit, WRRC’s live broadcasts were put on pause, but now 107.7 The Bronc is back and better than ever and has multiple different live broadcasts throughout the year. Even almost 10 years later, we are still hosting a live broadcast at the event that started it all, Rider Student’s Top Chef, plus its sister contest, Dessert Wars with a different broadcast every semester. 107.7 The Bronc still flies down 95 to broadcast live from the Philadelphia Auto Show, where new students can experience a live broadcast and just how much work goes into these huge events at the PA Convention Center. We take our listeners along for the ride to live sporting events here at Rider University, like men’s and women’s basketball, including select road games and, of course, MAAC tournament! Students learn even more when we taking our equipment on the road to our local high schools, like Rancocas Valley Regional and Lawrence High School for live on the scene coverage of their fall and spring sporting events! A new opportunity for our 107.7 The Bronc staff, was going live from Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market Spring Fling just this month!
The Student Experience
Owen McCarron, sophomore broadcaster for women’s basketball and Chief Engineer here at 107.7 The Bronc, got to broadcast live from both the Philadelphia Auto Show and the Punk Rock Flea Market this semester:
“My favorite memory from broadcasting was watching our Rider women’s basketball team play against nationally-ranked Fairfield in the MAAC tournament this year. Now I know I shouldn’t pick a loss as my favorite, but watching them play their hearts out and almost push Fairfield over the edge was one of those experiences that, as a broadcaster, pushed me and my team over the edge, past what we thought we could do, and host quite literally our best broadcast. It made ending the season with my broadcasting partners, Ben and Rich, that much more emotional.”