CARRBORO — For 20 years, listeners have tuned in to 103.5 FM to hear volunteer DJs broadcasting diverse viewpoints, news, music and cultural experiences from local and global perspectives on WCOM radio, one of North Carolina's first low-power FM stations.
Since its humble beginnings as a volunteer-run community radio station, WCOM has had a lasting impact on the community. While its 100-watt transmitter limits the broadcast range around Carrboro, listeners worldwide can tune in through wcomfm.org. On Jan. 12, supporters packed Carrboro's Cat's Cradle for a fundraiser supporting WCOM's planned move into a new building at the Drakeford Library Complex in the coming weeks. The station aims to raise $60,000 to fund the move and purchase essential radio equipment.
Jacques Menache, founder and CEO of WCOM and founder of Carrboro's ArtsCenter in 1979, launched the station as what he describes as pirate radio.
"Twenty years ago, I was walking in Mexico with Ruffin Slater, who owns Weaver Street Market, and we saw a pirate flag waving on a radio tower. We went inside and talked to the DJ," Menache said. "We got back to Carrboro and decided we had to do it, so we did."
Today, a loyal community tunes in to hear mainstays like DJ Aurora, whose real name is Dawn Rowan. "I like to use Aurora because it's the same in Spanish," she said.
Her show "Play by Ear with DJ Aurora" airs Saturdays from 1-3 p.m., spotlighting local artists performing live on air. The station's programming ranges from education, finance and mental health to community issues including LGBTQ+ rights.
Shows like "High and Lonesome with Dave and Jenni," hosted by "Grateful Dave" Cottingham, explore the music of the Grateful Dead and the modern psychedelic Americana scene each week.
The anniversary event drew people of all ages who enjoyed performances by harp guitarist Andrew Kasab and bands Sound of Scarlet and The Will McBride Group. Kasab, a Raleigh-based musician who has performed on WCOM since 2006, praised the station's community outreach.
"Over the past 20 years, WCOM has been proud to deliver reliable information, resources, music and entertainment in multiple languages and from a global range of viewpoints," Menache said. "We are grateful for your support as we look forward to many more years of serving our community."