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WSUM and SAC Policy
Off air hours
Completing off air hours is mandatory. Standard station policy requires that for every one (1) on-air hour, staff members must complete one (1) off-air hour. Our traffic directors track off-air hours and posts current tallies on a weekly basis.
What you can do to earn off-air hours:
Create and pre-record PSAs, station IDs, or a show promo (contact Production Director)
Listen to and review CDs
Rip CDs
Do promotional work (e.g. flyering, chalking, etc.)
Work and/or DJ WSUM events (contact Community Outreach or Promotion Directors)
Help organize the music library (contact Traffic Director)
Attend monthly all station meetings
Ask Executive Management for additional ideas
Missed show policy
If you are scheduled to do a show at a certain time, you must be there. If you cannot make it, you must notify the Program Director (prog@wsum.org) at least 48 hours in advance AND post a sub slip. The sub board is located on the wall outside the main studio. If you are running late for your show, call ahead (608-265-9786) to notify the current DJ or talk host.
The following is WSUM’s official policy for unexcused absences from scheduled programming.
If you miss your show due to an unexcused absence, the following penalties will be incurred:
1st offense – Warning
2nd offense – One week suspension and a freeze on off-air hours for two weeks.
3rd offense – Show is taken away for the remainder of the semester.
Penalties will not carry over from one semester to the next. However, you most likely will not be able to do your show in your previous time slot the following semester. These policies will be implemented at the discretion of the Program Director.
FCC violation policy
If you play or say an FCC violation during your show, it’s imperative that you report it to the Program Director (prog@wsum.org) as soon as possible. Reporting the violation means that your penalties will be less severe than if you didn’t report it.
To report an FCC violation, send an email to the Program Director (prog@wsum.org) as soon as possible and record the violation on the program log by indicating the time it was aired.
The following is WSUM’s official policy for reporting aired FCC violations.
If you play an FCC violation and report it, the penalties are the following:
1st offense – Warning
2nd offense – 2-week suspension
3rd offense – Semester suspension
4th offense – Suspended forever ☹
If you play an FCC violation and don’t report it, the penalties are the following:
1st offense – 2-week suspension
2nd offense – Semester suspension
3rd offense – Suspended forever ☹Expressing opinions on the air
It is inappropriate for music shows to spend time talking about their opinion. In addition, talk hosts may only express opinions on behalf of themselves. It should be made clear that the opinions expressed on WSUM do not represent the station as a whole. Play the opinion disclaimer when it is necessary to distinguish your viewpoints. Moreover, do not slander, insult, or purposely misrepresent anyone. Criticism, which is appropriate, is different than slander. Do not make statements that you cannot back up with facts.
Also, remember that WSUM and its on-air personalities may not endorse a candidate for political office. Doing so violates FCC law. You may express praise or criticism of a candidate’s public policy but you may not make comments such as, “Jessie Johnson is clearly the best candidate” or “Vote for Kevin Kelly.”
Take care of equipment
Theft and vandalism of WSUM property is prohibited. Unintentional damage to station property is not vandalism but you must still act responsibly. If something breaks, contact our Tech Engineer (tech@wsum.org) immediately. Then fill out an Equipment Repair Form, which can be found on the wall in the main studio
Also, remember to clean up and take care of equipment properly. Put CDs and equipment back where it belongs. Do not change the settings on certain pieces of equipment without permission (and possibly supervision) of the Tech Engineer.
Food/drink/cigarettes at the station
Food, drink, cigarettes and all other drugs are not allowed in the studios. They put our expensive equipment in jeopardy of being damaged. The only exception is bottled water with a cap. Food and drink in the lobby are allowed, but cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs are not permitted.
DJs caught with open containers of alcohol or drugs on the premises are subject to possible suspension or expulsion from WSUM and UW-Madison policies (our station is university property) depending on the circumstances.
Guests at the station
As the on-air DJ/talk show host, you are responsible for whoever is in the station. Don’t be afraid to ask who someone is or ask them to leave. You are allowed to have guests in the studio or station but you are responsible for them and their actions. They are expected to follow WSUM rules.
Phone policies
No phone call may be aired without the caller’s prior knowledge and explicit or implicit consent. The board operator is responsible for listeners’ calls. If a listener calls in and commits an indecency during your show, you will face the consequences. Do not use WSUM phones for extended personal calls. The station does not have long distance telephone service. If you need access to long distance telephone service, you must get a phone card. These calling cards are for station use.
Filling out the program log
The board operator of a music/talk show is required to fill out the program log for their time slot. It is important to fill it out correctly. Remember to write your first and last name (don’t substitute with nicknames or on-air names). Also, all actions logged on the program log must be initialed by the board operator.
You must play or announce a legal station ID (WSUM 91.7 FM-Madison is a legal ID) within five minutes of the top of the hour, every hour. In military time, log the exact time you did a station ID and initial it on the program log.
The FCC dictates that five seconds of dead air is illegal. Make sure to log any dead air time on the program log. You should include how long there was dead air.
DJs and talk show hosts are required to play at least one public service announce (PSA) per show. PSAs are logged with their exact time on the program log.
If an underwriting slot is assigned to your show it will be indicated on the program log. You are required to play it, mark the exact time it was played and initial it. We are under contract to play underwriting at specific times of day.
Playing show promos is not required but highly encouraged. You are not required to log show or event promos.
Filling out the online playlist
You must fill out an online log of all the songs you play. This playlist is linked to our website for listeners to check out information about the music they are listening to. This information is also used for charting music at the station. The playlist is accessible on the computer in the main studio by typing entering “host” in the web browser. If a given recording is a new release it is important to check the appropriate box as well as the genre the new release fits best into. Also remember to press “END SHOW” when your show is done so the online playlist syncs up to the BSI.
Receiving complaints
If you receive a complaint about something you air, thank the listener for their feedback and ask them to contact our Program Director at 608-262-1864 or prog@wsum.wisc.edu. We archive all correspondence we receive regarding our programming.
SAC Policies
Please read the SAC’s policies below regarding after-hours access to the station.
Section 1: Definitions
1. “After-hours access” means the ability to stay in an office after the building is closed. An individual with after-hours access will need to be in the building before it closes, as they will not be granted key access into the building.
2. “Off-hours key access” means the ability to access the building after hours through the use of the electronic key pads. An individual with off-hours key access will have the ability to enter the building after it closes and before it opens through the use of the electronic card readers on the outside of the building and in the elevators. Off-hours key access includes after-hours access.
a. "Limited off-hours key access" means off-hours key access from 9 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Sunday.
3. “Off-hours access” means a general term that encompasses both of the previously discussed forms of access to the building.
4. “Guests” mean any individual who has not been granted off-hours access by the Student Activity Center Governing Board.
5. "UWPD" means the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department.
Section 2: General Rules
1. All individuals who are granted access to the Student Activity Center are responsible for understanding and abiding by the Student Activity Center facility use policy and off-hours access policy.
2. Off-hours access is granted to individuals to work within their respective offices. Individuals only have access to their offices, and not to any other parts of the SAC, including: the computer lab, the vending area, other student organization offices, and the SAC conference rooms. Access to the vending area is prohibited to prevent people from loitering in the SAC hallways when they are dark and potentially unsafe. Individuals found roaming the halls of the SAC or found in other offices will be subject to disciplinary action. Disciplinary action may include termination of off-hours access privileges.
3. Individuals are also responsible for ensuring that they do not inadvertently allow an unauthorized individual into the Student Activity Center. If an individual sees an unauthorized individual in the building while it is closed, they shall report it to the UWPD at 608-264-2677.
4. Individuals shall respect SAC staff or UW staff who may question their presence in the building. Reports of disrespect may cause termination of off-hours privileges.
5. UWPD may ask any individual to leave the building. Individuals shall respect this request, and may contact the SACGB chair after the incident with questions or if they feel this request was unreasonable.
6. If an individual who has off-hours key access into the building loses his or her ID, the individual shall report this to the SAC Floor Manager and the SACGB Chair so that the SAC floor manager and the SACGB chair may de-activate the individual’s access.
7. Off-hours access will be granted, at most, until the end of the academic year. Individuals may re-apply at the end of this term.
8. The SAC floor manager may suspend off-hour privileges if a violation occurs. The SAC floor manager will then consult with the appropriate disciplinary body.
Section 4. Access Policies
1. WSUM may determine which of their team members need off-hours access. When names are added or deleted from the off-hours access list, the WSUM management shall contact the SAC floor manager.
2. WSUM Members who have been granted off-hours key access to the WSUM office within the Student Activity Center may bring in a reasonable number of personal guests, not to exceed three, when they enter the office after SAC hours of operation. The motivation behind this exception is safety to the team members as they move around Madison and the SAC space to and from the WSUM office.
3. WSUM Members may bring in a reasonable number of business-related guests. They will accompany the guests whenever in SAC space. WSUM Members will be fully responsible for the actions of their guests while they are in the SAC space.
4. If a WSUM Member is found to have violated the off-hours policy, the SACGB shall inform the WSUM management or vice versa. The WSUM management will then have the ability to discipline the team member in the manner they see fit. The SACGB retains the right to levy additional penalties against the member as described below:
a. If after being granted off-hours access to their respective office, an individual is found in violation of any policy stated here, that individual must earn a score of one hundred percent on the off-hours access quiz. Individuals may take this quiz as many times as necessary to achieve the required score.