By Will Gilson, Currier Times Staff///

April 1st, 1975, Curry College acquired a Federal Communications Commission license to WMLN 91.5, an FM radio station that allows students to broadcast right in the heart of campus. While Curry’s radio major, the oldest in the country, was established in 1932, students had to go over to WLOE, the radio station at the Hotel Bellevue on Beacon Hill in Boston to practice broadcasting.

Today, the 170 watt-powered station on campus is entirely student-run, and continues to serve as a place for students to prepare for careers in the broadcasting business.

On April 1st, 2025, Curry celebrated 50 years of WMLN with a special broadcast featuring the Director of Radio, Professor Ken Carberry, who graduated from Curry in 1980, and current station manager and senior communication major, Thomas Crisafulli, with some alumni calling in and sharing their WMLN stories.

As a Curry alum from 45 years ago, Professor Carberry is happy that WMLN is still going strong.

“I’m excited to see WMLN hit 50!” Carberry said. “WMLN is an excellent training ground for students who are interested in radio, podcasting and audio.”

Carberry also says that while the physical station building is roughly the same, the equipment has changed a lot.

“The room that now serves as our Podcast Studio was a record library – the walls were lined with albums from floor to ceiling,” Carberry said. “Now, of course, all of the music is digital and is downloaded from the internet.”

Other alumni from the early days of WMLN expressed gratitude to WMLN for preparing them for careers in broadcasting. Mark Snyder, class of 1976, was a student the first year WMLN was established, and says his work led him to a successful career in radio.

“It meant a lot of hard work to get the FM license paid off!” Snyder said. “I hosted the Entertainment Minute and the Sixty Second Trivia Quiz on Magic 106.7 and five other stations for six years.”

Such hard work is very common among WMLN students. Class of 2021’s Brandon Clay, who served as WMLN’s Program Director, says that he still uses the skills he learned at WMLN for his current afternoon drive DJ job at 101.7 The Bull, a country station in Boston.

“I still use everyday tools and tips that I learned at WMLN and from Professor Carberry in my every day Radio shift here in Boston at IHeartRadio,” Clay said. “But the biggest thing that I’ve learned is to always jump at an opportunity when it’s presented to you.”

Current WMLN students like Crisafulli, who has a part-time job at WEEI, a Boston sports station, echo Clay’s words.

“WMLN has prepared me for my future by giving me the foundational skills to work at any radio station across the country,” Crisafulli said. “I’m lucky to have gotten my foot in the door at WEEI in the city and that is thanks to the experience I’ve gotten at WMLN.”

WMLN will also be hosting an event on April 17th from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. to further celebrate 50 years. For registration, please visit the Curry College website. Everyone is invited!

Happy Anniversary WMLN, and here’s to another 50 years!