Sitting in his Student Media Center office one fall Saturday, Neil Price looked out the window and saw the essence of Mississippi State—Bulldog students and fans tailgating on Davis Wade Stadium’s front lawn prior to kickoff.
As the general manager of MSU’s campus radio station, he said in that moment, he felt the station’s future changing in real time. What was WMSV–World Class Radio, is now The Junction—renamed for the outdoor hub of Bulldog tailgating, which is also a beacon for the community and family that surrounds the university.
Broadcasting on the frequency 91.1, the student-programmed FM station provides listeners community-based content accompanied by “adult album alternative” music, or a AAA format, that broadly appeals to adult listeners.
“The AAA format is where blues, Americana, indie rock, alternative country, pop and jazz all come together,” Price said. “It’s a junction where all different types of music converge. With this idea that we want to be a full-service community radio show, we also are going to be a place where the campus and the Golden Triangle can come together to see what’s happening in their own backyard: The Junction.”
The 24/7 radio station has a 70-mile reach in the Golden Triangle, including the MSU campus, Starkville, West Point and Columbus. After celebrating its 30th year in operation, the station’s leadership decided to rebrand with Mississippi State’s mission in mind. David Garraway, associate director of the Office of Public Affairs and University Television Center director, saw how The Junction fits within the land-grant university’s motto of service, learning and research.
“We are here to provide a service to the community and ensure students get an experiential learning laboratory,” he said. “It’s like the many things this land-grant institution does so well. We are using the power of teaching and learning to empower students to help better the community.”
Though the station is focused on area-specific content, topics range from MSU news and sports to local and global issues. Listeners outside the broadcast range can listen from across the world with the TuneIn app or online at wmsv.msstate.edu.
Humble Beginnings
WMSV first went on the air in 1994 led by founding general manager Steve Ellis, who had a passion to share news, train students and entertain listeners. That, in essence, was the mission of the campus radio station—a mission it stays true to today. In fact, not much had changed at the station since that first early ’90s broadcast. When Price entered the station, he saw worn-down carpet, walls with chipped paint and analog radio equipment in a digital world.
“It’s not anyone’s fault,” Price said. “You can see how much people loved and poured into this radio station. It just happens to be time, and we’re getting it done and moving forward to provide the best service we can.”
The Future is Bright
Since Price took over in 2023 as WMSV’s third general manager, the station has replaced the tower antennae, installed new carpet and repainted the offices while other building renovations are underway.
“The goal is make sure it’ll go another 30 years,” he said. “It’s a generational project. We’ve rebranded as The Junction and want to be a heavy presence here. We’re not doing anything earth shattering; we’re just taking steps. We’re here to help people, and we want to give students a chance to learn and grow.”
Price now serves as the director of communications for MSU athletics, lending his talents to football, baseball and men’s basketball radio broadcasts as the Voice of the Bulldogs. Becca Thorn has taken the reins as WMSV general manager and is poised to continue the rebranded station’s new vision and mission.
An Appalachian State University graduate, Thorn served as the music director and news director for The App’s 90.5 WASU radio station while in college. Understanding the value in a college radio station, she is pairing her passion for broadcasting and teaching to help lead the station on the heart of Mississippi State’s campus.
“I want to see students as the face of this station, I’m just here to mentor and lead,” she said. “My goal is to take all the great work Neil has done in the rebrand and get as many eyes and ears on it as possible. I’m hoping now that we’ve got the train on the tracks, we can take off and expand the reach of the station.”
Expanding the reach of WMSV may include seeing radio station personnel at farmer’s markets on Saturday mornings, interviewing students on MSU move-in day or simply tailgating at football games and informing the public about the university, nonprofit charities or upcoming events. On game days, The Junction outside Davis Wade is the focal point of campus. With a targeted mission and vision in sight, Garraway wants that same presence on the airwaves.
“We’ve redeployed our resources to create an on-air product that’s more relevant to the community,” he said. “We continue to employ students from across campus to support that on-air mission. We are making long-term strategic investments into the station to ensure we remain relevant decades in the future. We are a community presence and will remain a community presence.”
By Mary Pollitz, Photos by Emily Grace McCall and Beth Wynn