Gagliarchives Radio
>> Frequently Asked Questions  
          

 

  • Q. Are bands and artists still sending CD's in this digital era?                        A. It's unfortunate that at this time that  the industry is changing and has been for some time. Record labels have stopped sending CD's and prefer to go the digital route. This is understandable in some ways with how the global economy is and the practicability of it. But what it's doing is hurting any airplay a band may receive by the quality that is sent to us. MP3's sounded absolutely dreadful on an FM radio signal (people forgot we were an FM radio program first) and can sound just as bad on high end radio streams which unfortunately forced us to limit the airplay we can with labels/bands/artists that sent us them. In the now passed FM radio days, the digital quality compression of low end MP3's had made the broadcast on our transmitter compressor sound terrible in its battle with making the audio sound right. Then add in the digital hiss and the digital clicks and it adds up to 'un-listenable' music. And let's face it, on our new HD stream, you want the best sound possible. We ask that labels send us FLAC or WAV files. If MP3 is the only file they can send, then we ask for 320 only. Nothing lower. Overall, we still prefer the CD because we still like to look at the whole package. Booklet, insert, CD, artwork, etc. These things are important to us in giving a band air time on our radio program. We want to know who they are. We can't lie, those bands and artists that actually send a CD do get preferential airplay.  

  • Q. What is the background music you use on your radio program?             A. Over the years, I have loved the music of Klaus Schulze. Preferably Picture Music, Timewind, X, and Moondawn. But now use lots of different background music. including Co-Ag, Nexpo Themes, and countless others. We also like use Pat Thomi's Fairy Tales album as well. 

  • Q. Are there any FM radio stations in program's future? And if so, where would you see the program in the future?                                                    A. We absolutely miss being on the FM radio waves after being there for 27 years. But there is a comfort of doing production in your own home studio. The funny thing is, you tend to make more mistakes when you are pre-recording than being live. I am not sure how we did it all those years haha! As for the 2nd part to that question, we have been curious about Princeton University's WPRB 103.3FM for many, many years. We have been reached out to by local Atlantic City stations that old radio colleagues from the WDBK days are now running. While the offers seemed interesting, it was something that was never nailed down. We have heard possibilities of WNEW in NYC as of late in 2025. We'll see how it goes and if it works for the show itself.   

  • Q. Is your program script written, or do you just wing it?                      A. Great question. The program for the last 30 years has a template that has been updated 26 times in that span. We ensure that our notes, sponsors, upcoming broadcasts are mentioned weekly. We tend to modify if stations are added, program formulas change and the like. But in crunch situations/unexpected production time in rare instances, we have been forced to wing it. 

  • Q. What happened to our beloved z889 WBZC?                                          A.  Sadly, we were shut down on January 18th, 2018, nearly 23 years to the day we first went on the airwaves in 1995. There were many factors with the shutdown. While Rowan University and Burlington County College have now combined, the factor of relocation came into the game. To move z889, it requires a lot major work just on equipment alone, both externally and internally, and the biggest elephant in the room, money. What I feared when the merger happened, was that Rowan may shut us down because the thinking would be, why pay for two FCC license? So sadly, with all the fight our fearless leader Jason Varga did without most of us knowing really how hard he tried, it just wasn't feasible to sustain. She became costly. We will miss her terribly. Especially myself for being its first member in 1993 and seeing it through to her sad demise. On the upswing, despite the creation of RCBC radio after the station got shut down, it did not last long. We are now primarily at House Of Prog Radio & Aural Moon as always  

  • Q. What recording gear do you use for the program?                                 A. I was recording the programs for many years as .wav files in Pro Logic for Mac. But since the Mac High Sierra disastrous update, it rendered it useless. I now use the Garage Band program. I prefer to use Adobe Audition for editing interviews and other production. I use a SP C1 large diaphragm, fixed-cardioid condenser microphone which has a low noise amplifier. I also use a Behringer Xenyx digital/analog mixing board. For post production I prefer using TDK CDR's since they are the most reliable recording discs.

  • Q. How come you do not play more popular progressive rock bands like Yes, Genesis, ELP, in plenty?                                                                       A. While we respect and love those bands and understand that the progressive rock scene wouldn't exist without them, we feel it is far more important to support current progressive bands and lesser known, non-mainstream enriched music. Also, during the heyday of those bands and artists, there were similar bands doing just as creative and powerful work as their contemporaries were. They will not go unnoticed. Remember the definition of the world 'progressive'.

  • Q. Why does it take so long to hear some new releases, when other times it is on 3 weeks before it is released?                                                                  A. This is our most popular question we receive. In some ways, it's luck of the draw. Imports of a new release usually come out before a North American release date. We are fortunate to be serviced by overseas outlets that ease the wait. But lately, labels are forgetting about us...again, the industry is changing.

  • Q. What is your policy on reviewing and airing music?                                A. We receive many new releases on a monthly basis.  When we do receive a recording, and it has been tracked and aired, it is then put into rotation and into the database for the year end top 100 polling.  We work on a 3 week rotation depending on the established artists new release schedule dates, and request buzz.  A band or artist, when sending their recording, will be notified by email and/or their site's forums/social media site up to that week prior to airplay on how to listen . Now with the new RIAA Radio Streaming laws, we can only air a certain amount of tracks from a release. Playlists will be posted AFTER the reruns are aired currently on Tuesdays due to file sharing laws.

  • Q. Is the program just you or are/were there other staffers involved?            A. Over the years we have had many people that have assisted in many aspects of the show's programming. From 1991 to 1993, we were often joined by Keith "The Man" Myers, Reginald Szatny, and Jon Most. Their contributions were in music, production, and new talent. By 1994, we worked with other staffers such as Roger Beckwith who was host of Roadhouse Radio opposite Janet Watts, and Steve Huston who assisted us for live in studio performances and interviews. We then became involved with Charles Nolan as a consultant who was with us from 1996 to 1997. During that time, we also became involved with George Piatkowski. George became a co-producer and took the program to even deeper levels with music obscurity. He was part of the crew until 2006. For live events, we were continuously helped by Roger Beckwith and Bob "Big Bob Lovin' Volpe at countless venues. Ken Golden of Laser's Edge has co-produced many thematic programs over the years and continues to, to this day. He is an honorary staffer.  In 2000, Jack Webster came on board and archived many in-studio events and continues to assist as videographer, photographer, and contributes to programming as well. He at times was also joined by his assistant Frank Alfeeri. There is also Brian Schenkenberger,  our online engineer at Aural Moon who maintains live broadcasts internet streams at progressive rock events and the program itself. We are assisted by Jason Varga for in studio events as well, who has now become 88.9 WBZC's Program Director. Michael Cohn is a newer part the radio program since 2013 and is our assistant and contributor. We also have added the great Kevin Feeley who is our technical advisor. He has been the focal point with our live and abroad radio shows such as NEARfest. He has always supplied top notch equipment and contributed endless hours of technology. We are also assisted in imaging by Grace Stewart and Connie Louis. 

  • Q. What were the FM frequencies that the radio program used to be on for all those years?                                                                                                 A.  In the beginning days, we broadcasted at 91.5FM WDBK from August of 1991 to March of 1994. But then. from January of 1995 to January of 2018, the radio program was heard every Saturday night at 88.9FM WBZC in Pemberton, NJ which served southern New Jersey, the Jersey Shore, Philadelphia, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Our former coverage map is located here.  We were also heard at 95.1FM W236AF in Burlington, NJ. Our coverage map was located here and served the New Jersey towns of Burlington, Burlington City, Beverly, Edgewater Park, Willingboro, Florence, Roebling, Delanco, Riverside, and the Pennsylvania towns of Bristol, Cornwells Heights-Eddington, and Trevose. We were- also heard at the 100.7FM W264BH Mount Holly, NJ. Our coverage map is located here and serves the New Jersey towns of Mount Holly, Woodlane, Southampton, Hainesport and Eastampton.  
  • Q. We don't hear any selections from the labels Mellow and Musea. You know these labels exist right?                                                                       A. Mellow Records and Musea Records do not send promos to radio stations. 
  • Q. What exactly are the F.O.G. lines?                                                              A. The FOG lines simply stand for Friends Of Gagliarchives Hotline. The term was first coined on July 9, 1992 and it stuck ever since. When I want the listeners to call in, I say "The fog lines are open at 609-894-8900..."  The one time band Finneus Gauge recorded a song on the phrase on their 1999 album, One Inch Of The Fall.
  • Q. When you do your interviews, are you using any specific kind of software?                                                              A. We are registered ZOOM subscribers. I enjoy the program because not only are you getting audio for the interview, but the video concept makes it even more exiting! 
Updated: 2/11/26