College radio is one of the most appreciated aspects of campus life by many students. Having an on-campus radio station on campus provides the students with a personalized gateway for local news, music, entertainment and athletic events. The city of Elyria is no exception. Located in the upper northeast region of Ohio, Elyria sits approximately forty miles south of the Canadian border. Within this small town, lies a community college nestled deep in the heart of Lorain County which has a campus that is comparatively similar to any other school of the like. However, there is a special aspect which sets this campus apart from other facilities. The difference is ‘The Duck’. The Lorain County Community College proudly presents “L.C.C.C. Radio.com – College Radio Heard Round the World’; a live stream, internet radio station affectionately known as The Duck, featuring an animated mascot whose name is Ducky Ramone.

Tim ‘Boogieman’ Bradley and Paul ‘Wiseguy’ Cesaratto are some of the hottest on-air personalities featured on The Duck. These two characters have been hosting their own live, heavy metal music show for approximately 7 months. The name of their show is simply called The Abyss. Tim, like many other students, began his career by taking an introductory course in radio.

“I started off as a bartender and running the music at parties. I have always been into music like Slayer, Metallica, Cannibal Corpse and horror movies from the 80’s like Friday the 13th, so I usually just played what I wanted to because my friends didn’t really care what I played. I took an Intro to Radio class, and my teacher told me to come down to the station and became a DJ.”

Tim is an expert when it comes to explaining how the broadcasting process runs.

“Live broadcasts follow a specific protocol that begins with a format hour. Basically what this refers to, is when you are allowing the computer to choose the songs for you. So, I have to sit through listening to things like Justin Timberlake for an hour, but it is a small price to pay for being given the ability to play metal for 4 hours. We also have to write down every one of the songs and what time each one aired on a log sheet. We do this to cover our asses, just in case a song contains cuss words and we don’t catch it”.

Tim’s co-host and trusty sidekick, Mr. Paul Cesaratto (aka. Wiseguy,) began as the “production guy”, helping with recording the promos and programming music into the system. With a love for newer metal music such as Disturbed, Hell Yeah and 5 Finger Death Punch, Paul and Tim’s musical taste clicked instantly.

“I have a love for action and gangster movies such as Good Fellas and Casino, and I can be a bit of a smart ass. Hence Tim named me Wiseguy as my on-the-air name.”

When asked about the general layout of the show, Paul elaborates by explaining the basic ground rules.

“First of all… NO CUSSING!” “The show follows a specific outline. We have to insert a weather report during the first fifteen minute break, followed by an announcement about the school at the thirty minute mark.” Paul continues, “Then during the forty-five minute break, the DJ is allowed to plug whatever they want, including stuff like letting the audience know about any up and coming concerts in the area or maybe any new album releases. There is a disclaimer at the top of every hour which states that the views expressed by the DJ’s, does not represent the opinions of the Lorain Community College.”

When asked about what measures would need to be taken if someone wanted to start up their own, independent station, Paul had this to say.

“As far as running an internet radio show, first of all, the station would need a domain name; basically a way to stream the show. Then of course, you would to obtain an FCCC and hire some disc jockeys. Also, since most songs being played on the air are copy written, you have to pay a company a fee in order to play the material.”

With 99% of their fan base residing outside of the Ohio area, Boogieman and Wiseguy have recently been contemplating the use of podcasts, in order to branch out from the school radio scene. Rumor has it that they would eventually like to incorporate sports into their show as well. If you are an avid heavy metal fan or just want to find out what the weather is like in Elyria, Ohio, tune into www.lcccradio.com on Friday afternoon at 4 pm until 9 pm, Eastern Standard Time to hear the frightening sounds of The Boogieman and Wiseguy, as they deliver heavy, ear-spanking music for the metal soul.
And Remember Kiddies… Stay Scared!