WMEB and its ongoing transformation

Cleary-Reuning seated in her office at WMEB headquarters in the Memorial Union

Jess Cleary-Reuning is employed at WMEB, a student-run radio station, as the Station Manager. She is currently overseeing the transition into an all-encompassing broadcast organization. Her main role is to serve as a driving force for getting things done and choosing which direction to go in.

“It’s been really great to put a lot of energy into building a space for community and creativity and then to watch community and creativity kind of play itself out in that space. It’s been my favorite part,” said Cleary-Reuning.

Cleary-Reuning is also responsible for planning out the schedule each semester, running weekly staff meetings and conducting one-on-ones with the six other positions. They set goals together for the semester and she works closely to help everything get accomplished.

Recording station at WMEB

“I originally was hired as the program director in March of 2022, the spring semester of my sophomore year. But there was not much going on here… There were three staff members, but they were all graduating in a month, there were no DJs. Then I quickly was promoted, technically, to a station manager and started hiring a group of students,” Cleary-Reuning said.

Cleary-Reuning runs a show previously titled “Jettfuel” every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The name was derived from a nickname sophomore year, as Jett sounds similar to Jess. However, her show is undergoing a revamp and is now called “The Mystic Brew,” based on a jazz fusion song by Ronnie Foster.

“When I first started at the radio station, I had no broadcast experience. I’ve always liked music and I’ve always loved listening to different types of music, but it’s always been really scary… I wasn’t very comfortable doing my radio show at first but then a semester into my job, I was like ‘how can I lead a radio station if I’m not doing the main thing that we’re focusing on’?” said Cleary-Reuning.

“Jettfuel” was was initially two hours worth of Cleary-Reuning’s song choices. With the name change, she is falling into more of a rapport with the audience and able to expand the schedule. Every other week, she will be welcoming a leader of different organizations on campus to speak on their experiences. It will serve as a window into all kinds of roles in the UMaine community, which would be specifically useful for incoming students seeking to learn about campus goings-on.

One of the first guests will be President of UMaine Student Government Michael Delorge. On the off weeks, she intends to provide media reviews on top of her typical streaming of music. Cleary-Reuning will be giving her two cents on various books, tv shows, movies, concerts and events that she has experienced. She considers this sharing of thoughts to be her “mystic brew” and the interviews a “mystic brew” for the campus.

When asked what sort of attributes Cleary-Reuning looks for when hiring newcomers, she explained how initially WMEB had such a small social media presence, that the first two positions had only one interview each. However, in recent months, they had to hire for a position with upwards of 20 applicants, after the student body showed a strong interest at the involvement fair this fall.

“One of the big things I look for when hiring is controlled ambition. I want someone to be able to do things and have passion for the radio station, and drive themselves to do what they need to get done. But I want it to be in their position, if that makes sense. They can go, but they’re not doing other people’s jobs. Understanding their position and where they stand and what they need to do to help everyone work,” Cleary-Reuning said.

Cleary-Reuning spends a great deal of time in the WMEB office, located in the basement of the union. Staff members hold three office hours per week and hers are every Monday from noon to 1 p.m. as well as Tuesdays and Thurdsays from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. With her show, weekly staff meetings and check-ins, Cleary-Reuning frequently hangs out in her office in between those obligations. There is a coffee maker, a refrigerator to store lunch and an excellent community established for company throughout her day.

Hayden Buzzel and Benji Kuebler seated in WMEB common area

“I really appreciated watching the station community come together over the last two years. Like I said, when I started here, there was minimal staff, minimal on-air presence and you would come in here and… nothing. There would just be a robo-DJ playing music, you wouldn’t see a soul,” said Cleary-Reuning.

When asked about continuing in the field of broadcast media, Cleary- Reuning shared that she has declared a minor in journalism and that her current thesis revolves around media studies and media history. She is researching the role of radio in the past, present and future.

“Providing a place for people to speak their minds and share what they think is really important as well as communicating information to people is some of the most important things that can be done within a community. So, I am focusing more in that direction with my future,” Cleary-Reuning said.

Bulletin board with radio station history documents

Lastly, she emphasizes that anyone can access WMEB programming through the local channel 91.9 FM.

“You should tune in! It’s an FM radio but we also have a stream link on our website so you can listen on your computer or your phone. And follow us on instagram,” said Cleary-Reuning.