After operating (despite a weak signal) throughout the 1970s, WEXP suffered what would arguably be its biggest setback in 1980. On September 15, a student installed a transmitter to WEXP’s existing antenna on top of the Union building. The student did so “without consultation” and “exceeded FCC Federal Communications Commission capabilities”, according to federal documents dated in October. As a result of this setup, WEXP could be heard throughout the east coast. Listeners requested songs from as far away as Albany, New York, and the station could be heard as far south as Miami, Florida. FCC officials in Washington did not press any charges, which could have included a $10,000 fine and imprisonment for a year. The incident forced the university to shut down the radio station entirely, and led to an apparent distrust of the student organization for many years.