WMEB 91.9 FM has been a campus staple since 1964 and has continued to deliver to the very best of local and non-local underground musical talent and student-born entertainment. But, who are these people behind the voices that we love so much? This week and in weeks to come, we will sit down with WMEB DJs and check their vibe to see what really makes their show pop.
This week, the Maine Campus got the opportunity to speak with one of the many voices of WMEB, Benji Kuebler, who runs his movie-critic show “Cinemascape.” He was kind enough to allow us an exclusive look at how he creates his show.
Kuebler’s show is a cinema critique program, along with a unique blend of independent
music designed to complement each weekly film. Kuebler puts his personality at the
forefront of his program. His personality is defined by opinion, and that opinion is what his
listeners show up to hear.
“I usually match my tone to whatever the movie’s tone was,” said Kuebler.
And match he does. Kuebler’s film this week was Mark Anthony Green’s 2025 horror
musical thriller, ‘Opus,’ a film the Cinemascapes DJ said, “It’s just… it wasn’t good.”
Though Kuebler’s show is primarily focused on film critiques, he often feels that his
music selections are at odds with the Northeast.
“Being from Texas, I bring a lot of these country roots a lot of the time,” said Kuebler. “I
add a lot more songs that aren’t necessarily what I think a New England person would
watch and associate with a movie.”
His music, while occasionally risqué, features a diverse blend of American and
European independent artists, which, depending on the film, adds to his often hammy
and over-the-top film commentary.
Kuebler has been a film enthusiast since his youth in Dallas, Texas. His mother would
take him to the movies with his brother.
“She kind of raised me to like movies,” he said. “Her and my brother both listen (to the
show). And so that’s very much a way, since they live so far away, for us to keep talking
about them.”
Kuebler is now a fifth-year senior at the University of Maine and has been at the radio
station for two years. He has described his time with the station as being very positive.
He highlights the sense of community that comes with working at the station.
“I’ve made a lot of friends here, and it’s really great to be in a spot where our common
interest is music, but not in a certain genre, but just in the love of the form,” he said.
Kuebler described it as being a very accepting and open space, where DJs have the freedom
to express themselves in the way that they see fit. “I think definitely since getting here, I’ve seen an explosion in everyone’s taste, a lot of new people come in with new ideas,” he said. “It’s really cool.” Catch Benji Kuebler every Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. on WMEB 91.9 FM, available on your radio and mobile devices. Be sure to tune in!
