MIDDLETOWN – A lot of radio stations are reliable because you know what to expect when you tune in.

The Top 40 stations that have Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars on a loop. The country stations that pull from several decades but only one genre. Or the classic rock stations that typically only play the biggest hits from legendary artists and one-hit wonders alike.

Then there is 90.5 FM The Night – Brookdale Community College's 1,000-watt public radio station – which is reliable because it is unpredictable.

From Bob Dylan to The Killers, Johnny Thunders to The Decemberists and iconic international acts like The Rolling Stones and U2 to local artists, such as River City Extension and Quincy Mumford, the station's eclectic, nearly "anything goes" playlist is what has helped earned it recognition from a growing base of listeners from throughout Monmouth County and beyond.

"When most people talk about radio, most of the time they talk about the right side of the dial, with commercials and commercial interests. But when you get to the left side of the dial you're really talking about people who have a heart for music and in the case of this station, it's true localism at its best," Station Manager Tom Brennan said. "That's what we try to incorporate here, by providing people in the area with quality programming and a mix of music that can't really be heard anywhere else. Even with other public radio stations across the country, we are certainly unique in what we do."

A lot of the station's success can be attributed to its location and listenership.

"There are certain standards in the format that we play, but because we are where we are and our listeners are who they are we're able to play things that a lot of other radio stations with our format won't touch," Brennan said.

Because it is situated between New York and Philadelphia, and just minutes from the popular music venues like The Stone Pony, The Saint and Count Basie Theater, The Night is a convenient stop for local and national acts promoting their upcoming gigs and latest albums.

"The fact the venues in the area are booking artists that we're playing and are continuing to do it, means our fans have an opportunity to show up and support musicians they might not have otherwise heard," Brennan said.

Those fans have also helped support the station itself over the years. While much of The Night's funding comes from the college and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, listeners have also donated substantial amounts of money during the station's membership drives that has not only helped fund the station's regular operations but also the technological advances it needs to compete with larger commercial radio stations, such as the ability to stream online.

Several years ago, the station received an unexpected boost during a membership drive from its most high profile listener.

"During one of the membership drives, our music director Jeff Raspe was on the air and Bruce Springsteen called in and asked if he could come in. We said: 'Yeah, we think we could squeeze you in,'" Brennan joked. "And hearing what he had to say, that he listens to us when he drives his kids to school, was cool because that's what a lot of people do."

By being located on Brookdale's campus, the station has the ability to incorporate students and fresh ideas into its daily operations.

"We try to bring in students as much as we can. We have student interns, students on the air and even former students on the air. There's always someone new walking through the door asking if they can help out with something and we're trying to help them out with what they want to do. For us, it helps make a truly unique mix and a cohesiveness that you really can't find anywhere else," Brennan said. "The only problem, if you want it call it that, is that if we do our jobs right the students are gone in two years, just when they start getting into the groove, because they're graduating and moving on to four-year colleges to pursue gigs in radio."

While The Night's playlists and musical guests bring listeners to the station on a daily basis, Brennan said some of the station's most memorable moments had nothing to do with music, such as when the community finds itself in a state of emergency.

"In the days after Hurricane Sandy, everybody here found a way to communicate with each other internally to coordinate what we were doing over the air," he said. "We were really bare bones, with lot of people coming in in the dark and past trees that were down over power lines. But as a licensed radio station for the community, we needed to figure out a way to get information out to people. Our crew of people did that and did it very well. It was a blur, but it will be something I always remember."

The station's excellence in programming and service to the community has not gone unrecognized. The Night was recently awarded "Top Radio Station (To Support Local Music)" at the 2014 Asbury Music Awards. It was the 14th consecutive year it won the award.

"I guess it means we're doing something right," Brennan said.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.