High School Radio Day is coming up next week on Wednesday, April 23rd and it already looks like at least 60 high school radio stations will be participating in this 3rd annual event. As I mentioned last month, there’s some great energy surrounding high school radio right now, with numerous stations applying for new LPFM licenses last year.
Chicagoland Radio and Media reports that around 8 high school radio stations in the Chicago area plan to participate this year, one of which (WGBK) I was lucky enough to visit back in 2009. In Maryland, WKHS also plans to participate. According to the Talbot Spy, “The Broadcasting Program at WKHS has produced dozens of stories of students who had successful careers in the world of radio, television and film.”
I celebrated High School Radio Day a bit early this year by visiting pioneering high school radio station WHHS-FM at Haverford High School in Havertown, Pennsylvania last week. WHHS is one of the oldest high school radio stations, having been granted its FM license in 1949. Last year, thanks to a generous gift, WHHS undertook a major effort to remodel its studios. When I visited the station last week, enthusiastic student staffers spoke about their passion for the station and about their hopes to continue doing radio in college.
After visiting WHHS and also after talking to some college radio DJs last week who had starting volunteering at college radio stations while still in high school, it became clear to me that young people (even teenagers) are still quite interested in doing radio. Those students who have high school radio stations on campus are the recipients of an amazing gift.
If you are at a high school radio station, what do you have planned for High School Radio Day?
