Turntables in on-air studio of college radio station Radio 1190. Photo: J. Waits

College Radio Watch: Remembering September 11, WKNC’s Law-Themed Podcast and More News

By Jennifer Waits on September 9, 2016 in College Radio, College Radio Survivor

It’s hard to believe that his weekend marks the 15th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Although I was far away in California, I’ll never forget waking up to the news and then spending the day glued to television reports of the horrific scenes in New York City, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon.

That night I was scheduled to do my weekly radio show on KFJC and it was the last thing that I wanted to do. Yet, I also knew that trying to find a fill-in would have been tough, since all of us at the station were probably in the same state of shock and sadness. I managed to do my show, playing music that helped me sort through the day’s events. I also figured that listeners were probably tuning to KFJC that night because they wanted to take a break from the terrible news on television and knew that music-oriented college radio could provide some sort of temporary respite. And for me, as the DJ, doing radio turned out to be a form of therapy and an escape. Some weeks that’s needed more than others.

College radio station WSOU at Seton Hall University will be airing special programming this weekend as an observance of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Public affairs programming this Saturday will include an episode of “Thank God for Monday,” featuring a disaster-response crisis counselor. Additionally, the show Pirate News Desk will include “offer student perspectives on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks,” according to a statement from WSOU. The station will also air a moment of silence at 9am Eastern time on September 11.

WKNC Launches “Legal Werk” Podcast

North Carolina State University’s college radio station WKNC has launched an intriguing new podcast, “Legal Werk,” that addresses legal issues that students may encounter. According to a press releases from WKNC, the podcast features “in-depth interviews with lawyers from NC State University Student Legal Services.” So far, the series has discussed the topics of students being “stopped by the police, throwing parties on campus, and protesting safely.”

In addition to the podcast version, the show also airs terrestrially on WKNC during the weekly public affairs show “Eye of the Triangle.” In a statement, WKNC’s adviser and Associate Director of NC State Student Media Jamie Lynn Gilbert explains that, “WKNC has wanted to expand our podcast offerings, which is why we decided to create the position of podcast manager this summer.” She adds, “We were especially interested in helping students understand legal issues, particularly with Student Legal Services moving from Talley Student Union into a less high-traffic office in Pullen Hall. Through ‘Legal Werk’ we can publicize their services while providing our student audience with important information about their legal rights.”