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- Published on Monday, 22 April 2013 16:00
The second annual High School Radio Day celebration is coming this Wednesday, April 24th. The special day, observed by terrestrial and Internet radio stations run by U.S. high schools, salutes these stations, along with the students and advisors who operate them.
High School Radio Day was started after the success of College Radio Day. Even though some high school stations participated in that event, Pete Bowers -- the station manager of Bloomfield Hills, MI high school radio station WBFH-FM -- felt the high school stations deserved annual recognition of their own.
High School Radio Day is also being done to help raise awareness about the small number of remaining high school radio stations nationwide. Shrinking budgets has reduced the number of radio stations for students. According to Bowers' estimates, there are only around 200 high school radio stations left in the country, and that number seems to shrink annually.
Last year, the first annual High School Radio Day was held on May 16th, with around 30 schools participating. This year, the date has been moved up by almost a month. For 2013, at least 44 high school radio stations from 19 states will be taking part in this event.
Among the Chicago area high school radio stations participating are:
WLTL-FM 88.1 (Lyons Township High School)
WRWX-FM 88.1 (Ridgewood High School)
WDGC-FM 88.3 (Downers Grove North/South High Schools)
WDSO-FM 88.3 (Chesterton High School)
WGBK-FM 88.5 (Glenbrook South High School)
WARG-FM 88.9 (Argo Community High School)
WRHS-FM 89.7 (Ridgewood High School)
WRHS (Online only) (Reavis High School)
Some of the stations have special events planned. Others are simply hoping the public will tune in to hear the creative programming alternatives being offered by many of these high school stations, as opposed to what is being offered on the coprorate-owned commercial radio stations.
More information can be found on the
High School Radio Day website.
WNAS-FN in New Albany, IN, was the very first high school radio station to be licensed by the FCC. The New Albany High School student-run station has been broadcasting since May 1949.
