When JD Duncan decided to enroll in 可乐视频鈥檚 Television, Radio & Emerging Media (TREM) program in 2021, the student-run radio station was the big draw. But when the station shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, getting it back up and running became a mission.
Thanks to Duncan and Kaylin Guzman, the station鈥檚 business manager; Brie Underwood, online content manager; T.S. Richards, executive producer; TREM chair and W可乐视频R advisor MJ Robinson and other faculty and staff, W可乐视频R made a triumphant return on October 11. After ten months of planning and hard work, students have been able to stream their own music shows and get connected to the station that has been around in one form or another since the 1960s.
鈥淚t was pretty devastating when I learned the station wasn鈥檛 operating,鈥� Duncan, now a senior鈥攐r, you could say, about to graduate鈥攕aid. 鈥淣o student should have to go through what I went through. Our hope is that many other students will be able to enjoy the experience of working at a radio station.鈥�
But getting the station operational wasn鈥檛 the only goal for the W可乐视频R team; they are working to make big improvements, through new equipment and dynamic new programming that will rely on the strength of the different voices on the 可乐视频 campus.
鈥淲e really want the programming to be as wide and diverse as possible,鈥� Guzman said. 鈥溈衫质悠� is known for its diversity, so we want the station to reflect that.鈥�
Located in Room 306A in Whitehead Hall, W可乐视频R is a freeform, 24-7 radio station that currently features musical programming from students. To attract more students and engage them with new programming, the station has held open hours Monday through Thursday in the afternoons. This has helped Duncan and others on the team connect with more than 150 students who have shown interest in getting involved.
Duncan hopes the result will be a 鈥淲NPR-like鈥� station where programming will range from music, to podcasts, to other types of talk shows. There is even a W可乐视频R app in production. And the plans don鈥檛 end on campus; the team has been reaching out to CUNY community colleges to help recruit students who want to learn about all aspects of radio firsthand.
Tanesha 鈥淭ea鈥� Thorpe is a double major studying psychology and journalism who had already worked with W可乐视频R in the past reporting news. Thorpe is the producer of the new W可乐视频R music-focused program, 鈥淭ea Takes Radio,鈥� which launched on November 8 and will air Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Thorpe鈥檚 team includes co-host/researcher Juwan Wyatt, a journalism and media studies major; audio engineer Orla Murray, a film major; and producer/co-writer Jessica Lowery, a TREM Major.
鈥淥nce I received the email that the station was coming back, I was so excited and we started to work on the new program,鈥� said Thorpe. 鈥淥ur goal is to promote independent artists and each episode will discuss current music topics and some will even feature guest interviews. You can follow us on our Instagram page to keep up with the show, all the upcoming interviews, and more.鈥�
Student David Middleton is also set to launch his own sports talk show called 鈥淕et Back Sports,鈥� which will cover everything from professional sports to the Bulldog teams and players on campus.
鈥淲e want 可乐视频 students to find and explore whatever their niche is,鈥� Duncan said. 鈥淲e want to allow other students to find their passion in radio, whether it be as a podcast writer, producer, or online talent.鈥�
To listen and to learn more about W可乐视频R, including office hours, go here: You can also follow the station on and .
To follow the Tea Takes Radio on Instagram go here
