High school radio
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High school radio within the United States is almost as old as radio broadcasting itself. Simply defined as a radio station, with its studios located at a high school and usually operated by its students with faculty supervision, stations fitting this description existed in the mid-1920s. Little is recorded about these stations, but like other low-powered stations of the era, their programming would tend to be sporadic, with music and readings performed live by the station's performers - the era of playing records would not be established until the 1950s. The combination of the Great Depression of the early 1930s and new restrictions enacted by the Federal Communications Commission forced all of the high school stations off the air by 1934.
It would not be until the late 1940s, with the advent of the 88-108 MHz FM Radio band that renewed interest was shown in HS radio. The oldest HS station on FM is WHHS in Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, which started broadcasting in 1949. The station is still broadcasting today. As the FM band increased in listenership in the next few decades, the number of HS stations increased with it. By the 1970s, there were over 150 HS stations across the country. In addition to this number, there have always been untold numbers of unlicensed stations using carrier current (popular through the 1970s), extremely low power or "Part 15" stations, and closed circuit broadcasting. Many of the licensed stations are assigned to suburban school districts in a few large metro areas: Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle and to a lesser extent San Francisco and Cleveland. There have historically been very few H.S. stations in the Southeast.
While some HS stations became important training grounds for students who would go on to careers in broadcasting, the perception of HS stations as poorly programmed and supervised helped contribute to the downfall of many stations. After a steady decline in their numbers in the 1980s and '90s, the availability of LPFM licenses has renewed interest in HS radio, at least in rural areas where the LPFM license is most readily available.
Today's HS stations, particularly in rural areas, serve as de facto community radio stations when classes are not in session.
[edit] Difficulties of high school broadcasting
Many HS stations were first licensed in the 1970s on the FM band, just as the band was beginning to fill up and become crowded in many cities. As a result, HS stations tended to be low-powered (under one kilowatt) in most instances.
- The expense involved with maintaining broadcasting equipment.
- Among more powerful HS stations, especially in urban markets, the station's license could become very valuable. This would tend to tempt school administrators to sell the license, usually to a local college, or public or Christian radio broadcaster. Several HS stations have met this fate: KCDC, near Denver, operated sporadically for years before being sold to a public broadcaster. WYCS-FM, near Hampton Roads, Virginia, is now a Christian radio station. Several smaller stations have been transferred to colleges.
- Many of the lowest-powered stations that held "Class D" licenses had no legal protection against higher powered stations applying for their frequency, and thus many were simply forced off the air.
- Instructors or faculty involved with initially establishing the radio station leave or retire and the school is unable to find replacements. Disinterest then begins to build amongst the students.
- HS stations must air at least 12 hours daily, or they are left open for a third party to apply for a timeshare on the frequency, as in the case of 2004, when Hoosier Public Radio Corp. of Greenfield, Indiana, applied for such against seven HS and college radio stations in Indiana and Kentucky. In March 2005, the FCC ruled against HPR in the case of four of the affected stations, granting the affected stations renewed licenses. The cases in the other three stations are still pending.
- A general perception that radio technology is no longer as exciting to high school students as newer technologies such as the Internet. Many HS stations are now spending more time relaying public radio outlets than producing their own programming.
[edit] List of American high school radio stations
"Defunct" refers only to the stations themselves and not necessarily the schools that operated them. The dates listed often refer to the year when the station's license was formally revoked by the FCC, though in most cases the station had ceased broadcasting years before that.
This list only includes stations that were/are licensed by the FCC. No licensed HS stations are known to have existed in Alabama, Hawaii, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
[edit] Alaska
- KDHS-LP-95.5 Delta Junction - Delta H.S.
- KAMP-LP-92.9 St. Michael - Anthony A. Andrews School.
[edit] Arizona
- KRMH-89.7 Red Mesa - Red Mesa H.S.
- KGHR-91.5 Tuba City - Grey Hills H.S.
[edit] Arkansas
- KCAC-89.5 Camden - Camden Career Center.
- KVMN-89.9 Cave City - Cave City H.S.
[edit] California
- KCEA-89.1 Atherton - Menlo-Atherton H.S.
- KBSH-89.9 Borrego Springs - Borrego Springs H.S. (defunct)
- KBPK-90.1 Buena Park - Buena Park H.S. (station now operated by Fullerton College)
- KVHS-90.5 Concord - Clayton Valley H.S.
- KECG-88.1 El Cerrito - El Cerrito H.S.
- KGAR-LP-93.3 Lemoore - Lemoore Union H.S.
- KNBS-90.3 Manteca - East Union H.S. (defunct-1980)
- KAKX-89.3 Mendocino - Mendocino H.S.
- KBHI-88.9 Modesto - Beyer H.S. (defunct-1980)
- KSFH-87.9 Mountain View - St. Francis H.S.
- KOEN-89.7 Oceanside - Carlsbad H.S. (defunct)
- KSPB-91.9 Pebble Beach - Robert Louis Stevenson School
- KRBH-LP-107.7 Red Bluff - Red Bluff H.S.
- KRVH-101.5 Rio Vista - Rio Vista H.S.
- KXHV-89.7 Sacramento - Sacramento H.S. (defunct-2003)
- KYDS-91.5 Sacramento - El Camino Fundamental H.S.
- KSRH-88.1 San Rafael - San Rafael H.S.
- KTUO-99.1 Sonora - Tuolomne H.S. (defunct)
- KNHS-89.7 Torrance - North H.S. (defunct-1991)
- KVIK-91.5 Travis AFB - Vanden H.S. (defunct-1990)
- KBDG-90.9 Turlock - Turlock Union H.S. (station sold - now an ethnic broadcaster)
- KWHS-91.7 West Sacramento - Washington H.S. (defunct-1983)
[edit] Colorado
- KCDC-90.7 Longmont - St. Vrain Valley Career Development Center (station sold in 2002, now a public radio station)
- KURA-LP-98.9 Ouray - Ouray H.S.
- KFBS-1260 Trinidad - School District No. 1 (1920s)
[edit] Connecticut
- WSLX-91.9 New Canaan - St. Luke's School.
- WWPT-90.3 Westport - Staples H.S.
- WWEB-89.9 Wallingford, Connecticut - Choate Rosemary Hall Foundation.
[edit] Delaware
- WMHS-88.1 Pike Creek - Thomas McKean H.S.
- WMPH-91.7 Wilmington - Mount Pleasant H.S.
[edit] Florida
- WUCR-LP-107.9 Lake Butler - Union County H.S.
- WTHS-91.7 Miami - Miami Technical H.S. (defunct)
- WGAG-89.3 Orlando - Oak Ridge H.S. (defunct-1989)
- WTHA-LP-107.1 Seaside - Seaside Charter School.
- WKPX-88.5 Sunrise - Piper H.S.
- WPFL-88.9 Winter Park - Winter Park H.S. (defunct-1982)
[edit] Georgia
- WBHS-LP-106.7 Brunswick - Brunswick H.S.
[edit] Idaho
- KIBQ-91.9 Idaho Falls - Idaho Falls H.S. (defunct-1980)
- KLHS-88.9 Lewiston - Lewiston H.S. (station transferred to Lewis & Clark State College in 2003, but is currently off the air)
[edit] Illinois
- WBPR-88.5 Barrington - Barrington High School (defunct-1982)
- WRTE-89.5 Cahokia - Cahokia H.S. (defunct-1989, unrelated to the current Chicago station with this callsign)
- WLTS-1160 Chicago - Lane Tech High School (1920s)
- WBHI-90.7 Chicago - Bogan H.S. (defunct)
- WEPS-88.9 Elgin - Elgin High School
- WDLJ-88.5 Evanston - Evanston Township High School (defunct)
- WGHS-88.5 Glen Ellyn - Glenbard West High School (defunct)
- WAES-88.1 Lincolnshire - Stevenson High School
- WRHS-88.1 Park Forest - Rich Twp. H.S. (defunct-1982)
- WMTH-90.5 Park Ridge - Maine East High School
- WARG-88.9 Summit - Argo H.S.
- WNTH-88.1 Winnetka - New Trier High School
[edit] Indiana
- WDSO-88.3 Chesterton - Chesterton H.S.
- WJHS-91.5 Columbia City - Columbia City H.S.
- WDHS-90.9 Gaston Wes-Del H.S. (defunct-1987)
- WRGF-89.7 Greenfield - Greenfield-Central H.S.
- WHCI-88.1 Hartford City - Blackford H.S.
- WHWE-89.7 Howe - Howe Military School (defunct)
- WVSH-91.9 Huntington - Huntington North H.S.
- WJEL-89.3 Indianapolis - J. Everett Light Career Center
- WBDG-90.9 Indianapolis - Ben Davis H.S.
- WEDM-91.1 Indianapolis - Walker Career Center
- WRFT-91.5 Indianapolis - Franklin Central H.S.
- WKPW-90.7 Knightstown - Ralph Eder Vocational Career Center
- WHSK-89.1 Kokomo - Central H.S. (defunct)
- WJEF-91.9 Lafayette - Jefferson H.S.
- WCYT-91.1 Lafayette Township - Homestead H.S.
- WBRO-89.9 Marengo - Crawford County H.S.
- WWDS-90.5 Muncie - Delta H.S.
- WWHI-91.3 Muncie - West H.S. (station sold to Ball State University-2004)
- WNAS-88.1 New Albany - New Albany H.S.
- WEEM-91.7 Pendleton - Pendleton Heights H.S.
- WETL-91.7 - South Bend - James Whitcomb Riley H.S.
[edit] Iowa
- KDPS-88.1 Des Moines, Central Campus.
- KWDM-88.7 West Des Moines, Valley High School.
[edit] Kansas
- KHHS-88.1 Hillsboro - Hillsboro H.S. (defunct-1980)
[edit] Kentucky
- WRHR-LP-95.3 Corbin - Corbin H.S.
[edit] Louisiana
- WBEH-89.3 New Orleans - P.G. Beauregard School (defunct).
- WBRH-90.3 and KBRH-1260 - Baton Rouge - Baton Rouge Magnet H.S.
[edit] Maine
- WMOS-95.3 Bath - Morse H.S. (Defunct)
- WBHS-91.9 Brunswick - Brunswick H.S. (Defunct-1981)
- WSHD-91.7 Eastport - Shead Memorial H.S.
[edit] Maryland
- WBYQ-96.7 Baltimore - Dundalk H.S. (defunct)
- WSPH-88.1 Sparrows Point - Sparrows Point H.S. (Defunct-1979)
- WKHS-90.5 Worton - Kent County H.S.
[edit] Massachusetts
- WHAB-89.1 Acton - Acton-Boxborough H.S.
- WPAA-91.7 Andover - Phillips Academy (defunct 2002)
- WBMT-88.3 Boxford - Masconomet Regional H.S.
- WBPV-90.7 Charlton - Bay Path Vocational H.S. (station sold to a religious broadcaster)
- WIQH-88.3 Concord - Concord-Carlisle H.S.
- WGAJ-91.7 Deerfield - Deerfield Academy
- WCCT-90.3 Harwich Port - Cape Cod Regional Technical H.S. (sold to Cape Cod Community College-2003)
- WDBY-91.7 Duxbury - Duxbury H.S. (defunct)
- WWTA-88.5 Marion - Tabor Academy
- WQLI-88.7 Newbury - Governor Dummer Academy (defunct)
- WRPS-88.3 Rockland - Rockland H.S.
- WBSL-91.7 Sheffield - The Berkshire School
- WTBR-89.7 Pittsfield - Taconic H.S. (defunct)
- WYAJ-97.7 Sudbury - Lincoln-Sudbury H.S.
- WHSR-91.9 Winchester - Winchester H.S. (defunct)
[edit] Michigan
- WAHS-89.5 Auburn Hills - Avondale H.S.
- WCHW-91.3 Bay City - Bay City Public Schools
- WBFH-88.1 Bloomfield Hills Andover H.S.
- WKDS-89.9 Kalamazoo - Norrix H.S. (now defunct)
- WEJY-97.5 Monroe - Monroe H.S. (station now operated by a community college)
- WRFK-LP-107.7 Mt. Pleasant - Mt. Pleasant Baptist Academy (defunct)
- WOPR-90.3 Oak Park - Oak Park H.S. (defunct)
- WOAS-88.5 Ontonagon - Ontonagon Area H.S.
- WBLD-89.3 Orchard Lake - West Bloomfield H.S.
- WBBP-1260 Petoskey - Petoskey H.S. (1920s)
- WORW-91.9 Port Huron - Northern H.S.
- WOAK-89.3 Royal Oak - Royal Oak H.S. (defunct)
- WSHJ-88.3 Southfield - Southfield H.S.
- WMLZ-LP-107.9 Temperance - Bedford H.S.
- WTSD-88.1 Waterford - Waterford H.S. (defunct)
[edit] Minnesota
- KBEM-88.5 Minneapolis - North H.S. (station still exists, but is no longer student-run)
- KDXL-106.7 St. Louis Park - St. Louis Park H.S. (station shares time with KUOM-FM, St. Louis Park, owned by the University of Minnesota) KUOM-FM is the FM simulcast of KUOM-770 AM, the student-operated station at the university.
[edit] Mississippi
- WPWS-LP-104.3 Piney Woods - The Piney Woods School
[edit] Missouri
- KRHS-90.1 Overland - Ritenour H.S.
- KOMR-89.3 St. Louis - Mehlville H.S. (defunct-1979)
[edit] Montana
- KHTC-89.5 Helena - Helena Vo-Tech (defunct-1990)
- KPLR-LP-96.9 Poplar - Poplar H.S.
- KTGC-LP-101.3 St. Regis - St. Regis H.S.
- KDGZ-LP-98.3 Townsend - Broadwater H.S.
[edit] Nebraska
- KOCH-1160 Omaha - Central H.S. (1920s)
- KFOX-1210 Omaha - Technical H.S. (1920s)
[edit] Nevada
- KGLH-91.5 Gerlach - Gerlach H.S. (defunct-1990)
- KPOT-LP-93.9 Jackpot - Jackpot Combined School.
- KLME-FM-88.1 Battle Mountain - Battle Mountain H.S. (defunct-1975)
[edit] New Hampshire
- WSPS-90.5 Concord - St. Paul's School
- WPEA-90.5 Exeter - Phillips Exeter Academy
- WLLO-LP-102.9 Londonderry - Londonderry H.S.
[edit] New Jersey
- WAJM-88.9 Atlantic City - Atlantic City H.S.
- WBGD-91.9 Brick Twp. - Brick Twp. H.S.
- WBEK-88.1 Cherry Hill - Cherry Hill Twp. H.S. (defunct-1984)
- WCVH-90.5 Flemington - Hunterdon Central H.S.
- WRRH-88.7 Franklin Lakes - Ramapo Regional H.S. (defunct)
- WVHP-90.3 Highland Park - Highland Park H.S. (defunct)
- WLCR-89.7 Lawrence Twp. - Lawrence H.S. (defunct)
- WRMH-LP-101.7 Linwood - Mainland Regional H.S.
- WJSV-90.5 Morristown - Morristown H.S.
- WVPH-90.3 Piscataway - Piscataway H.S. (station is now shared between the high school, Livingston College, and Rutgers University)
- WWPH-107.9 Princeton Junction - West Windsor-Plainsboro H.S.
- WOGH-88.9 West Orange - West Orange H.S. (defunct-1981)
- WHPH-90.5 Whippany - Hanover Park Regional H.S. (defunct)
[edit] New York
- WBXL-90.5 Baldwinsville - Charles W. Baker H.S.
- WXBA-88.1 Brentwood - Brentwood H.S.
- WBKT-93.3 Brockport - D.W. Field H.S. (defunct-1991)
- WSVS-1370 Buffalo - Seneca Vocational School (1920s)
- WCSQ-89.3 Central Square - Central Square H.S. (defunct-1991)
- WHHJ-88.9 Dix Hills - Half Hills Hollow East H.S. (defunct-1981)
- WELV-LP-107.9 Ellenville - Ellenville H.S.
- WSHS-90.3 Floral Park - Sewanhaka H.S (defunct-1964)
- WSHR-91.9 Lake Ronkonkoma - Sachem North H.S.
- WOSS-91.5 Ossining - Ossining H.S. (defunct-1998)
- WPOB-88.5 Plainview - John F. Kennedy H.S.
- WIRQ-104.7 Rochester - Irondeqouit H.S.
- WSCS-89.5 Sodus - Sodus H.S. (defunct-1990)
- WKWZ-88.5 Syosset - Syosset H.S.
[edit] North Carolina
- WUAW-88.3 Erwin - Triton H.S.
- WSEQ-LP-92.9 Hudson - South Caldwell H.S.
- WSER-LP-100.1 Lenoir - South Caldwell H.S.
- WRSH-91.1 Rockingham - Rockingham H.S.
- WHYC-88.5 Swan Quarter - Matamuskeet H.S.
[edit] Ohio
- WKHR-91.5 Bainbridge - Kenston High School
- WCNE-88.7 Batavia - Clermont Northeastern H.S. (Defunct 1989 - Station used to have shared access with and channel is now operated solely by WOBO http://www.wobofm.com)
- WBHR-88.7 Bellaire - Bellaire H.S. (defunct-1989)
- WCWT-101.5 Centerville - Centerville H.S.
- WGXM-98.1 Dayton - Northridge H.S. (station now operated by the University of Dayton)
- WDEQ-91.7 De Graff - Riverside H.S.
- WGVO-91.5 Greenville - Greenville H.S. (defunct-1989)
- WKET-98.3 Kettering - Kettering H.S.
- WLMH-89.1 Morrow - Little Miami H.S.
- WNHS-LP-105.7 Newcomerstown - Newcomerstown H.S.
- WRCJ-89.3 Reading - Reading H.S. (defunct-1989)
- WSTB-88.9 Streetsboro - Streetsboro H.S.
- WKTL-90.7 Struthers - Struthers H.S.
- WABR-1140 Toledo - Scott H.S. (1920s)
- WXTS-88.3 Toledo - Scott H.S.
- WUHS-91.7 Urbana - Urbana H.S. (defunct-1989)
- WLHS-89.9 West Chester - Lakota H.S.
- WUHS-LP-96.9 West Union- West Union H.S.
[edit] Oregon
- KCHC-91.7 Central Point - Crater H.S. (defunct-1981)
- KHMS-1420 AM Coos Bay - Marshfield H.S.
- KEPO-92.9 Eagle Point - Eagle Point (defunct)
- KFSL-LP-99.5 Fossil - Wheeler H.S.
- KPAI-LP-103.1 Paisley - Paisley H.S.
- KZSO-LP-106.5 Sisters - Sisters H.S.
[edit] Pennsylvania
- WASD-88.1 Exeter - Wyoming Area H.S. (defunct)
- WZZE-94.9 Glen Mills - Glen Mills School.
- WMSS-91.1 Middletown - George W. Feaser H.S.
[edit] Rhode Island
- WCVY-91.5 Coventry - Coventry H.S.
- WJHD-90.7 Portsmouth - Portsmouth Abbey School.
[edit] South Carolina
- WCEW-90.9 Charleston, South Carolina - C.E. Williams Middle School (defunct-1988)
[edit] Tennessee
- WKCS-91.1 Knoxville - Fulton H.S.
- WQOX-88.5 Memphis - Craigmont H.S.
- WIKU-91.3 Pikeville - Bledsoe County H.S. (defunct-1988)
- WQTR-LP-106.1 Savannah - Hardin County H.S.
- WMTN-LP-94.1 Sewanee - St. Andrews-Sewanee School
[edit] Texas
- KRSM-93.3 Dallas - St. Mark's School of Texas (defunct-1997)
- KQAT-LP-104.9 Hallsville - Hallsville H.S.
- KPHS-90.3 Plains - Plains H.S.
[edit] Utah
- KGVH-91.7 Gunnison - Gunnison Valley H.S. (defunct)
- KSME-90.7 Manti - Manti H.S. (defunct)
- KMTP-91.1 Mount Pleasant - North Sanpete H.S (defunct)
- KOHS-91.7 Orem - Orem H.S.
- KPWN-90.9 Parowan - Parowan H.S. (defunct)
- KPGR-88.1 Pleasant Grove - Pleasant Grove H.S.
- KUHS-90.9 Roosevelt - Union H.S. (defunct)
- KUIB-89.1 Vernal - Uintah H.S. (defunct)
[edit] Vermont
- WVEP-88.3 E. Montpelier - U-32 H.S. (defunct-1981)
- WYTC-LP-89.1 Hyde Park - Lamoille Union H.S.
[edit] Virginia
- WFOS-88.7 Chesapeake - Chesapeake Public Schools
- WHCE-91.1 Highland Springs - Highland Springs H.S.
- WVLS-89.7 Monterey - Highland H.S.
- WBBW-1350 Norfolk - Ruffner H.S. (1920s)
- WSCE-LP-95.7 Woodstock - Central H.S.
- WYCS-91.5 Yorktown - York County H.S. (station sold to religious broadcaster)
[edit] Washington
- KAHS-LP-106.5 Aberdeen - Aberdeen H.S.
- KASB-89.3 Bellevue - Bellevue H.S.
- KGHP-89.9, 89.3, 104.5 Gig Harbor - Peninsula High School
- KTCV-88.1 Kennewick - Tri-Cities Vocational Skills Center
- KMIH-104.5 Mercer Island - Mercer Island H.S.
- KUBS-91.5 Newport - Newport H.S.
- KNHC-89.5 Seattle - Nathan Hale H.S.
- KFIO-1110 Spokane - North Central H.S. (1920s)
- KVTI-90.9 Tacoma - Clover Park Vo-Tech.
- KYVT-88.5 Yakima - Yakima Valley Tech Skills Center.
[edit] West Virginia
- WCKV-89.5 Ceredo - Ceredo-Kenova H.S. (License returned, 1993)
- WFGH-90.7 Fort Gay - Tolsia H.S. (formerly located at Fort Gay H.S. through 1992)
- WRSG-91.5 Middlebourne - Tyler Consolidated H.S.
- WPHP-91.9 Wheeling - Wheeling Park H.S.
[edit] Wisconsin
- WBSD-89.1 Burlington - Burlington H.S.
- WGBP-90.7 Green Bay - Premontre H.S. (defunct-1982)
- WLXS-LP-101.5 La Crosse - School District of La Crosse
- WESD-94.7 Schofield - D.C. Everest H.S. (defunct-1988)
- WSHS-91.7 Sheboygan - Sheboygan North & South High School (Sheboygan Area School District) (station carries Wisconsin Public Radio's Ideas Network outside of school hours)
[edit] Wyoming
- KYDZ-90.1 Cody - Cody H.S. (defunct-1997)
- KJHB-LP-97.7 Jackson - Jackson Hole H.S.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Radio Station Treasury 1900-1946 by Tom Kneitel - A collection of reprints of public domain radio directories. ISBN 0939780046