Radio’s Resilience: “It’s not as dead as people think,” says WTHS advisor

The arc of radio has certainly passed its peak. The medium that gave rise to the radio star not only had to compete with video but is now fighting music subscription services. Yet even in the era of Bluetooth and Spotify, radio continues to grip listeners. According to Pew data from 2022, 82% of Americans 12 years and older consistently listen to radio at least once a week.

What’s the appeal? The WTHS executives say that radio’s ability to curate music and be authentic is something streaming services can’t beat.

In 1956, WTAS, standing for “We’re the Anchor Station,” first aired on radio waves. Beginning within the confines of a Kollen-Hall dorm and eventually centralizing to Martha Miller in 2007, WTAS– later renamed WTHS (We’re The Hope Station) – continues broadcasting to the Holland area. The FM station runs 24/7, curating music for its listeners and incorporating student-run segments.

 “Right now we currently have 24 DJs,” Sarah Shubert said. Shubert (26’) is the general manager for WTHS. DJs or “Disk Jockeys” typically host an hour-long show, where they either burn a CD of music or facilitate a talk show. “The genres are really far and wide-reaching,” Schubert added. 

Some DJs spend their segment sharing music centered around a theme, while others mimic a talk-show style, discussing various topics, and sometimes bringing guests onto their shows. 

“A good hour is something that’s got theme to it,” Jon Tanis said. Tanis (28’) is a program director for the station. He described how he centers his show, titled “I’m Jon” around a specific theme, which inspires the music he features. 

Zack Davis, an event director for WTHS, also hosts a segment on the station. Called “Fruit Salad” and airing Tuesday nights at 6:00 p.m., he plays music that reflects his state of mind, all while infusing a touch of humor.“I read funny Yik-Yak posts once after every song,” Davis (27’) said. 

“It’s like miniature fame,” he described. “It really means a lot to all the DJs, just to know that someone is actually listening and paying attention.” Data analytics corroborate this sentiment. 

“On any given week we have anywhere from 500 to 1000 livestream listeners on our website, and that doesn’t account for all the people on the actual radio,” Schubert said. 

Dave Murray, the faculty advisor for WTHS, explained how listening rates increase during the school year. “We’re so different than the commercial radio stations who are so formatted,” he said. “These guys [WTHS DJs] are doing their own thing, playing their own music, and that’s what makes it appealing to a lot of people.” 

“With commercial radio, all the announcers have to be upbeat and happy,” Murray said. But WTHS offers something different. It’s not scripted or heavily structured; students talk about and play the music they want, so long as it abides by FCC guidelines. 

“I want people to know that I experience the same things as them, and that my show is just a complement to that,” Davis said. 

Grace Fernandez, a new music director for WTHS, described how talking on air is a form of self-expression. “With the age of social media, we see that people like to share their lives with people,” she said, “and for me, radio is one of those ways that I can share myself with people.” 

“I do a segment on my show where I talk about whatever movies or shows that I’ve watched within the past week,” she said.  A lot of my show is talking about random things that have happened throughout the week.”  For Fernandez, radio serves as a laid-back way to communicate. “It’s a space where I feel so comfortable,” she said. 

Angie Miguel (25’), the promotions director for WTHS, shares this feeling. “I don’t really realize there’s people listening, it feels like we’re just having fun,” she said, discussing her show with Schubert, titled “A Pinch of Us.” 

Broadcasting on the station not only provides connection with other students at Hope, but also with the DJs’ families. “My family listens in a lot,” Miguel added, “that’s how they hear about my week.” While only available to the Holland area through radio waves, the station can be streamed internationally from the WTHS website. This provides worldwide access– for free. 

“We’re literally making a mixtape for the world,” new music director Levi Sargent said. 

So why listen to the radio? Tanis says there’s something special about the selection of the music. “For me, one of the special things about radio, which you don’t get as much with digital streaming, is having music curated for you by somebody else, by somebody who cares deeply about the music that they’re presenting to you.” 

Sargent agreed with this statement. “There’s a difference between looking up top hits of the 90s and actually going to listen to a 90s hits radio station,” he said. “You also can’t undermine the fact that radio still manages to be more accessible than a lot of other forms of music.” 

WTHS is especially accessible, not only providing worldwide coverage, but also 24/7 coverage. When there’s no one hosting a show, music is supplied via a digital audio delivery system. Fernandez described it as their song library. “As the new music directors, we’re in charge of adding new songs to that library,” she said. 

“It’s amazing how well it runs,” Murray said, describing the station’s software. “Everybody who’s here has a passion for it and treats it [the equipment] really nice.”

Schubert conveyed that the station is looking to encourage more student engagement. “I think our radio station is a personal creative expression to mold yourself,” she said. “We want it to be a welcoming, open-ended avenue for students, and a place where you can find community among all the ruckus.” Any student can apply to be a DJ or work to produce a show. To learn more, visit the WTHS website at wths.hope.edu. 

“It’s our responsibility to help preserve this medium, because there is a culture behind it, there is history behind it, a music empire was built over airways, and we can’t just let that crash and burn,” Sargent said, reflecting on his appreciation for radio. “Video may have killed the radio star, but the radio’s still kickin’.”

(Featured image source: WTHS team)