Story by Kristie Corney, Bluffton University Icon intern
Challenges such as a constantly changing staff, a name change and merger phasing could really bring down a business. However, Bluffton University's radio station, 99.3 FM WBWH-LP has stood strong through all of this and is better than ever.
The staff and students who are involved with the organization have big goals for the 2010-2011 school year.
As the staff is made up strictly of Bluffton University students, it is always changing. However this year's staff has stabilized. Every person who is on the WBWH-LP payroll was also on it last year.
Chris Welch is the station manager, Alex Woodring is the assistant station manager, Bracton Eicher is the business manager, Colin Kriegel the sports director, Ashtyn Schafer is the web designer and Kristie Corney and Marlon Young are disc jockeys.
In addition to the paid student staff, there are 12 students that regularly participate in station duties. Dan Fultz, Bluffton University assistant professor of communication, is the faculty advisor, as he has been for several years. Since the main staff has stayed the same, they feel it will be easier to get their goals accomplished for this year.
"Having an experienced staff will really help in achieving the goals we have for the upcoming year," said Kriegel.
Although it is a small station, WBWH-LP has big changes coming. The staff has three main goals they are seriously pushing toward. The first goal is online streaming. What this means is that all broadcasting and shows can be listened to via the station's website.
This is a big deal for the station as it will now be able to reach everyone, everywhere instead of just those inside the 15-mile radius of its current signal.
The next big goal is merging with the Witmarsum, which is the student-run campus newspaper. Since the Wit has gone strictly online, both parties felt the best move would be to merge together to collaborate on delivering campus happenings. The staffs are currently working on a name for the newly merging departments.
Both will still operate separately and keep their respective names; the new name is just for merged projects. In addition to the first two goals, the station is also designing a new logo.
"I am excited for the streaming project. We have experimented with it in the past with a temporary website and now are pushing toward a permanent option," said Welch.
While the station has changes coming, it has already gone through some changes in the past year. First, and most noticeable, there has been a computer lab consisting of 12 new computers put in for use of students working for the station and who are communication majors.
Before the station had one computer other than the one that runs the music. This could sometimes be difficult as it made it hard for students to edit and produce things that needed to go on-air.
Another change that has taken place is that the station has started broadcasting area sporting events for high schools such as Bluffton, Pandora-Gilboa, Cory-Rawson and Van Buren.
Since the station only has a 15-mile broadcasting radius, the FCC required it to add "LP" for low-power after its call letters, changing the name to 99.3 FM WBWH-LP Bluffton.
The station has gone through big changes and will continue to over the next year due to a dedicated staff. "I will not graduate until we get these things done. That's all there is to it," said Welch.
Kristie Corney is a student in a feature writing class instructed by Mary and Fred Steiner at Blufton University.
