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WSTB on the air / High school radio station relaunches following nearly a month of silence

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RPC Photo / Bob Gaetjens; WSTB 88.9 FM DJ Shane Felger, a senior at Streetsboro High School, operates the station on the first full day of its return after about a month off the air.

by Bob Gaetjens

Editor

Streetsboro -- WSTB 88.9 FM is back on the air.

Streetsboro High School senior Tom Gilmer said the station was back on again at 5:25 p.m. Nov. 13, less than an hour away from being off the air for 30 days.

Federal Communications Commission rules require noncommercial FM radio broadcast license holders to file a special request to remain off the air longer than 30 days, or risk losing their license.

School Board President Kevin Grimm said the district had filed a request to remain off the air past the 30-day limit.

"Had we needed to be off the air longer, we could have been," said Grimm.

The Streetsboro High School radio station was taken off the air Oct. 13 when district officials found "inappropriate" photographs on the station's computers, according to Superintendent Linda T. Keller.

WSTB General Manager Bob Long said he's relieved to be broadcasting again.

"It's good to be back on-air," he said. "My student staff is going to be able to go back to work."

District Technology Coordinator Steve Cain, who was tasked with reconfiguring the radio station's software, said the computers at the station are working fine.

"As far as the station is concerned, its automation system is currently in use," he said. "The kids were great with helping get everything back online and back up."

Figuring out how to create playlists and voice logs for times when the station is unmanned was one of the things that kept the station off the air as long as it was, Long said.

Bill Weisinger, the program director for the Sunday Oldies Jukebox, said the show aired last weekend according to its normal schedule from 3 a.m. Nov. 16 until 4 a.m. the following morning.

Streetsboro High School Principal Michael Berner said he and Long are still working on some operational changes at the station. For starters, he said either Long or a substitute teacher will be in the studio whenever students are in it.

E-mail: bgaetjens@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3941