The Charger Blog
Dozens of Chargers, including current and former members of the UniversityӰԭs award-winning radio station, gathered to reflect on the stationӰԭs first 50 years on-air and to look to its next five decades of broadcasting and creating memorable opportunities for students.
June 14, 2023
JJ Dionisio Ӱԭ25 recently sat at the microphone at , preparing to go on-air. This was no ordinary broadcast, though. Members of the University community Ӱԭ including alumni who helped establish the UniversityӰԭs award-winning radio station 50 years earlier Ӱԭ surrounded him. There was a feeling of excitement Ӱԭ anticipation, even Ӱԭ as Dionisio prepared to officially kick off WNHUӰԭs 50th anniversary celebration at the station and across the airwaves.
Program director for WNHU, Dionisio led the countdown as Chargers sipped champagne. There were 50 years of the student-run stationӰԭs history to celebrate as part of this milestone, as well as the stationӰԭs future.
ӰԭIt was cool to meet people who did my job in the past,Ӱԭ said Dionisio, a music and sound recording major. ӰԭI feel itӰԭs an honor to do my job, and meeting them reinforced that perspective. Seeing those with this same passion that exists in me was meaningful, and I didnӰԭt know there were so many who also had it. This is very special to me and very emotional. It made me feel that IӰԭm doing the right thing.Ӱԭ
When Dionisio helped officially mark the 50th anniversary of the launch of WNHU, he turned the microphone over to Pete Sotere Ӱԭ74, who greeted listeners as his fellow Chargers cheered. A founding member of WNHU, Sotere was second person to broadcast on-air.
ӰԭItӰԭs great that itӰԭs still here after 50 years and still on-air,Ӱԭ said Sotere, who is among which airs every Monday night. ӰԭIt was an honor to be here, and I hope to be here in spirit for the 100th anniversary celebration. I hope all the enthusiasm here today is still here then. This is fantastic.Ӱԭ
The celebration included a wide array of alumni who have been involved with the station, as well as current students. It lasted the entire weekend of the anniversary, bringing together Chargers past and present for campus tours and a reception. It also included a discussion about the stationӰԭs next 50 years led by professional in residence and WNHU general manager Bruce Barber.
Barber, a Connecticut radio veteran, discussed his interest in new technology, from advancements in digital technology to podcasting. He expressed his excitement about the richness of radio as a content platform, as well as the promise of what it can achieve. While part of the discussion focused on artificial intelligence, something Barber called a Ӱԭgame changer,Ӱԭ he was confident there will remain an important place for radio.
ӰԭAI is doing amazing things, but it isnӰԭt humanity Ӱԭ and that exists right here in radio,Ӱԭ he said. ӰԭItӰԭs a great time to be alive and to be a content creator. I hope this celebration of how far weӰԭve come will continue for the next year. I think we need to take what we learned and discussed, let it marinate, and keep it alive. ThatӰԭs our goal.Ӱԭ
Jess Finn Ӱԭ24, WNHUӰԭs station manager, joined Barber in the discussion. SheӰԭd been looking forward to the celebration, and she says she was ӰԭhonoredӰԭ to be a part of it.
ӰԭSeeing the passion that alumni put in, something I could still feel among them, I realize how important it is to honor the past and everything they did,Ӱԭ said Finn a communication major. ӰԭI hope this will inspire students. I want to be sure we all understand the work the stationӰԭs founders put in. Even though I hadnӰԭt met them before, we all still felt like family.Ӱԭ
Those alumni who took part in the celebration shared their own experiences at the station, including what it meant to them to be a part of WNHU and how their involvement prepared them for their careers. Don Fertman Ӱԭ76, who was among the stationӰԭs original founders, says he was thrilled to return to his alma mater to celebrate all the station has achieved since his time as a member of the stationӰԭs student crewmembers.
ӰԭBeing here 50 years after we went on air, itӰԭs like we never left,Ӱԭ he said. ӰԭItӰԭs like IӰԭm 19 again. IӰԭm so confident that with the stationӰԭs current leadership, that original spirit, the culture of radio, and the community of listeners are all being carried forward based on what we did 50 years ago. TheyӰԭve made it even better with the technology of today.Ӱԭ
Current students also reflected on their own exciting and memorable experiences at the station. For Logan Dumas Ӱԭ24, Ӱԭ25 MBA, co-hosting a weekly variety show called ӰԭThe Kitchen SinkӰԭ with Dionisio has been particularly enjoyable. The show has enabled them to share their music tastes Ӱԭ Dumas has highlighted jazz, and Dionisio has covered electronic dance music Ӱԭ as well as music from TV shows.
Dumas was excited to be a part of the 50th anniversary celebration that helped him feel connected with the stationӰԭs past and present, and inspired him to contemplate its future.
ӰԭBeing part of the anniversary celebration gives me even more respect for what the station does,Ӱԭ said Dumas, a music and sound recording major. ӰԭEveryone talked about the vibe, and it shows when I see those who have built the station. It gave me even more respect for the past and for the future. I canӰԭt wait to be here for the 100th anniversary celebration when IӰԭm in my 70s.Ӱԭ
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