Thunder Radio, the school’s morning radio station, has become a good source for music in the last few semesters. But could this small station become the stepping stone towards a bright future for radio broadcasting?
Grade 9 student Craig Rosensweig thinks it might.“More technology is always good” he says. But what if Thunder Radio became a full-on station? Right now the station doesn’t broadcast outside the school’s hallways. It sounds like a real station and feels like a real station but, due to the limitations and costs of a real radio license the station can’t broadcast on the radio waves. “No, I think it should stay the way it is”, replies Rosensweig. Saldua also replies “No, because people outside the area have little interest in our school, so there isn’t much interest in a full-on station.”
Right now, broadcasting is a popular job field. But would the inclusion of a radio course prompt more student interest? Alec Malcolmson, a Grade 12 student, thinks so. “Yeah, I’d consider taking it. I’d really like to be able to do my own thing with radio, as opposed to what it is now”. However, Rosensweig and Saldua disagree. “I don’t think I’d take it because it’s not of any interest to me”, says Saldua. “I don’t have a need for radio, so I wouldn’t need that course”, replies Rosensweig.
Mr. Braband, one of the Tech teachers at Thornlea, shows great enthusiasm towards a full-day radio station, as “it will help to give students a new view of radio.” As for more technology programs, “it depends on how many courses the school board will allow us to hold. A live TV/radio program would be very beneficial, but it really depends on whether the school board will give us permission to create the course, and whether enough students are genuinely interested in taking the course,” he adds.
Thunder Radio has a bright future ahead, but in order for radio to become reality at the school, student interest needs to be visible. Hopefully, The Spirit Of Radio will live on at Thornlea for many years to come.
Hopefully the Radio does indeed continue on next year. Having a legitimate station would not be verry cost effective at all. As one student commented, very few peopel outside of the school have any interest in the daily on-goings or potential boradcasts. I think that having a link somewhere on thornlea’s website writing down what songs were played in the morning would be helpful though. It’s just a thought. I enjoyed your article but I don’t fully understand why you brought up the idea of having a legitimate station.