Montco Radio, the student-run Internet radio station at Montgomery County Community College officially opened its new studio in the Advanced Technology Center, Blue Bell, during a ribbon cutting celebration on March 13.
Streaming live 24/7 via the Internet, Montco Radio provides Digital Audio Production majors — as well as students from all areas of study — with hands-on radio experience both on the air and behind the scenes.
Speaking at the ribbon cutting, College President Dr. Karen A. Stout called Montco Radio “a model for the integration of curricular and co-curricular student involvement on campus.”
“Montco Radio is unique in that it brings together students from all backgrounds and majors to share their passions with a worldwide audience over the Internet,” she said.
Student Manager Chelsea Epstein notes that Montco Radio offers something for everyone.
“We have programs that range from rock, metal, punk pop, a local music show that broadcasts a live band every week, to barbershop quartet. We even have a DJ from Italy who does her show in Italian and now even broadcasts from Italy when she visits there,“ she said.
Epstein, who completed internships with Clear Channel Philadelphia, believes the work she’s doing at MCCC will prepare her for a career in the field.
“Being a station manager is a great feeling because I really want to work in radio when I’m done school,” she said. “It’s really great to put everything I learned into the brand new [Montco Radio] station.”
Morgan Betz, Montco Radio co-advisor and assistant professor of communications, works very closely with the students and experienced their reactions to the new studio first hand.
“The students love the new space. It is truly a state- of-the-art professional environment where students can get hands-on experience that will help them in their future careers,” he said.
Betz notes that students are involved many aspects of Montco Radio, whether it be hosting their own shows, being a DJ, engineer, creating PSAs, organizing events, helping with Music Mondays and Wednesdays, or providing live sound for other College events.
“Students can go to professional radio stations already trained on the equipment they use there every day,” he shared.
Radio at MCCC dates back to the late 1960s, when it began as a student club to DJ music on campus. In the early 1970s, the station gained audience when it began broadcasting in the College Hall cafeteria at the Central Campus in Blue Bell. The station began broadcasting on the Internet in 2003, and in 2008, the College began offering Campus Radio Workshops I and II, resulting in more professional content.
Today, Montco Radio can be heard internationally on the Internet by visiting www.montcoradio.com or by clicking the green microphone icon on the lower left corner of the College’s website, www.mc3.edu.
Montco Radio Co-Advisor and Communications Lecturer Jeff Asch, who is also a news and sports anchor for KYW NewsRadio, hopes the new studio, located in the heart of MCCC’s Advanced Technology Center, will promote student interest in the station.
“We wanted a bigger studio to accommodate multiple show hosts and guests,” he explained. “The new facility allows the Montgomery County Community College community to see us in action, as well as being able to see out onto campus and the lobby of the Advanced Technology Center.”
“I think it gives our students the opportunity to learn and hone their skills in radio on state of the art equipment and in a professional environment.”
by Christine Muszynski