Brooklyn College’s WBCR Returns
November 16, 2022
(Left to right) Kaylin Guzman JD Duncan of WBRC Radio, the student-run radio station at Brooklyn College.
When JD Duncan decided to enroll in Brooklyn College’s Television, Radio & Emerging Media (TREM) program in 2021, the student-run radio station WBCR was the big draw. But when the station shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, getting it back up and running became a mission.
Thanks to Duncan and Kaylin Guzman, the station’s business manager; Brie Underwood, online content manager; T.S. Richards, executive producer; TREM chair and WBCR advisor MJ Robinson and other faculty and staff, WBCR made a triumphant return on October 11. After ten months of planning and hard work, students have been able to stream their own music shows and get connected to the station that has been around in one form or another since the 1960s.
“It was pretty devastating when I learned the station wasn’t operating,” Duncan, now a senior—or, you could say, about to graduate—said. “No student should have to go through what I went through. Our hope is that many other students will be able to enjoy the experience of working at a radio station.”
But getting the station operational wasn’t the only goal for the WBCR team; they are working to make big improvements, through new equipment and dynamic new programming that will rely on the strength of the different voices on the Brooklyn College campus.
“We really want the programming to be as wide and diverse as possible,” Guzman said. “Brooklyn College is known for its diversity, so we want the station to reflect that.”
Located in Room 306A in Whitehead Hall, WBCR is a freeform, 24-7 radio station that currently features musical programming from students. To attract more students and engage them with new programming, the station has held open hours Monday through Thursday in the afternoons. This has helped Duncan and others on the team connect with more than 150 students who have shown interest in getting involved.
Duncan hopes the result will be a “WNPR-like” station where programming will range from music, to podcasts, to other types of talk shows. There is even a WBCR app in production. And the plans don’t end on campus; the team has been reaching out to CUNY community colleges to help recruit students who want to learn about all aspects of radio firsthand.
Tanesha “Tea” Thorpe is a double major studying psychology and journalism who had already worked with WBCR in the past reporting news. Thorpe is the producer of the new WBCR music-focused program, “Tea Takes Radio,” which launched on November 8 and will air Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Thorpe’s team includes co-host/researcher Juwan Wyatt, a journalism and media studies major; audio engineer Orla Murray, a film major; and producer/co-writer Jessica Lowery, a TREM Major.
“Once I received the email that the station was coming back, I was so excited and we started to work on the new program,” said Thorpe. “Our goal is to promote independent artists and each episode will discuss current music topics and some will even feature guest interviews. You can follow us on our Instagram page to keep up with the show, all the upcoming interviews, and more.”
Student David Middleton is also set to launch his own sports talk show called “Get Back Sports,” which will cover everything from professional sports to the Bulldog teams and players on campus.
“We want Brooklyn College students to find and explore whatever their niche is,” Duncan said. “We want to allow other students to find their passion in radio, whether it be as a podcast writer, producer, or online talent.”
To listen and to learn more about WBCR, including office hours, go here: Brooklyn College Radio – WBCR c. 2004. You can also follow the station on Instagram and Twitter at wbcr_cuny.
To follow the Tea Takes Radio on Instagram go here https://www.instagram.com/teatakesradio/
