Tucked away on the first floor of the TECH Center, student-run radio station WHIP has finally found a home and is expected to broadcast live via the station’s Web site by the end of this month.
After a two-year wait, construction of the studio, which consists of a broadcasting studio, an engineering room, a production studio and a newsroom, is finally finished and student radio personalities are now conducting test streams. Last semester, WHIP, which stands for “We Have Infinite Potential,” was expected to be ready for a live broadcast. Andy Katowitz, general manager of WHIP, said that the station was waiting for Temple-hired contractors to finish the wiring in the studio before
the broadcasting process could begin.
Katowitz said the delay last semester was due to issues involving installation of equipment and new furniture for the studio. When those problems were resolved, the wiring still had not been set up.
“The directors had been told and truly believed that everything would be ready as of last semester,” said Katowitz, a junior international business administration and marketing major.
But now that the equipment is finally in the studio, the program directors are preparing their 30-member staff to start using the equipment before the live stream broadcasting begins.
“We are going in stride with the staff,” Katowitz said. “We want people to have a good feel for the equipment before we jump into things.”
The station’s Web site is already active and ready to broadcast shows. Trent Tattar, one of the station’s program directors, said the studio will stream live from the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and feed continuous music overnight. The station will play a varied assortment of music, including hard rock, hip-hop, gospel and “an eclectic mix of folk, jazz fusion and everything in between.”
“We want to be as diverse as Temple’s campus. We want to appeal to all ages and backgrounds,” Katowitz said.
Tattar said that WHIP wants to “get listeners and do good at the same time.”
The station is involved in onechildsaved.com, a nonprofit youth service organization and a non-violence campaign. It is also looking to become involved in other programs that will strengthen the community. The station’s Web site will not only feature information about what is going on with WHIP, but also what the station is doing within the community. The station will be holding a launch party most likely within the next week-and-a-half, although an exact date has not been announced, said Tatter.
The station also will continue to promote
events around campus such as the annual
Hip-Hop Fashion Show and Cafe Jams. WHIP also plans to bring popular musicians to campus.
Listen to the WHIP station at www.temple.edu/whip
Megan Kelsey can be reached at mkelsey@temple.edu.
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