Yes, Temple has its own radio station. Not just W.R.T.I., the jazz and classical station, but W.H.I.P. 91.3 FM, a student run radio station.
Conceived by Adam Mitchell in 1997, the station has finally gotten on the air. At first they only were on a few hours with a couple of shows in the spring semester, but they are now on Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“Our radio station is here to serve the student population,” said Shannon Moore, a Temple senior and the station’s General Manager. The current format includes hip-hop, R&B, punk rock, and alternative shows. Shannon is also working to pioneer the first talk show to deal with issues specific to Temple.
“Our mission is to push for diversity. We feel that there is a lot of helpful information that we can distribute,” Moore said.
At this time, the station can only be heard in or around the Student Activities Center.
“We have the transistors to reach the dorms, but we need a grant to help get them installed,” said Scott Heard, Vice President and Temple junior.
W.H.I.P., which is an acronym for “we have infinite potential,” holds its general meetings every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in room 207 of SAC. Students are encouraged to come to these meetings. The station is looking to expand and create business, public relations, and engineering departments.
The station is looking to get widespread campus coverage. Shannon and the rest of the staff said anyone from any major could come to the meetings.
“Student support is encouraged. If Temple sees involvement by the students, we can grow more,” said Michelle Gonzalez, music director and Temple sophomore.
One of the main problems the station has faced is lack of exposure. Not many students are aware of W.H.I.P., but the station is looking to fix that. Most of the current staff came upon the station by accident.
“I went to W.R.T.I. to work there, and they were the ones who referred me to W.H.I.P.,” said Adam Lees, a freshman punk rock DJ. He is also a Temple student government representative. Tina Moran, the station’s program coordinator, said she heard of the station through an organization book.
“We’re having growing pains right now, but it will come together” Lees said. One of the ways the station has tried to get more coverage is with its own web site. Presently, Scott Heard’s web site (https://unix.temple.edu/~sheard) has a page dedicated to W.H.I.P. Heard is working on getting the station its own web address.
The station is also involved in many of the campuses various organization meetings. On Dec. 7th, the station hosted what they called “A Celebration of Cultures.”
During the meeting, campus groups got together and gave presentations on their organizations by explaining their goals. The overall goal was to improve awareness of the different campus groups, as well as to bring people together which is an extension of the station’s mission.
The mission states: “W.H.I.P. is a youth-oriented mechanism of empowerment that creates a powerful forum for cultural, intellectual, and informational exchange throughout the campus.”
With continued student support the station will continue to grow and will be better able to serve as a voice for the student population.
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