(Submitted photo)
By Anna Skinner
Carmel High School offers its students some things that other high schools can’t: a completely student-run radio station.
And, in addition to offering the WHJE 91.3 FM radio station, the students involved compete yearly in the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters, an event that takes place at the University of Indianapolis each March.
Jack Kizer, a CHS senior and sports director for WHJE, said the team is working together to regain the top spot at the IASB competition.
Last year, they placed second behind Franklin High School for the Best Run Student Station, but two years previous they placed first.
“The station as a whole is really great. Our program at a high school level is very similar to college and professional levels,” Kizer said. “It’s completely student-run, so we do everything from organizing music to making promotions.”
The station broadcasts everything from music, promotions, public service announcements, news and CHS sports. The station can be heard as far south as northern Indianapolis and as far east as Fishers, but Kizer said the span doesn’t advance much beyond that.
“Since we got second place as a whole radio station, we are trying to improve our communication processes,” Kizer said. “Our teacher is giving us ways to improve different pieces of work like different technical stuff. Whatever work we feel is best, we submit to (IASB).”
Upwards of 100 high schools compete at IASB each year.
In addition to WHJE placing second as a radio station, Kizer individually placed second in the Sporting Event Broadcast category at IASB as a sideline reporter.
“I’m the sports director, so I organize all sports broadcasts,” Kizer said. “We have a sports talk show, and we really try to be as professional as possible in everything we do. We bring people in for interviews all the time.”
For more, visit whje.com.
