1,000 Watts of Leadership
Student-run radio station defines leadership
By Joe Mazer

It’s been a fixture on Mansfield University’s campus for years, a source of information and entertainment to a collegian community and its surrounding areas. It displays college student leadership in its finest form, teamwork to a “T.” Few know how it all began when officials powered up the transmitter and WNTE hit the airwaves.

The Leadership Team
Like a governing body of political officials in Washington, D.C., WNTE is operated entirely by MU students except for the occasional input from Faculty Adviser Bob Armstrong. Leadership and teamwork combine to form a strong core of student management. This is a unique experience for the governing group, giving them the opportunity to gain experience operating a professional radio station including the beneficial hands on training.

“All people in the various board positions work together like a finely tuned machine,” says WNTE General Manager Jackie Salerno, a junior public relations/broadcasting major. “If one part of the machine fails to operate, the station cannot be successful.” Many students of different academic majors and minors make up the executive leadership board of WNTE.

Salerno holds the top position at WNTE supervising activities of all department heads, representing the station to the MU faculty and administration, and serving as the liaison between the university president and the Board of Trustees for station policies and procedures.

Assisting Salerno with the administration of the station is WNTE Assistant General Manager Brandon Navrocki. Navrocki, a sophomore broadcasting major, is in charge of administering the WNTE certification test to new station members. “WNTE insists on training its staff to the best of the executive board’s ability,” Navrocki says. “Because we test and train each staff member, we can avoid having to excuse anyone from WNTE.”

Excusing a staff member is something the board strongly dislikes, but it is Navrocki’s job to chair the station’s judicial board. The judicial board is an elected body of staff members and board members that handle forms of station policy violation.“We provide new staff members with an information packet,” she says. “If a staff member violates station policy, they will go before the WNTE judicial board.”

It’s a goal of WNTE to ensure that staff members have vast knowledge of station policies. Program Director Jenn Glenny develops and enforces all on-the-air policy and maintains strict control over station programming in such a manner to keep it within the laws of the Federal Communications Commission, Mansfield University and WNTE policies.

Echo Scherer, the station’s business manager, prepares the station’s budget for each fiscal year and is the official representative to the MU Committee on Finance. Scherer also arranges for the payment of all station bills.

WNTE Chief Engineer Bob Horst keeps the station’s circuits flowing properly. Horst is responsible for the maintenance and installation of all station equipment as well as purchasing necessary replacement electronic material.

Katey Yenik, the station’s office manager, acts as the recording secretary at all WNTE formal meetings, takes the minutes of the meeting and ensures that all in attendance document their presence.

WNTE Public Relations Director Becky Kelsall is responsible for the promotion and publicity of the station activities. Kelsall, a sophomore broadcasting/speech communication major, also organizes promotional events to display the services of GIANT 89.5.

Kelly Ann Murray, the station’s news director, is heard at the top of the hour bringing the top news stories for the day and delivering the weather forecast. Murray, a freshman journalism major, also trains and supervises the newsreaders that assist with the newscasts.

Perhaps one of the busiest WNTE departments is the music office. Lead by Music Director Mike Peters, GIANT 89.5fm produces four genres of music for DJs to use during their show. Peters, a sophomore broadcasting/journalism major, is assisted by Tony Spagnoli, alternative music director, Jason McCaffrey, hip hop and R & B director, Stephen Crumrine, loud rock director, Andre Bennett, RPM director and Amy Hall, classic rock director. Each member of the music department is responsible for the carting and charting of new music in their specific genre.

“Carting and charting music is very important for the station,” Peters says. “It enables us to maintain strong contact with record companies and also provide current music for WNTE listeners.”

The WNTE production staff produces public and community service announcements, show and event promos and other broadcast materials. Spearheading the production department is Mike Whittemore, WNTE production director. Whittemore ensures that all production materials are recorded and are ready for air in a timely fashion.

The Mountaineer Sports Radio Network is a well-known addition to WNTE. Lead by Sports Director Pete Nebzydoski, a junior broadcasting/journalism major, the Mountaineer Sports Radio Network is sure to bring you every touchdown, slam dunk and home run. In addition to being the voice of WNTE sports, Nebzydoski supervises all sports coverage and the presentation and preparation of all special sports programs.

WNTE Sales Manager Ryan Yurkiewicz is responsible for contacting and maintaining communication with current and potential clients in order to secure underwriting for the station. Underwriting, the term given to radio advertising, is a main source of income for the station.

Rachel Adams, the internal relations person, acts as the staff’s representative to the board. Staff complaints are directed to Adams with complete confidentiality and she in turn relates the problem to the appropriate person, office or department.

Stephanie Yeager, the station’s parliamentarian, interprets the WNTE constitution. A newly added position at the station, Yeager also serves on the judicial board to clarify any issues involving staff members and their rights within the station.

WNTE.COM Debuts
In May 2002, WNTE began its new presence on the World Wide Web through www.wnte.com. Jake Burke, a sophomore broadcasting/journalism major, designed the new station web site. He serves as station webmaster and technology director. Working closely with the general manager, Burke developed a site that benefits not only the station crew, but university staff, community members and WNTE alumni.

“The WNTE web site is a vital tool in station success and promotion,” says WNTE Webmaster Jake Burke. “It keeps station staff, alumni and the community up-to-date with what is going on at the GIANT.”

The site features station announcements, an executive board section, music and underwriting information and a virtual tour, in addition to the popular alumni directory.

“The alumni directory allows us to maintain contact with students who worked at WNTE during their time at Mansfield,” Burke says. “They keep us up to date as to where they are with their professional career.”

The DJ Experience
An incredible opportunity lurks in the ground floor of South Hall – the WNTE on air studio. WNTE provides an amazing opportunity to all majors on the university’s campus at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The opportunity to host your own two-hour, live radio show is what will put station staff members ahead of others in the job market.

“Whether broadcasting majors or not, if they take it seriously and are responsible about their show, it will make them more marketable,” says Priscilla Travis, former faculty adviser and Mansfield University professor emeritus.

With show times from 6 a.m. until 4 a.m. the next morning, WNTE can get little use from its “Automation” system, a fact that board members do not frown upon.

“We prefer to have as many DJs as possible on the air throughout the day,” says WNTE Program Director Jenn Glenny. “We know that our listeners appreciate our on air staff’s performance.”

Station Services
WNTE is not only proud of its 24 hour a day, seven day a week operation, but of the many other services it provides.

Radiating at an effective power of 115 watts and a total transmitter output power of 150 watts, GIANT 89.5 is frequently found at Mountaineer sporting events.

“We try to attend every sporting event that we can,” says WNTE Sports Director Pete Nebzydoski. “By broadcasting these sporting events, we not only provide a service to the university and surrounding communities, but we give students the chance to improve and showcase their broadcasting skills.”

“We do a lot of remote DJing for members of the university and downtown community at service events,” says Jackie Salerno, the station’s general manager. “By participating in blood drives and other fundraising events, we are able to give staff members experience with live remote broadcasts.”

Off to the left in the on air studio is a piece of equipment WNTE board members hope will never be pressed into service. The station’s Emergency Alert System is armed around the clock ready to alert listeners in the event of a natural disaster.

“It is very much needed for the university and community,” says WNTE Chief Engineer Bob Horst, who is in charge of the system’s upkeep. “It is rarely activated, but when it is, it keeps our listeners informed.”

While listening to programming on WNTE, audience members will surely recognize the station’s hourly news reports. “On a college campus, news is essential because it informs students of current events,” says WNTE News Director Kelly Ann Murray. “As news director, I gear the stories to the college crowd and select stories that students can relate to.”

Leadership in Meetings
As for any club, organization or business, meetings are essential to keep the unit operating properly to achieve success. For the staff and board of WNTE, Tuesday evenings are when those meetings take place. The executive board conducts a closed meeting prior to the general staff meeting to discuss station business. The executive leadership team reviews the on air performance for the week and establishes goals for the week ahead. Following the board meeting, the group adjourns to a larger room to address the over 60-person staff of Mansfield University students. The staff and board are made up of a diverse group of majors.

“Even though our staff is largely made up of broadcasting, journalism and communication majors, WNTE is open to all majors on campus,” says Jackie Salerno, general manager. “We welcome all students to join our staff and work to achieve a leadership position with WNTE.”

A Look Ahead
Changes are in store for WNTE in the near future. A transmission signal upgrade and additional equipment is in line to give station staff members the necessary hands on training.

“We are looking into upgrading our broadcast range,” says Jackie Salerno, WNTE general manager. “In addition, we are planning several upgrades to pieces of equipment in the station important for our on air performance.”

Listeners can wait in anticipation for a radio station to not only improve its wide variety of music and information, but also give college students the knowledge needed for entering the workforce and obtaining a job in their respective field.

WNTE-FM vividly displays university student leadership in pleasing fashion. Many Mansfield University alumni, who are now working professionally, contributed to managing this large student-run organization, while gaining valuable leadership experience in supreme style.

The Beginning and Birth
MU journalism majors write for The Flashlight, the campus newspaper; geography and geology majors gain practical experience through the geography and geology clubs; music majors perform with the Mountie Marching Band and other musical groups. Broadcasting majors were in need of a way to gain professional, practical experience in their respective field. That is where the university’s physics department steps into the picture. That’s right, the physics department! Emerging as a growing interest from a science department professor years ago, a physics electronic club was established which lead to the birth of WNTE.

In 1969, Vernon Lapps, a communications professor, began what would end as nearly a 20-year reign as the station’s faculty adviser. In 1988, Priscilla Travis, a communication and theatre department professor, arrived at Mansfield University and began her post as WNTE’s adviser, a position she held until her retirement in May 2002. Under the supervision of Travis, the radio station began to broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week and surged through computer speakers worldwide after students worked to put WNTE’s signal on the World Wide Web. In August 2002, Bob Armstrong joined the Mansfield University faculty as an assistant professor in the communication and theatre department and began his current tenure as faculty adviser.

The 24 Hour Upgrade
In late July of 2000, WNTE began its trek to the top, upgrading services of the music department by converting to a 24 hour a day, seven day a week operation. The system termed by the station staff as “Automation,” operates through the computer program, “Win Amp.”

“We are excited to have the station on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” says WNTE General Manager Jackie Salerno. “By working with our technology director and production director, we are able to offer this incredible service to listeners.”

WNTE Goes Global
If GIANT listeners thought that the station’s upgrade to a 24 hour a day, seven day a week operation was impressive, they would be totally amazed in early 2001. In February 2001, the management of WNTE set a goal to broadcast over the Internet and reach homes via the World Wide Web. With the cooperation of the MU administration and nibblebox.com, a provider of college radio Internet broadcasting, WNTE surged through computer speakers worldwide in mid-February. Unfortunately, following a merger with the company, “Hypnotic,” in the summer of 2001, nibblebox.com eliminated the Internet broadcasting service to colleges and universities, leaving WNTE unable to provide its global service.

Contact Mazer at mazerj@hedwig.mnsfld.edu.

Copyright © 2005 Oxendine Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved