Seattle Times feature on KNHC

[DN14224]

Kids are learning, having fun — and maybe even finding a career — at Nathan Hale’s radio station

High school students are part of the program at C89.5/KNHC, a public-radio station that has broadcast from Nathan Hale High for the past 50 years. Several former students who trained there are working in the radio business, some back at...

www.seattletimes.com

 

[Kelly A]

Kids are learning, having fun — and maybe even finding a career — at Nathan Hale’s radio station

High school students are part of the program at C89.5/KNHC, a public-radio station that has broadcast from Nathan Hale High for the past 50 years. Several former students who trained there are working in the radio business, some back at...

www.seattletimes.com

That photo in front of those audio patch panels was embarrassing. What a mess! Apparently their engineer has never heard of 'normal-ed' patch panels.

 

[davideduardo]

That photo in front of those audio patch panels was embarrassing. What a mess! Apparently their engineer has never heard of 'normal-ed' patch panels.

Looks like the engineer does not understand the "patch" part of a patch panel. Every source dead ends at the panel, and every input has an open slot. Nothing works without a cable connecting it to something else.

Maybe the engineer thinks it's just a jack panel.

 

[xmtrland]

That looks like a network patch panel not an audio patch panel. I see those cables pugging into Switch with RJ45 connectors at the top of the photo.

 

[TheBigA]

There are boomers who believe that young people have no interest in radio or traditional broadcasting. But what I've found is when introduced to it in an open way, young people react just as they might have 50 years ago.

I was watching Sunday Night Baseball last night, and they did the game from the site of the Little League World Series. In addition to the normal ESPN crew, there was a team of teenagers broadcasting the game. One of them said he will attend Syracuse University for a degree in broadcast journalism. Contrary to the mythology, young people are interested if the boomers will just give them a chance.

 

[Kelly A]

That looks like a network patch panel not an audio patch panel. I see those cables pugging into Switch with RJ45 connectors at the top of the photo.

Either way, it looks like a dogs dinner (pug reference). The only cable management is a couple velcro straps. They would have been better off taking a photo in a control room than in front of messy racks.

 

[bobdavcav]

I completely agree with the premise of this article. KNHC is one of the best high school stations around. The reason I don't listen is the same as the reason I don't listen to KISW, KEXP, or a number of other stations in the market, the music isn't my thing. If it was, I'd give this just as much of a chance as any other commercial station. WEEM is the only thing that comes anywhere close to KNHC.

 

[Rock 100.7]

I think it's a good idea to leave a rack like that in a learning environment. Teaches them the importance of cable management, color coding and labeling. Every quarter I'd have a class on how to do it the RIGHT way. EX: Here's a box of Cat cables, fix it up and make 'er look pretty for extra credit, or something..

It looks like crap though, I'll agree.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

God, if you all think the rack at KNHC is disgusting and awful, you should see my two racks here in remote Alaska.. I call it spaghetti that im not a fan of messing with.

 

[Kelly A]

I think it's a good idea to leave a rack like that in a learning environment. Teaches them the importance of cable management, color coding and labeling.

Their program isn't teaching the technical aspects of radio. That part of the curriculum ended back in the 70's.
I seriously doubt any of the students or staff know that lack of cable management is a bad thing, let alone what it is. When it comes to PR, you always put your best foot forward, not the foot with severe toe fungus.

 

[Kelly A]

God, if you all think the rack at KNHC is disgusting and awful, you should see my two racks here in remote Alaska.. I call it spaghetti that im not a fan of messing with.

Sounds like you're either proud or resigned to being the keeper of a messy plant. When I was a group VP of engineering, that sort of mess at any of my 19 or 27 stations would be unacceptable. I'd probably give them 60 days to clean it up, or find another gig. One of those 19 stations I was in charge of was in Fairbanks.

 

[seatownmedia]

It was run by Seattle Public Schools. Really? A government program not well executed? Color me not surprised. That said it gave me my start for a life long career.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Sounds like you're either proud or resigned to being the keeper of a messy plant. When I was a group VP of engineering, that sort of mess at any of my 19 or 27 stations would be unacceptable. I'd probably give them 60 days to clean it up, or find another gig. One of those 19 stations I was in charge of was in Fairbanks.

Not proud of, but i deal with what I got.. im the PD, with a very minor interest in engineering.. we have no CE, no GM.. and are in a town of 300 people, 200 miles from the road system.

Sometimes what we got, is not ideal but without full time tech staff or even the easy availability of contract tech stuff, you deal with what you got.

 

[seatownmedia]

I was the Station Manager in ‘77. I was in my senior year of high school so I really had little power. The position was just symbolic as the teachers were really in control. But again a great experience.

 

[crainbebo]

There are boomers who believe that young people have no interest in radio or traditional broadcasting. But what I've found is when introduced to it in an open way, young people react just as they might have 50 years ago.

I was watching Sunday Night Baseball last night, and they did the game from the site of the Little League World Series. In addition to the normal ESPN crew, there was a team of teenagers broadcasting the game. One of them said he will attend Syracuse University for a degree in broadcast journalism. Contrary to the mythology, young people are interested if the boomers will just give them a chance.

I didn't watch the game, but apparently, ESPN called it "KidsCrew". They had Mo'ne Davis (the Little League female pitcher from a few years back) and a couple of other teens broadcasting that Sunday night game. In this day and age, an excellent sight to see on ESPN - young people getting into the field of broadcasting, like the famous play-by-play guys who came before them. Maybe we will see some Harry Caray's and Dave Niehaus's come out of the younger generation!
Do keep in mind that young people may also be interested in what's behind the camera lens as much as being the star of the show. Allowing a teenager to co-direct with a professional, another to roll instant replay, and a couple more to operate a camera or two, could lead them to some bright opportunities down the road. My issue is that we're slowly going into the streaming age. Is there still a need for those types of jobs well into the 2020s and 2030s without automation?

As for KNHC, I am not into their dance and rhythmic format, but more power to them as they continue their long-running success in Seattle, giving HS students a chance to run the music and speak into the microphones. They do cume about 110,000 people according to the PPM, which is close to KEXP's cume.

 

[Kelly A]

As for KNHC, I am not into their dance and rhythmic format, but more power to them as they continue their long-running success in Seattle, giving HS students a chance to run the music and speak into the microphones. They do cume about 110,000 people according to the PPM, which is close to KEXP's cume.

When KNHC rose in popularity back in the 80's they did so by carving a niche' Pop-format called "Dance Music Radio". Focus was on pop music with either a dance beat, or extended remixes of pop-crossover music. It really was a pop station, without true commerical spot breaks, which gave the station an advantage of going toe-to-toe with other pop stations of the day like KUBE, KPLZ, and KHIT. Averaging 15 songs per hour and extended or remixes of already established hits, was the thing that put it on the map. Later in the 90's, the one former student turned staff started shifting the station primarily toward EDM-pop crossover, where it remains today, slanted toward EDM titles. The station has developed a good following with that (one could argue) narrow niche', but in doing so has left behind the larger main stream audience, who wants to hear different versions of the hits.

 

[notalent]

@ Crainbebo, Not as much as you might think... Every year Pac-12 puts out the call for students interested in broadcasting games and every year 95% of those who do show up are only interested in being the on air talent. It is very difficult to find students willing to put in the hours and dedication it takes to put a game on TV... Even worse for radio... Sports can take up the whole weekend... You don't get to show up right before air time, etc. For a student getting paid minimally often they choose not to show up on that early Saturday morning after their friday night of college student activities. That just doesn't work in broadcasting and they soon find out it isn't all fun and games.