WDSO Broadcasting Resuming After Summer Break – 36th Year of Broadcasting

WDSOChesterton High School’s radio station, WDSO-FM 88.3, went back on-the-air for the 2012-13 school year on Tuesday, September 4. This marks the 36th year of broadcasting for the station. WDSO serves the Duneland School Corporation, the entire Duneland community, and also streams on the internet at www.wdso.org.

Live on-air broadcast hours tentatively will take place weekdays from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. with automation during the overnight hours Monday through Thursday. Music shows and feature programs will air during the day. Newscasts begin at 6:30, then continue at 7:00 and 7:30 a.m. and every hour on the half hour until 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon. Weather updates take place throughout the night and early morning until 6 a.m. There will be no Saturday or Sunday live broadcasts unless there is a special event. WDSO will continue to stream on the internet during the weekend hours.

WDSO plays a variety of music mixing all types of music during each music hour. Afterschool music shows highlight a particular type of music-- the choice of the on-air DJ. Request lines are open at that time so you can call in and have your favorite song played on-the-air. No requests are taken during the morning or school hour shows.

Special programming returning this year includes Historically Speaking, with news and notes from the Westchester Township History Museum and upcoming library programs coming to you on the first Thursday of the month. It will be hosted by Serena Sutliff, Museum Curator. On the second Thursday of each month, Pet Talk, hosted by Dr. Carol Dartz, veterinarian and owner of Arbor View Animal Hospital and her staff will talk about topics of interest to pet owners. On the third Thursday, Artful Conversations with Chris Acton, a new host this year. She is the publicist for the Chesterton Art Center and will highlight some of the exhibits at the art center. Naturally Speaking is hosted by naturalists from the Indiana Dunes State Park and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and features highlights of upcoming events at the parks. Brad Bumgardner, an interpreter at the Indiana Dunes State Park hosts the program on the second Tuesday of the month and Jean-Pierre Anderson, an interpreter from the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore hosts the program on the fourth Tuesday of every month.

Daily programming includes the CHS News & Events; Community Bulletin Board and the Daily Almanac taken from “Echoes of the Past” from the Chesterton Tribune and Profile America provided by the U.S. Census Bureau will continue this year. Environminute and Naturewatch will be on-air through the end of September since the owner of Finger Lakes Productions passed away and the company will be closing. Also, there will not be any Family Health because they lost their sponsors after 32 years of producing programs. Weekly programs include the CHS Weekly Report, Porter County Perspective and the Indiana State Police Road Show.

Sports: WDSO sportscasters will bring you home games during the regular season for CHS varsity football in the fall, boys’ and girls’ basketball during the winter months and softball and baseball in the spring. Some post-season games will be broadcast as well.

Student staff members this year include: Co-Program Directors-Billy Atherton (12) and Patrick Menn (12); Co-Music Directors-Jackie Santos (12) and Kelley Jankowicz (12); News Director- Nathan Babcock (11); Training Director-Nick Moreno (11); Sports Director-Dallas Milligan (11); PSA Director-Matt Leetz (10); and Promotions Director-Sarah Duron (11). Matt Waters is the station manager/faculty advisor and Michele Stipanovich is the operations manager.

If you have any suggestions for programming or have any public service announcements you would like to have read on-the-air, please call 983-3777 or send the information to WDSO, 2125 South 11th Street, Chesterton, IN 46304.