WSHS-FM
Encyclopedia
WSHS is a student-run high school radio
station operating on a non-commercial
license in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
. Owned by the Sheboygan Area School District
, the station's studio is located on the second floor of Sheboygan North High School
on the city's north side, and the transmitter is located atop the North High building. An auxiliary studio is also located at Sheboygan South High School
, though most programming originates out of North High. The station's signal covers most of Sheboygan and portions of Kohler
, and is also simulcast
as the audio on the district's South-produced cable channel SASD TV during non-programming hours, which is carried on Charter Communications
digital cable systems in Sheboygan, Fond du Lac
and Washington Counties.
The station came on the air in 1968, and was the first high school radio station in the state of Wisconsin
. Some local and state personalities had their starts on the air of WSHS, like current Milwaukee
radio host WTMJ-AM (620)'s Gene Mueller and Dick Alpert, who anchors "Madison in the Morning" at 1310 WIBA
in Madison. Locally, WHBL (1330)'s Josh Dekker had his start during "South Nights" in the mid-1990s.
During the school year, the station runs a music format
from 8am-6pm CST, which is run by broadcasting students at North with a variety of genres played, including Top 40, soft rock
, alternative music, and some hard rock
. As the station is also an educational tool for the students, WSHS also runs news briefs, weather forecasts and fact segments (such as trivia questions, "Today in History", and "Birthdays") at various times throughout the day, along with taking requests via the phone and an in-studio fax machine (NPR News is also broadcast at the top of every hour in student-operated hours). All of the station's DJs are required to take two semesters of broadcasting classes, go through an application process, and be selected by the station manager before they can have an on-air shift on the station.
After 6pm, the station carries the Ideas Network feed of Wisconsin Public Radio
(WPR), which has a talk
format. The Ideas Network also runs almost all day on weekends and throughout the summer break, along with any school holidays. For fall of 2009 WPR hours have been extended during the school year due to budget constraints.
During the weekend, ethnic broadcasters air their programming on the station. Hmong language
talk/music programming from WPR's Green Bay
station, WHID
, airs on Friday and Saturday nights after 4:30 pm, while a local Spanish
program consisting of mostly music airs Saturdays at noon.
High school radio
High school radio within the United States is almost as old as radio broadcasting itself. Simply defined as a radio station, with its studios located at a high school and usually operated by its students with faculty supervision, stations fitting this description existed in the mid-1920s...
station operating on a non-commercial
Non-commercial
Non-commercial refers to an activity or entity that does not in some sense involve commerce, at least relative to similar activities that do have a commercial objective or emphasis...
license in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
-Airport:Sheboygan is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, which is located several miles from the city.-Roads:Interstate 43 is the primary north-south transportation route into Sheboygan, and forms the west boundary of the city. U.S...
. Owned by the Sheboygan Area School District
Sheboygan Area School District
Sheboygan Area School District is a school district in Sheboygan, Wisconsin that serves that city, the village of Cleveland, and the towns of Centerville, Mosel, Sheboygan and Wilson. It has about 1,500 teachers and other employees and about 10,000 students. Dr...
, the station's studio is located on the second floor of Sheboygan North High School
Sheboygan North High School
Sheboygan North High School, is a high school in Sheboygan, Wisconsin operated by the Sheboygan Area School District. The school opened in 1938 in what is now Urban Middle School on the city's north side, with the current building opening just northeast of Urban in 1961.The building has undergone...
on the city's north side, and the transmitter is located atop the North High building. An auxiliary studio is also located at Sheboygan South High School
Sheboygan South High School
Sheboygan South High School is a public coeducational high school serving approximately 1,600 students in grades 9-12. Located on the south side of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, it is part of the Sheboygan Area School District...
, though most programming originates out of North High. The station's signal covers most of Sheboygan and portions of Kohler
Kohler, Wisconsin
Kohler is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Sheboygan River. The population was 1,926 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, and is also simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
as the audio on the district's South-produced cable channel SASD TV during non-programming hours, which is carried on Charter Communications
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
digital cable systems in Sheboygan, Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 97,296. Its county seat is Fond du Lac. The United States Census Bureau's Fond du Lac Metropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Fond du Lac County. The county name is French for "bottom of the...
and Washington Counties.
The station came on the air in 1968, and was the first high school radio station in the state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Some local and state personalities had their starts on the air of WSHS, like current Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
radio host WTMJ-AM (620)'s Gene Mueller and Dick Alpert, who anchors "Madison in the Morning" at 1310 WIBA
WIBA (AM)
WIBA is a radio station serving Madison, Wisconsin. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station airs a news and talk format, and features local talk as well as syndicated programming...
in Madison. Locally, WHBL (1330)'s Josh Dekker had his start during "South Nights" in the mid-1990s.
During the school year, the station runs a music format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
from 8am-6pm CST, which is run by broadcasting students at North with a variety of genres played, including Top 40, soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
, alternative music, and some hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
. As the station is also an educational tool for the students, WSHS also runs news briefs, weather forecasts and fact segments (such as trivia questions, "Today in History", and "Birthdays") at various times throughout the day, along with taking requests via the phone and an in-studio fax machine (NPR News is also broadcast at the top of every hour in student-operated hours). All of the station's DJs are required to take two semesters of broadcasting classes, go through an application process, and be selected by the station manager before they can have an on-air shift on the station.
After 6pm, the station carries the Ideas Network feed of Wisconsin Public Radio
Wisconsin Public Radio
Wisconsin Public Radio is a network of 32 radio stations in the state of Wisconsin. WPR's network is divided into two distinct analog services, the Ideas Network and the NPR News and Classical Network, as well as the "HD2 Classical Service," a digital-only, full-time classical music service.-Ideas...
(WPR), which has a talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format. The Ideas Network also runs almost all day on weekends and throughout the summer break, along with any school holidays. For fall of 2009 WPR hours have been extended during the school year due to budget constraints.
During the weekend, ethnic broadcasters air their programming on the station. Hmong language
Hmong language
Hmong or Mong is the common name for a dialect continuum of the West Hmongic branch of the Hmong–Mien/Miao–Yao language family spoken by the Hmong people of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, northern Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos...
talk/music programming from WPR's Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
station, WHID
WHID
WHID is a radio station licensed to Green Bay. The station is part of Wisconsin Public Radio , and airs WPR's "Ideas Network", consisting of news and talk programming.*See also Wisconsin Public Radio-External links:*...
, airs on Friday and Saturday nights after 4:30 pm, while a local Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
program consisting of mostly music airs Saturdays at noon.