WTBR-FM
Encyclopedia
WTBR-FM is a high school radio
station broadcasting
an Active Rock
music format. Licensed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts
, USA, the station serves the Pittsfield area from Taconic High School. The station is currently owned by Pittsfield Public School Committee.
However, in the several years prior to 2006, the station had again become devoid of programming as student turnover had left WTBR with dead-air for a vast majority of the time.
But, in 2006, a group of radio veterans, led by longtime WUPE-FM News Director Larry Kratka, lit a new spark for the station. Kratka brought in several radio veterans, such as Tom Harrison, Joe Mindlin and Brad Lorenz, all of whom were DJs for WUPE-FM; Chuck Wright, who has nearly two decades of broadcast experience in radio and community television; and John Krol, who is the former morning news anchor and Opinion show host for WNAW/WMNB-North Adams and Berkshire Bureau Chief for WAMC-Northeast Public Radio. Krol's "Good Morning Pittsfield" serves as the anchor morning program with news from the Berkshire Eagle and two full intelligent interviews with local public officials, business leaders, journalists and other community leaders. Tyler Lavigne, DJ operator for "The T-Man Show", has been involved with WTBR since 2001 when he was attending Taconic High School. The station also features unique specialty music programs including the only underground music program in the Berkshires, Rebel Sound Radio hosted by Andy Poncherello, Mike's Amazing Oldies featuring long lost resurrected music from the vault of host Mike Pezzo, the hard rocking metallic edge of Wounded Radio hosted by Tom Harrison, classic '80s rock and dance of Classic TBR with Brad Lorenz and Joe Mindlin and the longest-running Polish polka show in the area, Polka Express, and last but certainly not least, the Berkshire famous, "The T-Man Show", plays a wide variety of HARD rock and some DJ mixing of rock songs into techno. Kratka has also been active in upgrading the technology at the station, including new equipment, upgrading to stereo, and allowing WTBR to transmit its full power allowed by FCC license. In addition, many students from Taconic and Pittsfield High School have created new programs with a mix of eclectic music and talk, including Alex Conklin with sports talk and Sean Mochon (a.k.a. DJ Wheels), who in spite of his physical limitations, has created a popular heavy metal show with the help of special equipment outfitted with the help of UCP. The station continues to move forward with more upgrades, including computer technology to allow more hours of local, original programming for the Pittsfield and greater Berkshire community.
In June 2010, WTBR became the first station in Western Massachusetts to take part in the American Cancer Society's 'Relay for Life' in Berkshire County Central/South AND move to a different site and broadcast the event in stereo for 26 hours.
TOTAL:6
JUNIORS
TOTAL: 17
SOPHOMORES
TOTAL:3
FRESHMEN
TOTAL:1
TOTAL STUDENTS: 27
TOTAL: 8
JUNIORS
TOTAL: 17
SOPHOMORES
TOTAL: 4
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 broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
an Active Rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
music format. Licensed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
, USA, the station serves the Pittsfield area from Taconic High School. The station is currently owned by Pittsfield Public School Committee.
History
Over the past four decades, the station has helped jump-start the budding careers of many future radio professionals in the Berkshires and beyond. In particular, in the 1970s under the leadership of station director, Bob Cooper, the station flourished with a wide range of student programming and an organization that continued to build the impressive archive of vinyl records. With more than an estimated 10,000 records from the late 1960s into the 1980s, WTBR is truly a priceless gem. Over the years, the station continued to serve as a significant outlet for the school and community. Of note, NASA astronaut, Stephanie D. Wilson, was a member of the radio club and she hosted her own program on WTBR. A 1984 graduate of Taconic High School, Wilson would go on to become the second African-American woman in space, taking part in two successful NASA Discovery missions in 2006 and in 2007.However, in the several years prior to 2006, the station had again become devoid of programming as student turnover had left WTBR with dead-air for a vast majority of the time.
But, in 2006, a group of radio veterans, led by longtime WUPE-FM News Director Larry Kratka, lit a new spark for the station. Kratka brought in several radio veterans, such as Tom Harrison, Joe Mindlin and Brad Lorenz, all of whom were DJs for WUPE-FM; Chuck Wright, who has nearly two decades of broadcast experience in radio and community television; and John Krol, who is the former morning news anchor and Opinion show host for WNAW/WMNB-North Adams and Berkshire Bureau Chief for WAMC-Northeast Public Radio. Krol's "Good Morning Pittsfield" serves as the anchor morning program with news from the Berkshire Eagle and two full intelligent interviews with local public officials, business leaders, journalists and other community leaders. Tyler Lavigne, DJ operator for "The T-Man Show", has been involved with WTBR since 2001 when he was attending Taconic High School. The station also features unique specialty music programs including the only underground music program in the Berkshires, Rebel Sound Radio hosted by Andy Poncherello, Mike's Amazing Oldies featuring long lost resurrected music from the vault of host Mike Pezzo, the hard rocking metallic edge of Wounded Radio hosted by Tom Harrison, classic '80s rock and dance of Classic TBR with Brad Lorenz and Joe Mindlin and the longest-running Polish polka show in the area, Polka Express, and last but certainly not least, the Berkshire famous, "The T-Man Show", plays a wide variety of HARD rock and some DJ mixing of rock songs into techno. Kratka has also been active in upgrading the technology at the station, including new equipment, upgrading to stereo, and allowing WTBR to transmit its full power allowed by FCC license. In addition, many students from Taconic and Pittsfield High School have created new programs with a mix of eclectic music and talk, including Alex Conklin with sports talk and Sean Mochon (a.k.a. DJ Wheels), who in spite of his physical limitations, has created a popular heavy metal show with the help of special equipment outfitted with the help of UCP. The station continues to move forward with more upgrades, including computer technology to allow more hours of local, original programming for the Pittsfield and greater Berkshire community.
In June 2010, WTBR became the first station in Western Massachusetts to take part in the American Cancer Society's 'Relay for Life' in Berkshire County Central/South AND move to a different site and broadcast the event in stereo for 26 hours.
2010-2011 Current Student Staff
SENIORS- Alanna Bassett
- Ethan Graham - Wikipedia Site Editor
- Taylor Graziola
- Nikki Hall
- Emilee Kiernan (Emilee Kay)- Assistant Program Director
- Shane Reed (Shane O' Mac) - Student Voice Track Director, Senior Class Captain,Program Director
TOTAL:6
JUNIORS
- Austin Clairmont
- Ricky Driggers (DJ Driggles)
- Matt Driscol
- Will Gilette
- Dylan LeSage - Sophomore Class Captain
- Shannon Moon
- Kyael Moss
- Jen Norton
- Kyle Nutting
- Brad Perotti
- Matt Pierce
- Colin Russell
- Craig Spencer-Hopkins
- Nick Swain
- Miranda Tremblay
- Rachael Ward
TOTAL: 17
SOPHOMORES
- Katie Lemay (Princess of Pain)- Sophomore Class Captain
- Dani Grandbois
- Ashley Reyes
TOTAL:3
FRESHMEN
- Omar
TOTAL:1
TOTAL STUDENTS: 27
2011-2012 Projected Student Staff
SENIORS- Alanna Bassett
- Ethan Graham -
- Rhianna Graham
- Taylor Graziola
- Sam Fox
- Nikki Hall
- Emilee Kiernan (Emilee Kay)- Senior Class Captain
- Shane Reed (Shane Cool Mac) - Program Director
TOTAL: 8
JUNIORS
- Austin Clairmont
- Ricky Driggers (DJ Driggles)
- Matt Driscol
- Will Gilette
- Dylan LeSage - Junior Class Captain
- Shannon Moon
- Kyael Moss
- Jen Norton
- Kyle Nutting
- Brad Perotti
- Matt Pierce
- Colin Russell
- Craig Spencer-Hopkins
- Nick Swain
- Sarah Terrell
- Miranda Tremblay
- Rachael Ward
TOTAL: 17
SOPHOMORES
- Mike Collins (Skunk)
- Dani Grandbois
- Katie Lemay (Princess of Pain) - Sophomore Class Captain
- Ashley Reyes
TOTAL: 4
2010-2011 Current Adult Staff
- Carl Flossic, Polka Express
- Lucy Flossic, Polka Express
- Shane Gaetani, Shane's Rock Party
- Bill Gustavis, Polka Express
- Tom Harrison, Wounded Radio
- John Krol, Good Morning, Pittsfield
- Tara Lemay (Mistress Of Mayhem)
- Brad Lorenz, Classic TBR
- Lance Madewell (Dr. Table) The Bad Medicine Show,
- Joe Mindlin, Classic TBR
- Mike Pezzo, Mike's Amazing Oldies
- Andy Poncherello, Rebel Sound Radio
- Jeff Rose
- Billy Madewell(DJ Madewell) Wikipedia Site Editor