Renovated radio room looks to reintroduce DGS to the program

Owen Atseff

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Owen Atseff

Inside view of the new WDGC radio studio and materials.

Downers Grove South has undergone major construction as part of a $136.6 million renovation. One aspect of this renovation is the revamped Downers Grove South radio room, which hosts south’s radio station, now known as Blueprint Radio. The new equipment and new location have big implications for DGS’ foreseeable future by potentially being able to broadcast into the new commons area.

Blueprint radio has recently gotten its own title for Downers Grove South specifically. Previously it has shared its broadcast, the frequency 88.5, with its sister school Downers Grove North under the shared title of District 99’s radio station, WDGC-FM. Along with a new title, Blueprint radio now broadcasts under its own specific link.

These factors combined look to solve one area of need for the south’s radio program: attention.

Head of south’s radio club and radio class teacher, Zachary Kuhn, commented on how he hopes the new renovations will help solve this problem.

“We’ve been trying to get a bigger audience for years and it will be nice to have a new place and a new space,” Kuhn said.

Kuhn also addressed what he hopes the near future will bring for the program and for DGS as a whole.

“The radio room is gonna have the advantage of us being able to broadcast straight into the commons eventually, not right away, but eventually. And it will be just a nicer, newer studio,” Kuhn said.

This will also help gain a bigger audience because of the number of students that use the commons during lunch. Students will have the opportunity to hear and learn about a relatively unknown outlet of DGS creativity.

Senior Thomas Willard thinks this could be a good addition eventually to the new commons area. However, Willard voiced his concerns.

“Personally, I’m not sure if music in the commons would be the best idea. Maybe the school could try it once a week on a day such as Friday and see how the students react. I think it would be worth a try but maybe not an everyday thing,” Willard said.

WDGC radio supervisor, Thomas Lotarski, commented on how the upgraded materials will help make the experience better than previous years.

“It’s just gonna be much nicer equipment and more up to date, because what we have here is several years old,” Lotarski said.

The new radio room can be found in the D hallway and the radio can be now be found under the link blueprint radio.