Erin MacDonald
Staff Reporter
When asked the difference between WSHU and WHRT, many Sacred Heart University students shrugged their shoulders and admitted they thought the two stations were one in the same.
While WHRT is Sacred Heart’s student-run radio station, WSHU is a highly respected National Public Radio (NPR) station that is based literally in the school’s backyard.
When WSHU and WHRT were mentioned to junior Samantha Antonietti, she admitted that she had this misperception of stations as well.
“I didn’t even know we had two different radio stations. I do listen to WHRT because a lot of my friends have their own radio shows. If I knew about WSHU, I would listen to it more often in my car instead of other radio stations. I would love to listen to local stuff – things that are happening around Sacred Heart and its community,” said Antonietti.
She also commented on the convenience of being able to access the station on any radio, especially while driving in the car.
Despite being lesser known by the student body, The Princeton Review ranked WSHU as number 18 on the “Best College Radio Station” list.
Janice Portentoso, the Communications Director for WSHU Public Radio, credited this accomplishment to Sacred Heart’s ownership of the radio station rather than it being owned a private company located in a major city.
Portentoso spoke of the number of Sacred Heart students who have held work-study positions or done internships with the station.
“All of these students gained hands-on experience in those areas – news, production, IT, engineering and development departments – and gotten real world insight into the workings of a professional radio station.”
Portentoso also mentioned that three of their 21 full-time employees are graduates of Sacred Heart and were involved with the station when they were undergraduates.
Despite having a nationally ranked NPR station on campus, Sacred Heart ranked number three in Princeton Review’s “Election? What Election?” category, which was based off of the survey question, “How popular are political/activist groups on your campus?”
Portentoso reacts to this ranking by elaborating on the many benefits Sacred Heart students can gain from listening to WSHU.
“Our news and talk programs offer balanced, insightful coverage of the important news stories happening in our world; listening to these programs will give students an in-depth understanding of what’s going on – free of the bias and sensationalism that color much of the other programs and networks out there – and allow them to make their own informed opinions” said Portentoso.
According the WSHU’s website, their mission is to be “a unique and independent voice in our community,” and they are dedicated “to making our community a better place to live,” reiterating how important a non-biased voice is when it comes to reporting the news.
Junior Johanna Acosta agreed with the benefits of a bias-free public radio, such as WSHU.
“Nonbiased media outlets like WSHU allow their listeners to be able to better enjoy what they’re listening to because they do not push their listeners in a certain direction,” Acosta said.
Portentoso explained further how fewer and fewer radio stations are airing classical music.
“Listening to classical music is both an education in the arts, as well as a relaxing background when you are studying and writing papers,” said Portentoso.
Aside from classical music, WSHU broadcasts a wide variety of genres and programs, ranging from folk music to comedy programs.
The station’s website lists their many goals, such as, “preserving an important part of our culture.” Through varying genres, the station is able to do just that.
“We air highly respected, nationally known NPR programs such as ‘Morning Edition,’ ‘All Things Considered,’ ‘The Diane Rehm Show,’ and ‘Car Talk,’ as well as our own classical music programming. WSHU also creates and produces a popular program of early music called ‘Sunday Baroque’ which is aired on approximately 78 stations across the country,” Portentoso said.
Antonietti emphasized the benefits of having a Sacred Heart-based station such as this.
“Students will benefit from listening to it,” she said. “As a person who listens to the radio especially while driving around, it adds to the community and togetherness if we’re all listening to the same thing.”
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