By Alex Sorrells / The Jambar
After a four-year hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Youngstown State University’s Rookery Radio is back and running again.
Radio co-manager Abigail Gutowski said the station had to overcome a few hurdles to start operating this semester.
“COVID just kind of took a tumble with it, and then we had some technical difficulties along the way and we had to build the program from the ground up, and right now we are still moving slow, but it’s slowly but surely going,” Gutowski said.
Although Rookery is going through a rebuilding process, the station is currently active with Gutowski hosting a themed music segment at 3 p.m. every Friday.
“Each week is a different theme, but for other DJs, we’ve actually been interviewing people that are interested,” Gutowski said. “Other DJs want to do music [or] talk shows. Some of the music can range from deep-cut classic rock or 90’s alternative rock.”
Rookery Radio co-manager Sarah Nadzan said DJ’s can host a variety of different genres.
“The amount of different things people have said. Some people want to do a forum – you know, bring students on to talk about stuff,” Nadzan said. “But there are so many different shows and I met so many awesome people over the past couple of weeks, talking to these prospective presenters, and just seeing the amount of ideas and diverse voices on campus is my favorite part.”
Nadzan encourages students to tune in, highlighting the accessibility and variety the show has to offer.
“If you’re on a drive and you’re like, ‘I’ll put this on my Bluetooth really fast,’ or if you’re studying and you want to listen to somebody talk about some topic you have never heard of in your life,” Nadzan said. “Wherever you want to be, you can tune in and you’ll probably hear something you had no idea about, and that’s the fun, that’s the magic.”
Gutowski said she hopes more people will hear and spread the word about Rookery’s return.
“I hope that we are able to just get it running and just get our name back out there, saying, ‘Hey, Rookery is not dead. We are back. The ball is rolling.’” Gutowski said. “We are doing everything we can to get it back up and running and we just need help from listeners, from the community, from students, to help us get it back.”
Nadzan said Rookery Radio was always a close-knit environment before the hiatus. She said she encourages others to put themselves out there, to pitch a story and join the organization.
“I loved doing the show when I first started at YSU, I’m so excited to have it back because all the presenters, they knew each other, ” Nadzan said. “If you have an idea for a show that you want to pitch, I promise you no idea is a bad idea. We want to hear what you have to say.”
Gutowski explained how those interested can get involved.
“If you are interested in joining, we are taking applications. Do not hesitate to reach out. You can always find me in The Jambar office, or find me on campus, or even talk to Sarah [Nadzan],” Gutowski said. “We have flyers posted throughout campus with a QR code that you can scan and apply and it is a pretty simple process.”
Students can find more information at rookeryradio.com or email [email protected].
Editor’s note: Editor-in-Chief John Ostapowicz, assistant producer Abigail Gutowski and Sarah Nadzan did not partake in the editing process due to their affiliation with The Jambar and Rookery Radio.