The Birth of Blazer Radio

In 1985, President Martha E. Church, H’95, Ph.D., asked me to start an FM radio station. Naively, I said, “Sure, how hard could it be?” Nearly impossible, it turns out. Why? Available FM radio licenses aren’t just sitting around in a filing cabinet somewhere. In or near largely populated areas, almost the only way to get on the air is to buy a frequency from an existing license-holder, and they aren’t cheap. In our case, the price started at $200,000, and let’s just say, the College had other priorities.

In the ensuing years, there were fits and starts (carrier current, low-power, smoke signals), but the effort stalled until we had a bit of luck. A frequency the College had sought was purchased by the NPR affiliate in Baltimore, and Hood had to sign off on the sale. We did, and we also loaned WYPR space to build a remote studio with internet broadcast capability. The appreciative folks at WYPR said the College could use the facility if they didn’t need it. As it happened, they didn’t, and we did, so Blazer Radio was born in the basement of Alumnae Hall after a 20-year quest. Thanks go to President Ronald Volpe, H’15, Ph.D., for his undying support.

The first year, 2005, was exploratory and educational, as I undertook the various steps required to start a new student organization and train student DJs. Radio programming isn’t rocket science, but it’s not simple, either, although it may seem that way to the casual listener. A core group of students spent that first year learning how to run an internet radio station, and after spring break 2006, we went live. Blazer Radio, with a “college eclectic format,” could be heard by anybody anywhere with an internet connection. Man, it was fun!

It was also a lot of work for the student staff and for me, but I think we all loved it. There were highs and lows, positives and negatives. Some people are radio naturals. Others are, well, not, but everyone enjoyed it. What’s not to like? Sitting in a sound booth at 11 p.m. blasting out your favorite tunes by popular artists such as the Pussycat Dolls or James Blunt for friends and family and talking about whatever interested you—within limits.
Well, it was fun for the DJs, anyway. For me, it was constant worry about the safety of students alone in the basement of Alumnae Hall in the middle of the night. We had security measures in place, though. One was me, trying to listen as often as I could, which I will admit could be excruciating. Let’s face it, my musical tastes don’t exactly align with those of most 19-year-olds.

Otherwise, it was almost always enjoyable and sometimes lots of fun, such as the trivia contest that drew in President Volpe or the events our staff covered. Former Dean of Students Olivia White, H’20, Ph.D., was supportive of our needs, and I like to think that Blazer Radio, with a peak of 40 on-air hosts, was among the more popular activities on campus. One DJ turned alum wrote to me recently that as much as she enjoyed the experience, she also learned that broadcasting was not her career path—a positive outcome. Today, she’s a successful journalist.

Another DJ alum wrote that “Blazer Radio had a profound impact” on his career by teaching him audio editing, marketing content creation and live sound skills. “I still find myself building on that skill set that I learned at Hood College and Blazer Radio.”

For me, it was a chance to enhance my alma mater by building a student activity from scratch. I appreciate the College giving me the opportunity.

Read the full spring 2025 issue of Hood Magazine here.