WHFH

Infobox Radio Station
name = WHFH
area = South Chicago Suburbs
airdate = December 21, 1964
frequency = 88.5 Megahertz
format = High School Broadcasting
power = 1,500 watts
class =
owner = Homewood-Flossmoor High School -- Flossmoor, Illinois
website = [http://www.whfh.org] | WHFH 88.5 FM is an American FM non-profit educational radio station licensed by the FCC to serve the community of Flossmoor, Illinois. The station is licensed to be owned and operated by Homewood-Flossmoor High School.

Flossmoor is located about 20 miles south of Chicago. The station has a potential listening audience of 2.4 million people.Fact|date=April 2008 Operating at 1500 watts, WHFH is one of the largest High School radiostations in the United States.Fact|date=April 2008 The station operates Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9pm, central time, and on Fridays, when it shuts down at 6pm, and occasional unscheduled broadcasts.

History

Started as 'The Radio Club' during the 1962-63 school year Homewood-Flossmoor High School was originally granted a license to operate at 10 watts on the 88.5 FM frequency on December 21, 1964. The first broadcast was on January 7, 1965.

Starting in the 1966-67 school year the documentary project was established. In this project each second year student is required to complete a 55 minute radio documentary on an approved topic of their choosing. This assignment continues to this day.

WHFH has been broadcasting for over 40 years making it well known around the south Chicago suburbs. The station broadcasts home football, basketball, baseball games, talk shows, and music programming complete with local news broadcasts created by the students.

TIMELINE:

1959 - Homewood-Flossmoor High School starts classes, and introduces its first media outlets: Odin and The Voyager.

1962 – Student Tom Harlan proposes the creation of a radio station operating from Homewood-Flossmoor High School.

1962-1963 - The Radio Club and the Viking Broadcasting Company (VBC) are added to educate students on the operation and laws of broadcasting. With 8 members, The Radio Club was sponsored by Science Teacher Ian Laing, and with 80 members (30 females), the Viking Broadcasting Company was sponsored by Industrial Arts Teacher John Weeks.

1963-1964 – The first WHFH staff positions are created:General Manager - John WeeksStation Manager - Tom HarlanAsst. Station Mgr/Program Director - Walter OlsonExecutive Secretary - Chris TozerProduction Secretary - Janet ScuphamChief Engineer - Randy PacekChief Announcer - Richard RoseComposition Director - Bill KingNews & Sports Director - Jan HarmsTraffic Manager - Sue Cox

1963-1964 – The Broadcasting Program moves forward to getting its own station after a Wisconsin woman donates her 100 foot tall tower to Station Manager Tom Harlan who then donates the tower to the Viking Broadcasting Company. Shortly after receiving the tower, the Viking Broadcasting Company cuts it down to 60 feet. Additional equipment for the radio station is purchased. In order to pay for the expensive equipment, the broadcasting program held fund raisers, and asked the School Board for money. Also at this time, the program offered an eight week program called “The Essentials of Radio Broadcasting.” This program educated students on the basics of broadcasting from script writing, to interviewing, to editing. Aside from establishing this introduction to broadcasting program, students also spent time at WCGO in Chicago Heights, where they were given first-hand experience on what must be done to operate a professional radio station.

1964-1965 – With a new line up of student staff members, a new Faculty Advisor joined WHFH. Working alongside John Weeks, Jerold Garber began working with WHFH. Garber, an English teacher, also worked part time at WCGO.

1964-1965 – By September of 1963, the Viking Broadcasting Company had enough money to purchase the necessary equipment to begin broadcasting; however, it still needed approval from the FCC to go on the air. Permission to broadcast on WHFH was granted by the FCC on December 21, 1964, and on January 7, 1965 WHFH began broadcasting. The radio station was located in room D-4, and operated at 10 Watts. When broadcasting began, the station was on every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 4:45pm to 8:45pm. The type of programming commonly heard in the early days of WHFH consisted of very “middle-of-the-road’ music and student news

1965-1966 – Radio Faculty Advisor John Weeks leaves WHFH making Jerold Garber the overall Faculty Advisor.

1965-1966 – To raise money for the broadcasting program, an annual book sale was held for students and staff members. Over 1500 titles ranging from foreign language dictionaries to novels were available.

1966-1967 – Jerold Garber establishes the “Documentary Project.” Once students reach their second year in the broadcasting program, they are required to direct, produce, write, and edit a 55:00 radio documentary. The program would eventually air live on WHFH, and have to end at 55 minutes exactly, not a second longer or shorter.

1967-1968 – WHFH broadcasting hours expand to Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00am to 9:00pm. All other days were from 9:00am to 3:30pm. Also, the type of programming aired further developed. Each morning, WHFH aired instructional programs to 10 elementary schools and 2 junior high schools in the Homewood-Flossmoor area. Home sporting events were also broadcast live with up-to-the-second coverage.

1967-1968 – WHFH becomes a network station and a member of such organizations as the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the National Association of Educational Broadcasters (NAEB), and the National Educational Radio Network (NERN).

1969-1970 – Faculty Advisor Jerold Garber is away getting his Master’s Degree at the University of Michigan. During this year, English teacher James Thomas fulfills the duties of Faculty Advisor of WHFH.

1971-1972 – WHFH has a teletype installed enabling up-to-the-minute news information from Associated Press bureaus in New York, Chicago, and around the world. The type of news information received includes economical, national, international, regional, sports, and weather. Once sent to the studios of WHFH, students would re-write the news in an appropriate radio format, which was taught to them in the pre-requisite broadcasting courses. Once the stories were finished, they would be sent to the WHFH news readers.

1973-1974 – After nearly a decade of broadcasting, WHFH’s first female Station Manager, Patricia Erickson was chosen to lead the student-run radio station.1975-1976 – The radio station moves to a new 5-room location in B-Building.

1979-1980 – Radio Faculty Advisor Jerold Garber leaves WHFH making Robert Barwa the overall radio Faculty Advisor and General Manager. Former Broadcasting student Robert Comstock starts at H-F as an English teacher and radio Faculty Sponsor.

1979-1980 – WHFH gets a news transmitter and antenna granted by the Board of Education. These additions increase the station’s power from 10 Watts to 1500 Watts. This dramatic increase in power widens the listener range to approximately 2 million people. WHFH is still 1500 Watts to this day making it the most powerful high school-run radio station in the country!

1980 - WHFH pilots the first paid radio announcer shift. Through the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA) program, Brian Sylvester became the first student announcer to be paid money to engineer and announce a WHFH radio show.

1980-1981 – After choosing to ban sexually explicit and drug referenced music, Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s Student Government revoked the Viking Broadcasting Company’s club charter. Television station ABC 7 Chicago soon reported on the controversy, and this ‘community’ issue soon became an issue involving the entire state. In the end, Charles Smith, then principal of the South Building at H-F, decided that the decision to revoke the broadcasting charter “did violate the rights of the club members.”

1981-1982 – SportsMania premieres on WHFH under the leadership of Sports Supervisor Scott Merkin. SportsMania can still be heard today.

1984-1985 – After five years of being the radio Faculty Advisor, Robert Barwa leaves his position, and Robert Comstock takes over as the overall Faculty Advisor and General Manager of WHFH.

1986-1987 – WHFH releases new campaign “WHFH South Side Rock at 88.5 Flossmoor.” Though this slogan still exists today, the rock portion has varied dramatically. Today, an array of music from jazz, to pop, alternative and classical rock and rap can be heard on WHFH.

1987-1988 – The Most Valuable Broadcaster Award is given for the first time to Operations Director David Ullman. This award is given yearly to an outstanding individual in the broadcasting program.

1987-1988 – Several clubs and activities were at risk of being cut from Homewood-Flossmoor High School due to low enrollment. One program at risk was broadcasting. After strong protest and emotional pleas in front of the Board of Education from broadcasting students and alumni, the school board chose to renew the broadcasting program for another year, and the program has continued to exist.

1988-1989 – Close Up premieres on WHFH under the direction of News and Public Affairs Director Leanne Sardiga. Close Up can still be heard today.

1989-1990 – Current broadcasting members and alumni celebrate the 25th Anniversary of WHFH.

1993-1994 – The radio station moves to a new multi studio room in E-14. The radio station remains here to this day.

1995-1996 – A broadcasting mural is created by students at Homewood-Flossmoor High School. The mural depicts the history of radio and television in the United States.

2001-2002 – WHFH.org is created by Station Manager David Stroup.

2003-2004 – Community Affairs Director Sean Powers begins airing hour-long radio plays starring Homewood-Flossmoor High School students. These productions air on Close Up every few months.

2004-2005 – Current broadcasting members and alumni celebrate the 40th Anniversary of WHFH.

Reception Pattern

WHFH can be heard within the following boundaries:
*to the North: 95th Street
*to the South: Kankakee
*to the East : Hammond, Indiana
*to the West : Lockport

Northbound range varies due to the frequency overlap with WHPK at University of Chicago