2018 was a big year for WONC, the radio voice of North Central College. After turning 50 in July, the station began to see changes in personnel (most notably in the role of general manager and chief engineer), and with those changes will come much-needed technological updates.
One piece of equipment that WONC staffers are constantly using is the console, which is partially responsible for all audio listeners hear on the air. WONC’s current console has been in place since 1996 when the station was moved from the fourth floor of Old Main to Oliver Hall. The many years of use have caused an increasing need for repairs, General Manager Zach DeWitz said.
“That board is used 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year,” DeWitz said. “With the beating that it takes, it needs to be repaired fairly often. Even if it’s just something minor — just some small piece — it could mean something drastic.”
One of the biggest changes that has occurred in the radio industry is the widespread switch from analog equipment to digital equipment. As WONC continues its technological transition, DeWitz and Communications and Media Studies Chair Steve Macek see the station purchasing a digital console.
“(Using a digital board) is the industry standard at bigger stations,” Macek said. “We want students to train on that so that they can know how to use state-of-the-art equipment.”
DeWitz also said that getting a digital console may encourage more student interest in the station.
“When you come in and you see a board — it’s brand new, state-of-the-art— it’s much more appealing than an old board that looks very, very worn and outdated,” DeWitz said.
Brian Sapp, WONC’s new chief engineer, agrees with Macek and DeWitz. Sapp is one of a group of staff engineers employed by Public Media Engineering, a Chicago-based broadcast engineering firm.
“The new console installation is meant to bring the station in the present day of radio,” Sapp said. “The current audio console has been installed for multiple years and radio technology has grown significantly.”
Another issue brought up by DeWitz and Macek, echoing the concerns of former WONC general manager John Madormo, is the improvement of the station’s audio sound. Sapp confirmed that the sound would improve with the installment of a digital console, as it would “use audio over IP to provide high-quality audio.”
Another update in progress along with the console is a broadcast delay system, an item that DeWitz, Macek and Sapp all see as an important development in line with the commercial broadcasting industry.
