WRST celebrates 60 years of student-managed radio broadcasts at UWO

Written by News Bureau, University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh

A birthday party complete with pizza and cake celebrated an impressive milestone—the 60th year of student-managed broadcasts at UW-Oshkosh’s WRST-FM radio.

Senior Jacob Link, operations manager, led tours at the radio studios on the fourth floor of the Arts and Communications Building. Of the many photos on the walls, one dated 1966 depicted the station’s humble beginnings in a former lumberyard building along the Fox River.

WRST-FM 90.3

The WRST call letters stand for Radio Station of the Titans. Dr. Robert Snyder originally started the station after being hired in the early 1960s to start a broadcast media program.

Currently there are about 30 students involved in broadcasts over the semester, with nine in leadership roles. All students in radio TV film 120 are required to be on the air as part of the course.

Randall Davidson was on hand for the birthday party. Davidson was a student from 1986-1989 and was the director of radio services from August 2008 until his retirement in September 2020. Before joining UWO he spent 18 years with Wisconsin Public Radio in Madison.

Wendell Ray, current WRST manager, has been involved in radio since interning for a local station in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a 17-year-old high school student. Like Davidson, he has won numerous awards over his broadcasting career.

Offering a few remarks, Ray reflected on the number of students over 60 years who have managed the WRST station around the clock, 365 days a year.

“That’s a lot of students who go on to do great things,” he said.