Ramapo College Radio Is Back On The Air After COVID Setback

MAHWAH, NJ — COVID-19 didn't kill these radio stars.

A group of young aspiring broadcasters have resuscitated WRPR, Ramapo College 's 50-year-old radio station that flatlined and nearly died in the face of a global pandemic and subsequent shutdowns, the students say.

"By the time I was a sophomore, the radio club was completely gone," said Jennifer Anderson, secretary of the Ramapo Broadcasting Club.

"No one was running it, and the radio room was full of garbage. It was practically unusable."

Anderson and her friends decided to shock the club back to life. Stat.

Last fall, the Ramapo College junior and her friend Agrim Gupta opted to scrub in. Anderson took an executive board role while Gupta opted to preside over the club.

"The radio club would not be where it is today without our incredible president Agrim," Anderson said. "And we're all so thankful to have such a great leader."

In fact, Gupta was the prime mover behind the station's revival, learning to use the equipment, restarting the club, and cleaning the radio room.

Post-op, Anderson said, listeners can expect a variety of things from the station, including several unique student-produced shows and guest stars, among them the ESPN radio host who got his start on WRPR, Don La Greca.

Not only have Ramapo Radio DJs met celebrities like La Greca, they have also had the opportunity to help out other clubs on campus and meet with other college radio stations in New York for a conference, Anderson said.

"The return of WRPR means so much to so many students," Anderson said. "We are so excited to see what new opportunities present themselves as we continue to work on the growth of our station."

Ramapo Radio's staff advisor Mike Gogel said he feels that, with some consistent work, the radio station can be "feather in the cap" for the college, and draw in future broadcasters who want to have a hands-on, real-world experience.

"I think (the students) are working hard to turn the station into something that they can be proud of and, in turn, make the Ramapo community proud of as well," Gogel, also the college's manager of media services, said.

Broadcasting on 90.3, Ramapo Radio serves as a practical broadcast-training facility that offers programming to the campus and surrounding towns. The station features student DJs who are able to follow whatever format they choose while on the air.

"It gives so many of us a creative outlet to express ourselves and have fun," Anderson said.

Staff advisor Gogel said that one of the things he always tells the students is that they are fortunate that everyone around them — from him to the college at large to the Ramapo community — wants them to succeed."

"We are wholeheartedly cheering for them," Gogel said. "The doors are open for them; they just need to walk through and do the work. I think they are taking that appeal to heart."