You wouldn’t say that Wes Wright has a face for radio, though he has been told that. But he does have the voice for it, and he’s been told that too.
Flip on the radio Sunday mornings in Hillsdale, and you’ll be met with the music of Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong, and Dean Martin. And, occasionally, you’ll hear the voice of Wright, host of the big band program that airs after the Christian music and Church programs on 92.1 WCSR, Hillsdale’s local radio station.
“I’ve always been told that I have a voice for radio…so that sparked a little interest in broadcasting,” Wright said. “I like listening to the radio because it has more variety than just choosing the song that you want to hear in that moment.”
Working as early as 6 a.m. on Sunday mornings since the beginning of the semester, Wright has been learning the ways of broadcasting. He took introductory courses in broadcasting in the speech department and works at WCSR, the local radio station that employs college students.
“WCSR is really committed to the community aspect of being the voice of Hillsdale,” Wright said. “And that’s part of what Big Band Sunday is. It caters to an audience that many radio stations no longer cater to. I play the music, track down the commercials, get on the air and say things about the music sometimes. Six a.m. doesn’t help with that part. But I really enjoy it.”
Because of his love for swing dancing, hosting the Big Band program has been a perfect fit for Wright.
“I really enjoy it because I swing dance, and I really do like swing music and big band stuff,” Wright said. “I know a lot of the music, and I’ve expanded my horizons a little bit with some of the music that they have.”
The Big Band program is Wright’s first experience on the air. He said he was apprehensive at first, but he is getting the hang of it.
“For a while I didn’t have the technical experience,” Wright said It was scary to be doing the news and a minute in realize there was no sound going out over the air, because I hadn’t had a couple buttons depressed. But I don’t become depressed about that,” Wright said. “The biggest fear is oversleeping, which I did once. But I’m still around.”
Wright said that Andy Brown, host of the program, “Time Out With Andy Brown,” and sports announcer for the Hillsdale College Chargers and Lady Chargers, gave him the feedback: “There are enough old ladies out there that you’ll know if you’re doing your job wrong.”
“If you make a mistake, because the station has been around for a while, people will call in and let you know,” Wright said. “It is very much a community station, which is a lot of fun.”
Wright also said that he has even received calls concerning the station’s Pet Rescue program.
“I think it might have been my first day without someone being there,” Wright said. “This woman called in and said that a bunch of cows were eating her flowers. So I said on the air: ‘If you live near this, and you have cows, do you know where they are?’ Just things like that.”
Despite his love for the community aspect of WCSR and for big band music, Wright said that he is not considering broadcasting for a career path.
“I dont think I have the personality for it, to be a personality,” Wright said. “It takes a particular sort of person that I don’t think I am, but I would enjoy doing it as a part time thing, at least a similar capacity to what I do at WCSR.”
