Caroline Wallace ’23

Features Editor

Like many clubs on campus, student-run radio shows were put on pause due to the pandemic. Luckily though, they are making a return. I had the opportunity to interview Abigail Hoyt who has her own weekly radio show through WCHC. We discussed how COVID has impacted her radio show, and she told me a little bit about her radio show called “The Soundcheck.”

While Abby is excited to return to her radio show, she has had to adjust to some of the COVID restrictions that the radio shows must follow. One of these is the fact that students are only allowed to have one person in the booth at a time. This change has been the most impactful COVID adjustment for Abby as well as other students who have a radio show. She explained that she “used to do the show with a couple of my friends and we would discuss different things between songs, but now I do the show on my own.”

  Abby then explained some of the signature characteristics of her show “The Soundcheck.” She explained that her DJ name is “The Reaper,” and that she plays “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” at the end of every show. She explained that she was prompted to start a radio show because she was inspired by the radio show her sister hosted when she attended college at Bates. Abby said that her family used to “wake up at 6 am every week to listen to it.” Afterwards, both her immediate family and extended family would discuss their favorite parts of the show in their family group chat. Abby said that now hosting her own show, she has come to enjoy playing “music from a bunch of different decades,” and in-between each song she adds her own commentary.

Tune in to Abby’s radio show from 8-9 am on Friday morning. If students wish to access the radio station they can do so by going to WCHC 88.1’s website and clicking the “Listen Live” button.