El Cer
HIGH SCHOOL
RADIO
A WEST COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL HAS IT’S OWN PUBLIC RADIO STATION
SSomething that many local residents may not know is
by Matt Larson
that West County has its very own radio station. What
may surprise you even further, is that it’s broadcast from
antennae right out of El Cerrito High School’s football
stadium at 88.1 FM, and another on San Pablo Ridge at
97.7 FM; FCC-licensed to the school itself.
On the air since 1978, WCCUSD Public Radio, aka
keCg, aka worldOne radio, emits two low-power FM
radio stations; 88.1 for those near El Cerrito, and 97.7
for listeners in northern West County. The students of El
Cerrito High School play a major role with the station,
and have even begun taking their efforts to KQED’s
airwaves.
KQED Youth Takeover is an annual event where, for one
week, KQED will broadcast student-produced content.
A few examples of their breadth of topics include gender
identity, ethnic representation, school start times and need
for sleep regarding adolescent circadian rhythms. 10 Bay
Area high schools participated in this year’s takeover,
including two from West County: El Cerrito High School
and Richmond High
School.
While the radio station
is on the grounds of El
Cerrito High School, it
remains open for other
students in the area to
get involved. “It is a
community radio station,”
said Station Manager
and Program Director
Corey Mason, who’s been
associated with the station
as either a volunteer, DJ,
or teacher, for the past 23
years. “We include basic
broadcast, podcast writing,
feature writing; we focus on first-person perspectives,
feature-enhanced perspectives, interview segments,” the list
goes on.
It’s a rare opportunity for these students to have such
access to an actual broadcast radio station. “Our particular
high school is unique in that we do have our own pair
of FM’s,” Mason said. “And a live studio and production
room; our students have access to their own broadcast
studio! Our morning announcements are also broadcast
from there.”
They also do community outreach to bring special guests
in to the station, who are working in a particular field the
kids are interested in, to engage with the students about
a potential career path they’re considering, Mason said,
calling them reverse field trips. “It’s a world of ideas that
they might not encounter outside of college.”
As far as what you’ll actually hear when you tune in to the
radio station, in addition to the student-created content,
you’ll also get an unparalleled variety of music. “We try