WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart and Olivia Skillings got to talk with Dr. Henry Smith, who was the original WNZR Communication Professor and Station Manager!
Click HERE to listen to the entire conversation, or click the image below!
Henry shares with us what he is doing today! He is in Zambia, Africa, helping to start a Wesleyan University in Zambia. Henry shares a funny story with us about a former student of his that has been helping him. He also talks about the dream that he and others had for the radio station at WNZR. There was a nucleus of people who had already started raising money for the station and he helped them to get it started.
Henry tells how the initial planning was a learning opportunity for him because he didn’t because he really wasn’t a radio guy at that time. There was a lot of learning that was done from other stations and even the FCC!
Henry explains to us what his prayer was at the beginning of WNZR. They had an unexpected obstacle when starting up, which was a local TV station petitioning to deny them starting WNZR due to their conflicting dial positions. The supporters of the radio station prayed for the barriers to be removed so they could make a difference with their radio station.
Henry talks about the 4 year waiting period that they experienced while trying to get an FCC license. The TV station in Columbus was the primary cause of that. The students tried to keep the quality of the station high even though they weren’t on the air yet.
He explains his biggest challenge in it was trying to keep the dream alive for the students.
Henry also explains that the things he remembers most is the people from that time. He has always enjoyed working with students the most and recalls how excited they were when they finally received the permission that they needed from the FCC.
Here are pictures from Dr. Smith’s trip to the top of our radio tower. He talked about taking pictures of the MVNC campus in 1986!
Marcy also shares a funny story that current MVNU Professor Alan Reed has about Dr. Smith on that day!
Dr. Smith details the process of what it took to get 90.9FM WNZR on the air! He talks about what he learned about himself throughout those years. Impact has always been his greatest motivator as a person whether that be as a professor, a university president, or a missionary.
Henry talks about the importance of waiting and being patient. The lessons that he and the students learned while waiting were so important and have stayed with him throughout his life.
Dr. Smith explains how important community support was in starting WNZR. Starting the radio station was something that rallied people in the area and the share-a-thons that they did played a huge role in the station’s birth.
Henry and Marcy joke about a potential trip to Zambia so MVNU Communication students can help with the radio station that he is starting there.
Henry speaks on the importance of students learning about broadcasting while studying Communication. The more experiences you can have will lead to students being better communicators. He says that it helps sharpen your communication skills in ways that you don’t even realize.
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