A Radio Renaissance on Campus

Fifty-three years ago, a group of industrious young Whitman students decided to start a college radio station. Now, half a century later, Whitman’s own KWCW is bringing together tradition and innovation while continuing to rock the town of Walla Walla. 

Recent years at the station haven’t all been smooth sailing. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down operations for a while before limited programming returned in the spring of 2021. Things didn’t get back into full swing until the fall of 2022, and even then, it was a slow process to get back to where things were before. Now, the station is more popular than ever and looking forward to a bright future.

Last spring, KWCW had the highest number of DJs in recent memory, starting the semester with a slate of 150 Whitties on the airwaves. In addition, last semester saw the station hosting several concerts and other events, including the first-ever Talberts, an awards show á la the Grammys, with plans to make it an annual event. 

Honoring a Local Legend

The Talberts are intended to show appreciation for the wonderful KWCW DJs, who nominated their shows for various categories like Hottest Goss or Most Energetic DJ. Secret-ballot voting was held, and the winners were revealed at an event in the Reid Campus Center basement. Two local bands played, and winners were presented with trophies made by the KWCW Policy Council. 

When asked about the name of the awards, Lucky Eden ’26, KWCW’s Station Manager, couldn’t seem to stop themself from gushing about longtime KWCW Radio Technician Tom Talbert, after whom the awards are named. 

“He’s the best and very sweet,” Eden says, adding, “Tom is kind of the guy to do this in Walla Walla. I don’t know how we actually got him, but it’s nice that we did.” 

Talbert went to school to learn how to maintain the technical standards and regulations required of a functioning radio station. He’s been working at KWCW since 1991 and even helped design the wiring in the station’s current studio, hosted in Reid Campus Center. After more than three decades of serving the station and the community, naming the awards after Talbert was a clear choice to honor his ongoing commitment to community radio.

The Best Is Yet To Come

After last semester’s successes, it’s no surprise that the station’s first community event of the year, a mixtape-making night on Oct. 8, was a roaring success. All in all, the KWCW Policy Council burned a whopping 168 CD mixtapes for 165 attendees, constituting over 10% of the student body. 

Upcoming KWCW events include an open house on Family Weekend and a concert on Nov. 15, for which two professional artists are signed, in addition to a Whitman student band. Another concert is planned for the spring, as well as the second annual Talberts and several other events that the Policy Council is keeping under wraps for now.

Despite bumps along the way, KWCW has been going strong for over 50 years, and with the passion current Whitties feel for the radio station, the next 50 years look bright.