WKNC is NC State’s student-run radio station on 88.1 FM. Student DJs play a wide variety of music, from hyper pop to indie rock, all at different times of the day.
Tommy Ellis, known as the DJ T-Time, is a fourth-year student studying technology, engineering and design education. He plays emo music on his show at 4 p.m. every Saturday.
“A lot of it is actually really corny, but some of it is experimental,” Ellis said. “It’s different, they use a lot of unconventional musical techniques. I just think it’s fun and weird.”
Ellis reaches a wide audience with the music he plays.
“I play a lot of really old stuff from the ‘90s,” Ellis said. “And I play a lot of newer stuff that people my age and younger would listen to, but generally the people that call in and say ‘Hey you’re doing a great job’ are older punks from the ‘80s and ‘90s.”
Ellis said that a major reason he DJs is to play music that may have never been played on the radio before.
“I just really like sharing music that I think is cool,” Ellis said. “Specifically there are a lot of bands on there that have only put out one or two albums or just did a garage recording … and the very, very small chance that those bands are listening to my show for some reason, or someone they know is listening to my show and they say ‘Hey I heard your song that you wrote when you were 17 is playing on the radio,’ I just feel like that would be cool to them.”
Brandon Whippo, a fourth-year studying parks, recreation and tourism management, is known by the DJ name Whippopatomus and plays hip hop on his show every Monday at 6 p.m.
“We call our hip hop station underground, which is the segment that I’m a part of,” Whippo said. “We mainly play local artists from North Carolina and Virginia, and I’m trying to build a platform to find more exposure for them.”
As an alternative music station, WKNC plays lesser known or newer music rather than big names.
“I’m trying to reach college students because we don’t have as big of a presence as we would like,” Whippo said. “But I’m also trying to reach out to the local surrounding communities as well … [to] kind of bridge the gap between the community and the students.”
Caroline Heater, also known as The Dizzy Melon, is a third-year studying applied mathematics and has a show every Friday at 3 p.m.
“I play ‘70s reflective is what I like to call it,” Heater said. “So that incorporates rock ‘n’ roll, soulful, funk, psychedelic rock.”
Heater aims to play music that will reach out to anyone who needs encouragement.
“I like to just remind people that life is short and there are so many things out there for them to do and to be invested in,” Heater said. “And so to support that I just play a lot of music that makes me feel alive, a lot of music I can dance to. I’m always encouraging my listeners to get their bones jumping.”
Through WKNC, student DJs can reach an audience much greater than they ever had before, and they’re making the most of that opportunity.
“I am very passionate about music, and I think music is a language that connects everyone of the earth,” Heater said. “I think music can affect people in really big ways. The preservation of such a creative and fun way of getting music and listening to music; I love that it still exists frankly, and I thought it would be really fun to be a part of.”
To get involved with WKNC or listen without a radio visit its website.
