Hilbert College’s Web Radio Station Returns in 2017 After a Brief Hiatus
HAMBURG, N.Y. – HAWK Radio, Hilbert College’s web-based radio station, resumed broadcasting this January, equipped with a core of actively engaged students, new broadcasting software, and a new location in Hilbert’s Digital Media and Communication (DMAC) lab. The Hilbert College Community can once again find HAWK Radio broadcasting 24 hours-a-day at http://hawkradio.hilbert.edu.
Dr. Donald Vincent, Associate Professor of DMAC and HAWK Radio’s faculty advisor said, “we are back and I have never been more excited about the station’s possibilities.” According to Vincent, students are taking initiative to make the station great. “Since the beginning of the semester, students have been learning how to use our new broadcasting software,” said Vincent. “In the upcoming weeks you will hear their voices more often. They have compelling programming ideas, which will ultimately make HAWK Radio an asset to the college community. We currently have five students already contributing to station content. I invite more students from any major to get on-board and make HAWK Radio something special.
HAWK Radio’s main format is a rotation of modern music that includes hip-hop, rock, and country, but each of the students will produce a wide variety of specialty weekly programs, including political and sports talk shows. Vincent also hopes to eventually broadcast Hilbert College athletic events on a regular basis.
“The benefits of the college having a web-radio station are numerous,” said Vincent. “Students learn fundamentals of broadcasting, media management, audio production, and marketing, while other valuable skills are reinforced.” Vincent hopes that listenership will grow and that HAWK Radio will eventually become a significant part of Hilbert College’s culture. “We are starting small, but I am hopeful that some day Hilbert students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni will make HAWK Radio part of their daily-media experience.”
Gabriel Esparza, a junior Political Science major who plans to launch a new political talk show on HAWK Radio titled The Informed Millennial, said “it is fun to have a platform where I can share my own ideas.”
Garrett Derkovitz, a junior DMAC major who is planning a weekly show focusing on music of the 1950s, said, “I am fired-up that I get an opportunity to learn about radio and share older music with others who choose to listen.”
Kayla Biesik, a sophomore English major, said, "I am excited to be part of HAWK Radio. It will help bolster my speaking abilities, as well as sharpen my technical skills." Esparza concurred and added that he is learning how to interview others. “This will help me in my future career,” Esparza said.
Holly Nidell, a senior Business major and Treasurer of the Student Government Association, said, “the idea of sharing music with the Hilbert Community on HAWK Radio has been an amazing experience that has taken me outside of my comfort zone. The ability to learn, engage, and build relationships with professors and other students has been amazing.”
Jacob Piskor, a senior DMAC major and contributor to HAWK Radio, said, “having a station that is pretty legit is great for a small quiet college like Hilbert.”
HAWK Radio’s new broadcasting studio in the DMAC lab and new broadcasting software, according to Vincent, will make it more convenient for students to get involved. “Since we started, the station has had kind of a nomadic existence,” said Vincent. “We have previously worked out of spaces in the library, the psychology lab, and even my office. The DMAC lab is already a center where tremendous creative media content is being produced. It is an appropriate home for HAWK Radio.” The station’s programming is now running on automation software called Radio DJ. According to Vincent, “this software is user-friendly, intuitive, and similar to what one would find at commercial radio stations.”
Dr. Kristina Lantzky-Eaton, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs said, “with the addition of a web radio station at Hilbert College, our students will develop strong communication and presentation skills that will benefit students as they enter the job market. This is also an opportunity to increase student engagement on the Hilbert College campus.”
Jeffrey Papia, Hilbert College’s Director of Mission Integration and Campus Ministry spoke of other benefits. “There’s no better way to build community than through good music. Hawk Radio is an exciting new addition to the Hilbert campus,” said Papia. “St. Francis knew the power of music and even wrote many of his prayers in the form of song. Hawk Radio is a great way to build community on the Hilbert campus!”
HAWK Radio, which originally launched in 2011, was inactive for most of 2016 due to its former streaming service provider, Live365, ceasing operations. HAWK Radio is broadcasting again using servers provided by SHOUTcast.
HAWK Radio can be accessed from any web browser (on any computer or mobile device) at the address http://hawkradio.hilbert.edu. There are links to the station throughout the college’s web site and on blackboard, the learning software, which students and faculty use to access their courses. HAWK Radio can also be accessed from media players (e.g., iTunes, Window Media Player) by entering the address “listen.shoutcast.com/hawk-radio-hilbert-college.m3u.” More information about HAWK Radio can be found at https://www.facebook.com/HilbertHAWKradio
-- www.hilbert.edu --
Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 1,000 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs and evening degree programs geared to adult learners.