WWPT

Staples High School Radio

WWPT (90.3 FM, "Wrecker Radio") is a high school radio station licensed to serve Westport, Connecticut. The station is owned by Staples High School and licensed to the Westport County Board of Education. It airs a high school radio format.

The station was assigned the WWPT call letters by the Federal Communications Commission.

For 5 years in a row WWPT received awards in the John Drury National High School Radio Awards.

WWPT broadcasts all of the Staples football, boys and girls basketball, and most baseball games, as well as many other games. There are also student DJ shows from 2:30pm to 9:30pm Monday through Friday and 10:00am to 6pm on Saturdays during the school year.

In 2009, WWPT began broadcast via internet.

In 2011, WWPT was named the best high school radio station from the John Drury National High School Radio Awards.

In 2014, WWPT launched a sports-only affiliate, a twitter page entitled SHSports that produces highlights, game reports, and broadcasts of high school sporting events (@StaplesSports on twitter).

WWPT broadcasts live concerts from local bands in a series entitled "Live From The Media Lab." These concerts are also broadcast live over channel 78 in a live, multi-camera format.

Here's a bit more about WWPT's history (supplied by Chip Stephens, Staples '73) - "Staples Radio started in the early '70's as WSRB (staples radio broadcasting) and operated out of the studio located in, then, the 9 building. The broadcast first only was heard in the cafeteria but around 1971 we placed a wire antenna inside a few hundred feet of garden hose and buried it a few feet below the boardwalk at Compo Beach. The WSRB broadcast was enjoyed by our hardcore fans with their little AM radios on the beach close to the boardwalk for a few summers Early DJs included Carmine Moffa, Chip Gertzog, Pete Wassell, Chris Bergland and for a very brief time myself." WWPT works hard to maintain a unique sound. Our schedule fills quickly with students after school on Monday through Friday. We are attempting more and more to have live DJs during school. There are two radio classes each semester taught out of the media lab. During those periods, the station is always live. Students also choose to go on the air during various "free" periods. When there is not a live disc jockey, the station airs a selection of songs that the students have programmed into our overnight rotation system. WWPT plays a variety of music (specializing in music from the local scene - some recorded right next door in the media lab). The station also has a very active sports department, does talk shows, interviews, and a variety of public affairs programming.

CREDITS : EXCERPTS - Wikipedia and Chip Stephens, Staples Class of '1973')