Revival of Radio at Brooklyn Tech
By Katarzyna Kozanecka

A $10,000 grant from Mary Smart of the Smart Foundation will be used towards the construction of a sound studio at Brooklyn Technical High School, where WNYE-FM was born in 1938.

James McAndrew and Cecile H. Suffern, then English teachers at Brooklyn Tech, created WNYE-FM, which has served as the official radio station of the New York City Board of Education. Brooklyn Tech was home to WNYE-FM until the 1970s, when the station was moved to a building on nearby Tillary Street. The grant was awarded to Dr. Sylvia Weinberger, a Brooklyn Tech English teacher, to be used towards the development of a radio recording studio for the school. Dr. Weinberger plans to hire engineers to study the area, design a studio, and estimate its cost.

“To actually build it, we will need three times as much money,” she said. She hopes to attract the attention of other foundations in order to realize that goal. In the meantime, she will
purchase state-of-the-art tape recorders and organize workshops on the use of radio in the classroom, in all subject areas.

“I look forward to exciting and creative
segments from Tech students,” said Terence O’Driscoll, WNYE’s station manager. In fact, several collaborative projects were in the planning stages until the September 11 attacks in which WNYC’s tower and facilities were put out of action. For weeks, WNYC’s programs were broadcast on WNYE’s frequency. A few continue to do so.

Work on these projects can resume only

when full use of its air waves returns to WNYE. For example, short segments on which Brooklyn Tech freshmen speak about the
transition from junior high to high school could be broadcast between regular programming.

Brooklyn Tech already offers many technology classes in which students learn about different forms of communication, including radio. But, the growing relationship with WNYE might lead to enriching hands-on experiences. “The kids could work as interns with engineers at WNYE,” Dr. Weinberger suggested. “We would record excellent-quality tapes which would then air on WNYE. And the tapes could be put online so [everyone] can listen to them.”

Cecile Suffern, who worked at WNYE-FM as a writer, producer, and director, says, “In those days, we were enthusiastic newcomers. We had science programs. We had a workshop that met to do dramatic programs. We did
anything it was possible for us to do on public radio.” How to match the interest of that
generation? “It would become a radio club,” said Dr. Weinberger. To motivate students to participate, she would organize contests. Recently, Dr. Weinberger took six groups of students over to Tillary Street, where they
performed radio scripts they had written for the Big Apple Short-Radio-Drama Festival that will air on WNYE in the spring.

When asked if the new studio will occupy the same space as the original one did, on the 8th floor of the school, Dr. Weinberger said, “I hope so.” It would be a revival of a tradition of radio at Brooklyn Tech.#

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