The Chesapeake Center for Science and Technology (CCST) Broadcast Radio Class, a gem of the Chesapeake Virginia Public School System, under the leadership of Principal William Joe, Director Richard Babb, and classroom instructor Suzanne Snowden, KJ4AVM (an accomplished commercial broadcaster) experimented with combining an Amateur Radio Class into their Broadcast Radio Class at WFOS FM 88.7, “the Voice of the Chesapeake Public Schools.”
The Chesapeake Amateur Radio Service (CARS) provided the Amateur Radio Volunteer Examiners (VE), Power Point lesson presentations and a code practice oscillator. Suzanne and her students did the rest.
Participating CARS members were:
Paul Buckwalter, K4PRB – VE and President of CARS
Sean Gorman, W5CDR – VE, Public Service Chairman, and Chesapeake Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) member
Jim Hardee, WB4UVH - Lead VE
Bill Ruynon, WF4R – VE and Technical Chairman
Richard Siff, WA4BUE - VE and Chief Mentor
Suzanne Snowden, KJ4AVM – WFOS Broadcast Instructor, Amateur Radio Instructor,
and Announcer for WVBW 92.9 FM
The school provides students with a jump start in career fields by offering courses in many aspects of life and provides real life skills including Computer Science, Firefighting, Radio Broadcast, TV Communications, Auto Mechanics, and much more. The students attend CCST part of each day and their regular high schools the remainder of each school day.
WFOS FM 88.7 first went on the air in 1955, and can be heard with live stream audio on the web. Locally WFOS covers a wide area with its 15,500 watts. WFOS has had many famous musical visitors; possibly the most famous was Elvis Presley. When school is in session, the student DJs, gather and read the news, sports and weather. The advanced students also develop original programming. WFOS’s chief engineer is Dave Desler, KC4UWG.
During Hurricane Isabel, the station broadcast vital information to the Southeast Virginia area directly from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), through the commercial radio link system. Now WFOS has a back up link to the EOC with a new 2-meter transceiver donated by Leo Kusuda, KG4PWC, a CARS member. This also motivates the students, providing the experience of two way radio communications (with the control operator) in addition to their broadcasting curriculum.
Now with six new amateur radio operators, students from four high schools, the city of Chesapeake is expanding its public service base of amateur radio operators.
The new Amateur Radio Licensees are:
- Anthony Roth - KJ4EOG
- James Underwood - KJ4EOH
- Maurice Grandberry – KJ4EOI
- Regina Taylor – KJ4EOJ
- Brendan McCarty – KJ4EOK
- Matthew Vaughn – KJ4EOL
Chesapeake Amateur Radio Service, (www.W4CAR.org), congratulates the City of Chesapeake, Virginia; the Chesapeake Public School System, and the WFOS staff for “Home Growing” civic-minded students who will lead the way in our community. This very successful start serves as the beginning of an ongoing program to benefit our community, providing an immediate return to the City on its investment in education.
