By Mick Dillon / The Jambar

For over 15 years, Rookery Radio has been the soundtrack to Youngstown State University. It initially served as a source for all things YSU — news, trends, sports and, of course, music. 

Bryan Schink, sophomore multimedia communications major and Rookery Radio station manager, is spearheading a new era of college radio as the landscape shifts towards podcasting and short-form content. 

“When I got a hold of the website … I added a page where you can go, and you can request a song to be played on the station, and it’ll pick from the library we have, and it’ll play automatically,” Schink said. “It looks, in my opinion, a little bit more professional than it did when it first started.” 

One of the new features on the Rookery Radio website is a section called “Station Staples,” where students can submit song requests to be added to the station. 

Along with a revamped website, a slate of new shows and segments fill the airwaves. Dan McCormick, part-time faculty, and Mary Beth Earnheardt, professor and chair of the Department of Strategic Communication and Media, started a show called “Dr. Earnheardt Does Not Listen To Music.”

The weekly podcast is a casual, sit-down style hour of dialogue surrounding the condition Earnheardt believes she has called musical anhedonia. The professors have different guests on the show each week, where they listen to a variety of handpicked songs followed by a discussion. 

“We’re cohosts, but we’ll have a guest on, and they bring a selection of songs that we talk about,” McCormick said. “We have [the guest] pick a banger, a song that means a lot to them lyrically and a song that evokes a strong memory in their life.” 

Earnheardt and McCormick’s show airs from 10-11 a.m. every Wednesday. 

Additionally, Schink hosts a segment called “Mornings in Christ” every Monday from 8:30-9:30 a.m., which is an hour of Christian music and messages. 

“I’m trying to give people who are on that side of things a little bit of encouragement at the beginning of their week,” Schink said. 

Other hosts for shows include Tristan Hostetter, senior journalism and content creation major, and Sam Zitello, junior multimedia communications major, who each run one-hour segments. 

Hostetter’s segment is a blend of relaxing music, and commentary and can be heard from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Fridays, Schink said. Zitello’s show runs from 2-3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and is centered around trains and sports. 

Schink said the best way for students to get involved with Rookery Radio is to simply turn it on and see what’s happening. 

“You will be doing student-run music a favor by just tuning in every now and then, catching some music, and then just letting me know what you think about the station or putting song requests in on the website,” Schink said. “On top of that, if you want to have a show, just go and email me … and then we’ll get it in development.”