WMSV The Junction listeners 鈥楻ise and Ring鈥 with on-air Bulldog talent
Contact: Carl Smith
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥As Golden Triangle residents rise and shine during the workweek, the 无尽资源采集 State student-led radio show 鈥淩ise and Ring鈥 serves as the soundtrack while they get ready to take on the day.
The show, airing 7-9 a.m. each Tuesday and Thursday on WMSV 91.1 The Junction, is hosted by Gracelyn Johnson, a sophomore communication major from Amory, and senior political science major Wesley Webb of Oxford. What makes it unique, according to Junction General Manager Becca Thorn, is how the hosts鈥 personalities drive long-form entertainment segments, including light-hearted debates over the best foods and traits that would be dealbreakers for friendships and relationships鈥攁dding to the variety of content enjoyed by a wide range of listeners.
鈥淔rom pop culture and sports to all the things happening locally, we really want to feature all the things that people are interested in and happening here. In terms of content, it鈥檚 really all about just trying out ideas鈥攖he things that people would normally talk about if they鈥檙e not on the radio鈥攁nd seeing if they work. Our thought is we always want those listening to kind of chat along with us鈥攖o think they鈥檙e part of the conversation, no matter what we鈥檙e discussing,鈥 Johnson said. 鈥淲esley definitely brings a more professional side to the show, but we joke around and have a lot of fun. Learning his sense of humor and personality has helped me create better content, and our regular listeners say they can tell we鈥檝e become friends through this.鈥
鈥淕racelyn has a very bubbly personality, and that鈥檚 so important for any form of long-talk show,鈥 Webb added. 鈥淣obody is going to listen to you if you鈥檙e not having fun.鈥
鈥淩ise and Ring鈥 went from concept to practice after Thorn pitched the idea to Webb, who worked as a station DJ, after he expressed interest in talk radio. Thorn paired him with Johnson, and the duo began working on segment ideas and developing an on-air rapport late in the summer and into the fall semester.
鈥淲hen conceptualizing a morning show for 91.1 The Junction, Gracelyn and Wesley came to mind easily as potential hosts. Their dedication and passion shine through in everything they do, and 鈥楻ise and Ring鈥 is no different. They have been involved since the idea first crossed my mind and have set the bar very high for the future,鈥 Thorn said. 鈥淭he amount of time and dedication that they spend week to week preparing for and executing the show is what sets it apart. They have a natural ability for balancing personality, entertainment and information that not many, especially college students, do.鈥
Webb, who is on track to graduate in May, said he hopes to continue growing the show鈥檚 listenership this semester and pass the reigns fully to Johnson as she takes 鈥淩ise and Ring鈥 into the future. MSU, he said, provided him a pathway to get both the formal education he desired through his major and a 鈥渃ompletely different avenue of skills and insights into different things鈥 through the college radio station.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to find a lot of schools that have been willing to invest in student talent at a college radio station like MSU has,鈥 Webb said. 鈥淵ou know there鈥檚 support there when folks are willing to give two on-air hours twice a week like that to two college students.鈥
The Junction, with a 70-mile listening radius around campus, is on the radio dial at 91.1 FM, online using the TuneIn radio app or at聽.
Since its creation in 1994, the station has won more than 50 state and national awards. It operates within the university鈥檚 Division of Strategic Communications, which includes strategic marketing and branding, university news, graphic design and photography units, and the University Television Center.
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