History of The Rockit
The idea of establishing a radio station at South Caldwell High School began in the Spring of 2001 when the FCC announced that free low-power licences were being made available to non-profits. Members of the Tech Department approached me with the idea and asked me to be involved. The School Superintendent, Dr. Tom McNeil, was told about the project and what the probable costs would be. He supported our application to the FCC. It was decided that 2 applications would be submitted; one for the school system and the other for South Caldwell High School.
The application process was very tedious, requiring geological surveys and frequency searches. The application was extremely detailed and thorough.
When the 9/11 attacks happened, the FCC put a freeze on all licence applications. No word was heard from the FCC until the summer of 2004. The FCC granted both of our applications, which gave the school system 2 frequencies, 92.9 and 100.1 FM. Construction of a tower behind the school, as well as setting up a studio and wiring the transmitters for both frequencies was a huge project; but in October of 2004, WSER and WSEQ went on the air.
Initially, the broadcasts were only a few hours a day, as more sophisticated software was being installed that would allow the station to air continuously.
Since 2004, The Rockit has slowly grown to not only broadcast music, but also live and recorded interviews, music specials, and South Caldwell football and baseball games. In 2011, The Rockit became the choice for American Legion Post 29 to broadcast the Post 29 baseball team games. Other special broadcasts included interviews with former Governor Bev Purdue and Country Star and former South Caldwell Alum, Eric Church.
The Rockit will continue to work on expanding its involvement with the communities of Caldwell County in hopes of becoming a strong voice and source of information for the community.