LT’s radio station, WLTL, entered a variety of radio show categories for the John Drury High School Radio Awards. Once nominations were finalized on Aug. 25, 2024, the nominees had the opportunity to attend the awards show. On Oct. 25, WLTL nominees traveled to North Central College in Naperville to receive their awards.

“Even without taking home a first-place award, between watching my peers do so and still being recognized for my work it most definitely gave a sense of motivation and determination,” Program Director & Chief Audio Engineer Michael Walsh ‘25 said. “The second we got back to the station, I went straight back to work to figure out how I could improve my own personal work and how I can take inspiration from others around me to create the best finished product possible in the future.”

WLTL supervisor Christopher Thomas won Advisor of the Year.

This year, schools from Connecticut, Michigan, South Carolina, Indiana, Arizona, Washington, Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, California, Minnesota, and Iowa all entered the event (with multiple schools from Illinois and Indiana involved), Thomas said.

Student general manager Kathrine Beyer ‘25, who won second place for best DJ with co-host, was a finalist for the student leadership award.

“I feel lucky after winning,” Beyer said. “I’m grateful LT cares so much about the radio program, and we have such amazing staff involvement. Our supervisor, Mr. Thomas, won supervisor of the year at the awards, and I was really happy for him to get the recognition he deserved. The program is lucky to have him.”

WLTL is consistently one of the top three programs in the country, Thomas said. As the awards ceremony has grown, more schools and students have entered, and WLTL has always remained a top competitor.

“Being a part of WLTL has helped me improve a wide range of skills,” Walsh said. “One being public speaking. Along with this, my communication skills as a whole have definitely improved. Considering I work with a team of 17 other managers every day that all must communicate and work together in order to run an efficient operation. Not only this, but as the Program Director and Chief Engineer, I am also the one in charge of the 50+ person air staff; therefore, communication between everybody is absolutely crucial to keep the station running smoothly.” 

Creative services director Ethan Meuer ‘25 won first place for best use of video and first place for Best Station Promotion.

“I joined WLTL my freshmen year, and I’ve hosted an on-air show every semester and summer since,” Meuer said. “My junior and senior year, I joined management in the production department to help work on pre-recorded media for the station. [WLTL] is a great place to make new friends, and we literally have some of the best resources in the nation for this, better than most colleges. It’s really a privilege.” 

Meuer made a series of promos that play on WLTL for the 1980s and 1990s before songs from the corresponding decade, he said. [These were submitted for awards], and the 1990s promo #5 was selected as a finalist and eventually won.