BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) — A Bridgeport radio station is celebrating six decades on the air.
Unlike most radio stations, WPKN 89.5 has no set format. There is something for every musical taste.
“I would say there is some magic,” said Steve di Constanzo, the general manager.
The station is mostly supported by donations from listeners who appreciate its uniqueness.
“We have Rastafarian djs, we have world music, music from Asia, world music from South America and we have good old fashioned rock and roll,” di Constanzo said. “We have doo-woop, we have hip hop, we have a little of everything.”
The walls — made entirely of cds — are a trip back in time. There are also thousands of old vinyl records that djs still play on the shows.
The djs are all talented and trained volunteers.
Rod Richardson, who is in his 36th year at the station, hosts Radio Nothing.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of my favorite things to do in life to present things to people they may not be aware about that I think are beautiful or interesting, but mostly interesting, I’d say,” he said.
Richardson said commercial stations are locked into a set format, and therefore don’t have that freedom.
The station is active in the community, hosting special events for Black History Month and Hispanic History Month. It has also been honored by the New Yorker as “the greatest radio station in the world.”