On a Friday afternoon, longtime The Edge 89.5 HD4 radio DJ Shana Guinn entered the station room to “train” for her first day back on air. According to Erika McCluskey, station manager, there was no real training needed for Guinn– it was just picking up where she left off.
Guinn started with The Edge back in 2004 as a part-time DJ and has since then continued to voluntarily serve the station. Since then, the broadcasting location has moved from the basement of Warf-Pickel Hall to the second floor of the D.P. Culp Student Center, inside the Student Media Center.
“It has changed a lot,” mentioned Guinn. “I mean, starting out at a little place like Warf-Pickel Hall and then moving over here, it’s awesome.”
While she started with a major and interest in theatre, she later moved over to broadcasting after finding her niche there after receiving advice from a professor.
“I started at first doing the theatre and stuff because I was hoping to get into the area of voiceover,” Guinn said. “Former professor, Patrick Cronin, recommended that I start over here at the [radio station] and I’ve been here ever since.”
She was motivated to return to The Edge to start living her life the way she did pre-pandemic. Guinn attributed her growth in self-respect and self-confidence to her time on air, as well as others on staff and at ETSU.
“New music, new people, new friends,” Guinn said, in response to what she was looking forward to about being on air again.
In the future, she plans to introduce and host a new K-pop specialty show on the station, including K-pop groups and stars like Monsta X, IU, Twice, BLACKPINK and BTS.
“I got ideas for eventually starting a K-Pop show, so I can display some of the boybands that are out now, and the girl bands,” said Guinn. That’s what I’m trying to work towards right now.”
You can listen to Shana live every Friday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. during her segment on air. Tune in by going to tunein.com/radio/theEdge-895-s255872/.
