You can join the staff of one of the best high school radio stations.  88.1 The Park is accepting applications for new staff members, and they are due on Friday February 6, 2026.

Students will have an opportunity to work in all areas of the station’s operation including as a DJ, Sports Announcer, Promotions Assistant, News Anchor and Production Assistant.  They will gain experience that will prepare them for careers in media, as well as other fields. Staff members will develop business skills that will stick with them for a lifetime.

The station’s Audition Informational Google Meet meeting is Wednesday January 28, at 7:00 p.m.   The meeting is an opportunity for interested students and their parents to learn more about the station and the commitment expectations.  Participants will also receive audition tips.

Join Google Meet

A list of students that receive auditions will be posted on Wednesday February 11, 2026.  Auditions will take place on Wednesday February 18, 2026.  All students receiving an audition will be sent a schedule of audition times.  Students auditioning will be emailed a packet to prepare a newscast. They will read the newscast at the audition and will be interviewed to help us learn more about their interest and background.

Google Form Application
https://forms.gle/BjYtmFH2c8CEMUQ27

Teacher Recommendation Form – Each Applicant must submit two teacher recommendation forms by Friday February 6.
Pre-Audition Application – Teacher Recommendation

The 17th annual 88.1 Record Show is Saturday February 14, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Salem High School Cafeteria.  Proceeds will benefit the nationally-recognized student radio station operated by the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools.

The show will feature special giveaways and door prizes in addition to a wide variety of vendors. 88.1 the Park expects to build on the success last year’s show, which had over 500 people attend. Much of the success of the show can be tied to the resurgence of interest in vinyl records.

“The record show is an experience everyone can enjoy. It’s amazing seeing everyone come together to enjoy music and finding their favorite vinyl records and CDs while supporting 88.1 the Park,” said Bill Keith, 88.1 the Park Station Manger.

Admission to the 881 the Park record show is $5.  Collectors can get admission from 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. for $10.  Students at Canton, Plymouth and Salem High Schools will receive free admission with a student ID.

All of the proceeds will benefit 88.1 The Park, and will help the station to continue serving the community with unique programming and broadcast training for students. The record show is one of the station’s main fundraisers each year.

Dealer tables are $40 for an eight foot table.  More information is available by emailing Station Manager, Bill Keith, at [email protected].

Salem High School is located at 46181 Joy Road in Canton Michigan (corner of Joy and Canton Center). The Salem High School Cafeteria is located on the first floor, just inside the main entrance to the school.

88.1 the Park’s latest newsletter includes a preview of the 88.1 the Park Thanks for Giving Pledge Drive, looks back at our concert with Grace West, spotlights our latest Dr. Andrew Melin WSDP Distinguished Alumni and looks at some of the biggest hits on the station. We also spotlight Plymouth Canton ’80 alum, John Matthews and share points of pride about our amazing alumni.
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88.1 the Park will honor three deserving alums when the station presents the Dr. Andrew Melin WSDP Distinguished Alumni Award on Wednesday June 4, at 7:00 p.m. at the Italian American Club in Livonia.  The honor will be presented at the station’s annual banquet.

This year’s honorees are Bret Julyk, Plymouth-Canton ’82, Noelle Wright, Plymouth-Salem ’86, and Nick Gismondi, Plymouth-Salem ’00.

The award was created in the Spring of 2017 in honor of former WSDP Station Manager, Andrew Melin.  The purpose of the award is to recognize WSDP Alums that have used their experience at the station to further the mission of WSDP by achieving success in their chosen career field; investing in the lives of young people; or supporting their local community. It is the hope of the station’s management that the honorees will serve as role models for future students at 88.1.
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88.1 the Park was named the 2025 Michigan Association of Broadcasters High School Station of the Year during a luncheon at the MAB High School and College Awards on Thursday March 20, in Lansing. This is the eighth year in-a-row that the station has received the award. WSDP has been recognized as the High School Station of the Year 14 times since 2001.

The students received 16 awards in 16 categories, including eight first place and seven second place honors.   This included sweeping the Sportscast category.

Student Awards include:

Current Events Story
1st – Myles Alcott
2nd – Leo Popp

Daily Newscast/News Feature
1st – Leo Popp and Lucas Gentilia

Editorial
2nd – Jonah Kibin

Live Sports Coverage
1st – Leo Popp and Lucas Gentilia

Music Feature or Special
1st – Chae Eun Park

On Air Personality or Team
2nd – Ben Trudell

Public Service Announcement  Sponsored by MASSP & MDHHS
1st – Carter Johnson, Myles Alcott, Jonah Kibin

Sports Feature
1st – Andy McLaren, Leo Popp and Andrew Stamatakos
2nd – Leo Popp and Ben Trudell

Sportscast
1st – Ben Trudell
2nd – Leo Popp
Honorable Mention – Andy McLaren

Talkshow/Podcast
1st – Anya Read
2nd – Mihir Shastry

Use of Social Media
2nd – Nia Wilson

DONATE TO THE AMPLIFICATION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

“I’m happy to support this upgrade. You guys are really the best. I’m 60 years old and love your music. I feel it spans the generations. Good luck!” – Carol Ann Levis, Canton Michigan

After more than 50 years of operating in essentially the same space, 88.1 the Park is in need of significant upgrades. On May 10^th, 2024, we launched the Amplification Capital Campaign to raise funds to convert a classroom into a series of editing, recording, and interview studios, a staff room, and storage space. The $517,000 estimate for the capital campaign includes architecture fees, construction costs, HVAC considerations, sound attenuation measures, enhanced lighting, security considerations, ADA accessibility, video capabilities, and significant equipment purchases and upgrades resulting in four additional studios.

These upgrades will allow for significantly more student participation and more than double our current studio space, allowing for more on-air content, recorded news/programming, and edited news podcasts. These upgrades will put the broadcasting environment at 88.1 the Park on par with professional studio space—helping to maintain our award-winning broadcasting quality, while creating a more professional experience for students and studio guests.

In recognition of the Rotary Club of Plymouth’s centennial (the Club was founded in 1924), the Club’s Foundation has granted $200,000 to the capital campaign. This is a last-in grant: we must raise $200,000 first in order to receive the grant. Our fundraising horizon is December 31, 2026, but we hope to have the money raised by the end of 2025.

Help Us Reach Our Goal!

DONATE TO THE AMPLIFICATION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Learn More:

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For the staff at P-CCS’ student-run radio station 88.1 the Park, serving the Plymouth-Canton community while they learn broadcasting skills is more than an after school activity, it’s the chance to serve as the stewards of a community resource with a half-century old tradition of broadcast excellence. 

That tradition was recognized by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters again this year, when it named 88.1 Michigan’s High School Station of the Year at its Student Broadcast Awards celebration on March 18. 

This year’s honor is the seventh straight year (13th overall) that 88.1 has been named Michigan’s top high school radio station. It also represents the tenth consecutive year that the station has been named either a finalist for the National Association of Broadcasters’ Marconi awards, or the MAB High School Station of the Year

88.1’s students dominated this year’s Student Broadcast Awards. P-CEP students received 21 of the 45 total awards presented in the high school radio category, including six first place awards out of 15 categories. The station also swept two categories, taking all three places in both live sports coverage and a category highlighting anti-vaping public service announcements. The competition is judged by radio industry professionals from commercial stations and radio networks around the state. This year’s competition was the most competitive in recent years, with numerous high school stations from around Michigan challenging 88.1 for top honors.

“Our success starts with the great work our students produce. We’re thrilled to see them recognized by the MAB again this year,” 88.1 the Park Station Manager Bill Keith said. “The pride they take in their work, and in serving our community deserves to be celebrated, and it’s tremendously gratifying to see that the professional journalists who judge this competition believed as we do that our students produce excellent work. 

88.1 the Park MAB Award Winners: 

Current Events Story 

• PCCS Security Upgrades
  Credit(s): Akshayapriya Saravanan
  Second Place

• Name Image and Likeness in Michigan House.
  Credit(s): Nathaniel Behrens
  Honorable Mention

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88.1 the Park is excited to announce the release of the station’s new iPhone and Android Phone Apps.  The phone apps are available at the iTunes and Google Play stores.  You can search for 88.1 The Park.

“We’ve been working on this release for over a year so it is exciting to release the apps for our listeners in Plymouth and Canton, and throughout the world.  We wanted to make it easier for our listeners to access the station and our digital content,” said Bill Keith, Station Manager.

The apps were created through a partnership with jācapps, a mobile apps development company in Southfield.  They are one of the leading app development companies for radio stations.