Lee Merrill,16, Santa Fe High student and Judy Goldberg, director of Youth Media Project. Photo by Jane Phillips.

Most kids their age are so caught up with new technology like iPods and MySpace that they very rarely listen to the radio. And especially not public radio.

But Karmen Gallegos and Lee Merrill are using the radio to explore their interests and inform their peers through the Santa Fe Youth Radio Project, a program started by local radio producer Judy Goldberg.
“We look for stories that we not only feel strongly about, but also would affect the community,” said Lee, who will be a senior at Santa Fe High School in the fall.

So far, the small group of students has produced stories on DWI prevention, college, security at schools and immigration. They began broadcasting them last October on KSFR 90.7 FM, the local public radio station. It airs at 7:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.

Carmen Gallegos,center,17, Capital High student, interviews, from left Karina Nevarez,18 and Elizabeth Deluna,19, both Santa Fe Community College students. Photo by Jane Phillips.

Karmen, a Capital High School junior, said she got involved with the project more than two years ago when Goldberg visited one of her classes. Of the dozen or so students who went to the first meeting, only Karmen stuck with it. Now, she said, she’s found a career.

Her first show, about her quinceanera, was recently featured on the Public Radio Exchange, a collection of shows from public radio stations across the country.

Lee joined when a friend in the program called and asked if he wanted to do voices on the radio. He hasn’t done any voices, he said, but having to go out and interview people for shows has helped boost his confidence.
The Santa Fe Youth Radio Project also offers a series of three radio courses through Santa Fe Community College that both high-school and community college students can take. High-school students who complete the course get dual credit.

Monte del Sol Charter School also has started a radio arts course in conjunction with the project.
Goldberg said she wants the program to be a place where teens can find a voice. In the fall, students can apply to work on the shows, with the understanding that they must commit to a few hours two days a week for production, plus time for two or three broadcasts, she said.

In the meantime, Karmen and Lee are trying to recruit friends and classmates to the program.
More teens should listen to the show, Karmen said, “because you’re not listening to Britney Spears or Paris Hilton; you’re listening to people in your community that you know about.”

By JOHN SENA | The New Mexican
June 4, 2007
Contact John Sena at jsena@sfnewmexican.com.