88.1 the Park will hand over control of the airwaves to the station’s alumni on Saturday May 2, for our Alumni On-Air Day.  Listen from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. as former staff members share some of their favorites, along with music the station played over the past five + decades.

Staff members from all eras of the station’s history will stop by to share music and memories.

8:00 a.m. Jessica Read  – Class of 1999
9:00 a.m. Meghann Witmer – Class of 1997
10:00 a.m. Ryan Tomaszycki – Class of 2020
11:00 a.m. Chris Butzlaff  – Class of 1989 and Ben Trudell – Class of 2025
12:00 p.m. Moussa Nasser – Class of 2020
1:00 p.m. Ariel Ooms and Simon Oszust  – Class of 2024
2:00 p.m. Larkin Pence – Class of 1974
3:00 p.m. June Kirchgatter – Class of 1983 and Glenn Bar – Class of 1982
4:00 p.m. Jonah Kibin – Class of 2024

Quick Pass Carwash will present The 88.1 the Park Auction on Saturday May 16, from 9am to 9pm.  Every half-hour you can bid on great items donated by local businesses including restaurant gift cards, sports memorabilia, golf outings and much more.  Most importantly, all of the proceeds will benefit 88.1 the Park, our student radio program.

We’ll also have a Dream Board of special items available for bidding all day long.

Local businesses and residents still have time to support the student radio station by donating items. Businesses that donate can benefit from the exposure they will receive on 88.1 The Park. Most importantly, they will be helping a program that has impacted the lives of students and served the Plymouth-Canton community for 54 years. You can get more information by contacting Station Manager Bill Keith at 734-416-7732.
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88.1 the Park students were honored at the 2026 Michigan Association of Broadcasters High School and College Awards on Thursday March 26, in Lansing.

The students received 16 awards in 16 categories, including five first place and five second place honors.   This included sweeping the On-Air Personality or Team and Daily Newscast catergories.

88.1 the Park Award Winners

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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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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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.