WKNJ-FM 90.3 is where Kean University's radio DJs can be found. Located in the Center for Academic Success (CAS), Room 401 the radio station houses shows like The Devin Hour, a talk show run by Devin Wilson that creates a safe space for people to come together and share their differing opinions.
Wilson, the program director at WKNJ-FM 90.3, is currently a senior at Kean University majoring in communication with a specialization in media and film. During his time in the Exceptional Educational Opportunities (EEO/EOF) program, Wilson was searching for something to be a part of on campus when he came across WKNJ-FM 90.3, a student-run and managed radio station, and became interested in joining the team.
"I was mainly looking just to join anything, but then, as I started to think about it more, I was like, 'Okay, maybe I should do a radio show,' because all I do is talk," said Wilson. "And I have strong opinions on a lot of things, and I feel like some of the things I talk about or my opinions differ from others..."
Wilson's show is mainly based on opinion. He talks about the things that interest him, like music and the social world. But, he also dives into wider cultural issues, like advocating for the LGBTQ community.
"I talk about a lot of LGBTQ topics. One of the main things I advocate for is trans rights and the visibility or representation for people who identify as non-binary, people who kind of fall in between or people who just don't want to fall anywhere, like they just want to be who they are," Wilson said.
Wilson knows that when speaking on these topics he has to keep the dialogue open. His show is about opening the door for everyone to discuss their opinions openly and respectfully.
"Everybody listens to the show, so it's not just people who are like-minded or people who are LGBTQ. I have people come on [that have] different opinions; people who might identify as cis-gendered or heterosexual. They come on the show and we just have an open conversation," said Wilson.
Wilson works hard to keep things fair both within The Devin Hour and WKNJ-FM 90.3 as a whole. Since becoming the program director at WKNJ-FM 90.3, he has made sure people know the program was not just for communication majors.
"I definitely encouraged people outside of the Communication Department to come in. Now we have people who are psychology majors, theatre majors, finance, marketing - everybody's here because everybody has an opinion. It's important to get everybody so you can get those different perspectives," said Wilson.
Wilson's efforts have appeared to garner good results as he has been contacted by people who follow his work on Twitter or Instagram to compliment his show, or even to ask for advice for starting their own shows. Wilson advises everyone not to be afraid to try and fail.
"I would [advise] trial and error. Try it out, fail and then pick yourself back up. Learn from what didn't go well. Continue with it and just be yourself on air. People can really hear if you are truly being yourself or not, so that's very important," said Wilson.
This is something Wilson aspires for himself, as he has taken many lessons from his years working at the radio station.
"I learned how important it is to just be yourself. As I said, people can hear it, so that's really important...learning how to be yourself, how to express yourself properly and how to be open to different perspectives," said Wilson.
Wilson hopes to continue to make WKNJ-FM 90.3 a place where everyone can feel welcome and comfortable, as well as continuing to pursue a career as a radio DJ.
"Currently, I'm doing an internship with a syndicate for radio promotions. I've been doing background work on how people send out music and how people promote music, which is really cool because you should be getting the background information of any job you do," said Wilson.
Anyone who would like to hear Wilson's show can catch it live from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. It can also be found afterward on streaming services like Spotify and SoundCloud. For more information on WKNJ-FM 90.3, people can visit their website.
