Published: July 09, 2009 03:29 pm      

Camp Sweeny radio station provides songs for campers and the area

July 7, 2009 — It is a rare occasion to find a radio station that will play tunes like Ray Charles’s Georgia on My Mind followed by Ska band Real Big Fish and their song Take on Me, but Camp Sweeney’s radio station KPFC is an exception to this rule.

KPFC can be heard in Gainesville on 89.1 FM and in Callisburg on 91.9 FM. The station also has a website, www.kpfc.org, where listeners can tune-in online and hear Sweeney's music, no matter the location.

KPFC was established by Camp Sweeney’s director, Ernie Fernandez in December 1993 and it grew from that date on. Now, KPFC is in operation all year round due to the work of the program director, Chad Henderson and the summer campers of Camp Sweeney, which is a place for diabetic children around the world.

As KPFC's program director, Henderson operates the non-profit station and chooses the music that hits the airwaves on 89.1FM and 91.9 FM in the Callisburg and Gainesville area.

’I try to pick music that most people will like, and just because certain music is not popular doesn’t mean it’s not good’, said Henderson.

Henderson started off as an employee of Camp Sweeney in 2003 as a part of the maintenance team, and in 2005 he became affiliated with the radio station. Henderson also puts in hours at another local radio station, KGAF 1580 AM, but his job at Camp Sweeny holds a special quality that can be hard to find in a profession.

’I get experience as a versatile programmer, and I promote self-confidence in the children at this camp" said Henderson, "I try to help kids find their own feeling of confidence.’

The kids of the camp come into the radio's studio during the morning hours as a class period, and many of them cannot wait to get on the air.

Thirteen-year-old camper, Matt Speer said, ’I like that I am getting heard here, and even further than this area. I can say some of the things that I want, and people will actually listen.’

The majority of work is done in the morning hours due to the efforts of campers, and Henderson oversees the process of producing live radio. The kids pull together as a team to create a show that provides the entire camp and the surrounding areas with the day’s menu items, a weather report, sports updates, a daily guess at movie quotes, and interviews with kids around the camp on a segment known as MARTI Crew.

"I live for live radio" said Henderson, "The 'wheels off' atmosphere gives the whole process an excitement."

Henderson chooses the music, and will even bring old vinyl records into the studio to ensure that a variety of music is played on the air.

Camper Christian Wells from Austin said, ’ I love the radio station, and I like the music a lot!’

Many of the campers vary in age and travel to Camp Sweeney from as far away as England.

The children seem to gain a lot of the self-confidence that Henderson encourages. They are given the freedom and the ability to run the show on their own, and that experience can be rewarding for some of the campers.

"These kids are gaining a self-confidence in a completely different environment that most people don't get to experience" said Henderson.

Hannah Cooke from Pasadena, FL is at her second year of summer camp and said, "I like it when I can host the whole show. You're the one who signs people off the air, and you're kind of like a director."

The kids like working at the station, but they love the music too.

Lauren Domain said that her favorite song that KPFC plays is Know Your Enemy by Green Day, and camp counselor Dafydd Bevil said that he likes If I had a Million Dollars by the Bare Naked Ladies.

It seems as if KPFC can cater to a variety of musical tastes, and that is one of Henderson's goals.

"My goals is to play music that is good, no matter what it is", said Henderson.

KPFC serves the area by cranking out tunes for the campers and Sweeney's surrounding areas, but from what the kids have to say, it seems as if there is something more to the station.

"Chad is awesome! He makes it so much fun to work on the radio", said camper Matt Speer.