It’s the story of a high school radio station on Long Island where many broadcast careers were shaped, and now a current member and graduating senior is the one delivering it to your home theater.
“The Subterranean Penthouse: The Story of WKWZ” is a new documentary film by Syosset, N.Y., High School student Jason Feldman.
He serves as co-station manager and is a second-generation DJ at 88.5 WKWZ(FM), the 125-watt operation licensed to the high school. He is following in the footsteps of his father, Eric, who was heavily involved at the station in the 1980s.
The station was granted an FCC license in 1973 and it launched from a room in the school’s basement. WKWZ boasts an impressive roster of alumni who spent time at the station through the years.
Former on-air personalities include filmmaker Judd Apatow, CBS Radio anchor Linda Kenyon, SiriusXM sports anchor Bob Galerstein, television writer Bob Goodman and ESPN sports broadcaster Jake Asman.
“One of the most amazing parts was hearing stories from alumni and former faculty advisors from completely different generations of WKWZ,” Feldman said. The documentary features perspectives from alumni who helped build the station in the 1970s, and then shaped it in the 80s, 90s and beyond.
The film also highlights mentors like Roy Dippel, who infused the station with his engineering knowledge up until his retirement in 2018, and Jack DeMasi, who supervised WKWZ for 26 years.
You can watch the one-hour and 40-minute documentary on YouTube. We asked Feldman some questions about the documentary, his role as WKWZ station manager today and what he aspires for after he graduates from Syosset High in June.
A “chain reaction”
The documentary took two years to produce. After connecting with one of his father’s former colleagues, Feldman described a chain reaction where every conversation opened another door. In fact, coordinating interviews with alumni across the country was difficult at times, he told us.
But realizing that most of the major WKWZ players, including faculty and technical advisors, were still around, he saw a rare opportunity to preserve the station’s legacy.
Digging through the school’s archived student radio materials — including photos, tapes and newspaper clippings, much of it tucked away in storage in the school basement — felt like uncovering pieces of a mystery, he said.
Feldman independently produced, filmed, edited and directed the documentary while balancing high school classes and his station responsibilities.
Keep that same old feeling
Part of the documentary contrasts Feldman’s own experience with the station’s heyday in the 1980s and ’90s.
When he joined the station as a freshman, what he saw didn’t quite align with his father’s glory days. In 2021, the station was moved out of its basement space into a single room within the school’s halls. The relocation initially had a negative impact on participation.
“The soul of the subterranean penthouse was no more,” Feldman narrated in the documentary.
However, a renewed effort from school administrators and student advocates has breathed new life into WKWZ. Alongside co-station manager Zoe Voulgaris and Assistant Principal Matthew Loew, Feldman worked to capitalize on the new location’s hallway windows to increase visibility and engage the student body.
The station is also embracing modern engineering. WKWZ is continuing its transition into a digital workflow.
“A lot of our focus has been on understanding and implementing automation systems, streaming technology, remote connectivity and maintaining reliable on-air operation,” Feldman said. As station manager, his duties have ranged from studio setup and audio routing to troubleshooting live productions.
Sports broadcasting has provided a specific technical learning experience, he said. Setting up remote broadcasts for live games involves coordinating mixers, microphones, laptops, networking, commentary positions and backup plans.
“What makes WKWZ unique is that students are trusted with real responsibility,” he said. “You are not just learning about radio and technology, you are actively operating a functioning radio station and learning how all the technical pieces come together in a live environment.”
Feldman’s audio and visual production skills extend beyond the new film. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he produced a video podcasting series called “MATT on LAX.” Showing his versatility, he was also selected last year as a NYSSMA All-State Musician for original songwriting.
From Long Island to State College
Feldman will walk in Syosset High School’s graduation on June 24. Then, it’s off to Happy Valley.
This fall, he will attend Penn State’s Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. He plans to major in telecommunications and media industries, continuing his studies in broadcasting while exploring television, film, digital media and audio storytelling.
Feldman believes radio will be a part of his upcoming journey, as its core idea — telling stories and creating experiences that bring people together — is always something that will matter to him.
For now, he hopes his documentary will cement the legacy of WKWZ. Showing that he is truly multi-platform, Feldman also plans to release a companion book to the documentary.
“I want WKWZ to inspire today’s students the same way it inspired generations of alumni over the past 50-plus years,” he said.
[Do you receive the Radio World SmartBrief newsletter each weekday morning? We invite you to sign up here.]
