Myles Johnson ’23 Delivers Daily Forecasts, Rain or Shine
January 27, 2022
Listeners tuning into Wheeler’s radio station, WELH 88.1 FM, can learn just how chilly the winter air may get this time of year thanks to the daily weather forecasts from one of our Upper School students.
Myles Johnson ’23 said he had long been interested in producing something for the school’s station, but didn’t have a specific idea to bring to fruition. After he joined the radio club, Director of Operations David Schiano suggested that the station could air weather forecasts, and Myles “jumped at the opportunity. I practiced a few times with him after putting together a general script, and then I was off.”
Each day, Myles turns his attention to a preferred weather app on his smartphone and reviews the data. He looks over the forecasts for the next few days, including daily high and low temperatures, then writes a report and practices reading it before moving on to recording.
“To record, I go to a quiet space, whether it be my bedroom or a quiet place on campus, and record it with the phone mic,” Myles said. He then sends the recordings to Schiano’s team where they are soon broadcast on air to WELH’s listeners. Some examples of his work can be heard here and here.
Some of the audience members, in particular, have told him how much they enjoy his forecasts. “My friends and family thought it was the coolest thing,” Myles said. “Just today I got a text in all caps from a friend who heard me, and who I hadn’t told I was on air, but was a regular listener of the station. He was surprised and supportive.”
While one might see sunny skies ahead for a career in broadcasting or reporting, that forecast, according to Myles, is not clear yet, but he said that “anything is possible.” He has a love of data and reaching out to people, and he calls being part of WELH the “coolest thing.”
“As a student at Wheeler, the opportunity to be on the radio had always been tempting, and now I’m finally doing it!”
