KMIH Named Best High School Radio Station in the Nation

Photo credit: Jerry and Lois Photography

Mercer Island, WA, November 4, 2024 – Mercer Island High School radio station 88.9 KMIH The Bridge was named the nation’s best high school radio station on November 2 at the annual John Drury High School Radio Awards hosted by WONC-FM at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.

88.9 The Bridge students have won individual Drury awards, as well as accolades from other competitions and media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, and the Intercollegiate Broadcasting Conference in the past, but this is the first time KMIH has been recognized as the top high school radio station in the country.

In accepting the award, Joe Bryant, KMIH General Manager and Faculty Advisor said, “This means a great deal to us. There are many excellent stations in the country and particularly in the Midwest. This is a recognition that we share with all the MIHS students, colleagues, and everyone in the Mercer Island community who helps us build 88.9 The Bridge. I have always thought of KMIH as one of the best high school stations in the nation and it’s a thrill to know that now it’s official. Congratulations to all the students and schools who took time to enter their amazing work. As a person who has been in the radio business a long time, it’s a thrill to hear what's being created by the broadcast journalism professionals of the future. They are the folks that are keeping the flames of broadcast media burning brightly from coast to coast”

In addition to best station, KMIH.org was also named the Top High School Radio Website and senior Chloe Yang was honored as the country's Top Student Podcaster for her series Emerald City Echoes.

View A Full List of the Winners

Other KMIH broadcasters recognized were Sophia Loiselle and Kate Lenington who placed as runners up for Best Promo. Losielle also placed second for Best Public Affairs Show and the KMIH social media team earned second for the 88.9 The Bridge Instagram.

Taking third place awards were Maggie Blohm for Best Sports Update, Yang and Nicole Henderson for Best News Update, and Liam Murawski, Milo Berkley, and Brendan McGuire for Best Sports Talk Show.

Mercer Island High College and Career Readiness Coordinator Jennifer McLellan commented, “What I love about 88.9 The Bridge is that it’s truly a student centric radio station with the bulk of the music programming and content created by MIHS students. We are so lucky to have this resource in our district and to have Joe and Natalie Woods sharing their deep professional skills, energy, and seemingly boundless buckets of patience supporting our students as they learn how to be effective communicators. KMIH is the platform that gives our Islander student community a voice”

On Mercer Island you can listen to KMIH at 88.9 FM, stream online at kmih.org, or download the KMIH app.