WECI-FM earns Indiana broadcasting award for Richmond RadioWorks production

WECI-FM, a student-run, volunteer-operated public radio station located on Earlham College’ campus, has earned a 2026 Spectrum Award from the Indiana Broadcasters Association. WECI’s work on “Richmond RadioWorks: The Hitchhiker” was named Non-Commercial Radio Program of the Year in the Radio Market 2 division. 

The award adds to a strong year of recognition for WECI, which was ranked No. 7 nationally for “Best College Radio Station” in The Princeton Review’s 2027 edition of The Best 392 Colleges. 

Richmond RadioWorks is a collaboration between WECI and Richmond Civic Theatre that brings audio drama to life through classic radio scripts and original productions. Earlham students and community members work together on productions recorded in WECI’s studios and broadcast on the station. Past episodes are also available as a podcast on major platforms. 

Richmond RadioWorks was created by a trio of local leaders with many connections to Earlham, including Howell Gatchell ’69, a retired broadcast journalist and WECI jazz producer and host; Dr. David Jetmore, a local philanthropist, actor and parent and grandparent of Earlham alum; and Avis Stewart ’74, a longtime Earlham executive who served as interim president from 2018–19. Gatchell continues to serve on the production committee and as an audio engineer, helping bring the collaborative productions from script to broadcast. 

“This award is a wonderful recognition of the collaboration between WECI and Richmond RadioWorks,” Gatchell said. “Earlham alumni, students and members of the Richmond community bring tremendous creativity and talent to the station, and we’re grateful for their contributions.”  

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About Earlham College 

Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion foster a collaborative learning community that inspires and motivates students with opportunities and experiences so they can become catalysts for good in a changing world. Located in Richmond, Indiana, Earlham is one of U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 national liberal arts colleges and offers one of the top 20 classroom experiences in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.