The past semester has been an exciting one for Jacob Abrams. As a sophomore, Abrams has taken on the role of president of the shiny radio station in the HUB, The LION 90.7 FM. Majoring in management, Abrams has channeled his love of sports and radio to help continue the success of The LION.
HC: How would you describe The LION to those who have never heard of the radio station before?
JA: The LION is an independently programmed student-run radio station. We provide a voice for Penn State students as well as an outlet for people and organizations on campus. We also give students who plan to go into the radio industry hands-on experiences with an FCC-licensed station. We have programming that ranges from indie to classic rock to sports talk radio, so it’s really a big melting pot of radio content.
HC: What made you get involved with The LION?
JA: I became involved in The LION the fall of my freshman year. I was a wide-eyed freshman walking through the involvement fair trying to find what I would find the most interesting. I ended up seeing The LION 90.7 FM and thought that I may want to try radio. At this point, I was still trying to figure out what to major in so I thought about broadcast journalism. Even though I didn’t go down that route, I fell in love with it the moment I started doing sports talk radio.
HC: What is your favorite part of working with The LION?
JA: My favorite part of working with The LION has been doing live sports broadcasts. Football, basketball and baseball broadcasts have been a great experience for me. Traveling to Ohio State and M&T Bank Stadium this past year to call football were some of the highlights of my sophomore year.
HC: What’s your biggest goal for the station during your time as president?
JA: My biggest goal is to make The LION 90.7 FM the best radio station it can be. Whether it be with great programming, talent, remote broadcasts, promotions and other factors, I want this station to live up to its fullest potential.
HC: Who has been your biggest inspiration during your time at Penn State?
JA: My biggest inspiration will always be my parents. Those two people have given me everything that I could ever dream of. They gave me a great childhood, and they’ve given me the opportunity to go to the greatest university in the world. I am very grateful for what they’ve done for me because they’ve given up a lot to give me everything I need to succeed.
HC: What other organizations on campus are you involved in?
JA: Besides the radio station, I am also involved with Onward State as a staff writer. For Onward State, I’ve mainly written recaps and features on the sports aspect of Penn State, but I also write articles about student life and other Penn State related topics. I’m also a part of the Penn State Sports Business Club on campus.
HC: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in joining The LION?
JA: My advice would be that if you’ve ever had the feeling that you wanted to talk on the radio, then you should join The LION 90.7 FM. It’s really a laid-back experience with the opportunities of an FCC-licensed station, and you’ll never regret the time you spend here.
If you’re interested in having your voice heard on Penn State’s student radio station, head to thelion.fm, or email The LION officers at officers@thelion.fm!