"Live from Studio A," SUNY Old Westbury students participated in World Radio Day with a three-hour show featuring its host Angelina Zavala ‘28, the OWWR - Old Westbury Web Radio team and special guests.
World Radio Day is an annual observance aimed at celebrating and amplifying the voices of radio broadcasters. It was proclaimed in 2011 and adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2012.
As one of 703 radio stations participating in the worldwide observance, OWWR aired “OWWR Spotlight: World Radio Day 2026 Edition” and focused on this year’s theme, “AI is a tool, not a voice.” Other than UN Radio, OWWR was the only station in New York to participate in this international event.
“As artificial intelligence becomes more present in radio, it's on us as broadcasters to learn and share how we can use it to help us grow, not replace us,” said Zavala. “In the end, it isn't technology that makes radio powerful. It's the people behind the mics.”
Renu Balyan, assistant professor of Computer and Information Science and SUNY Artificial Intelligence for the Public Good Fellow, joined the team to lay an informative foundation for the show and discuss the background and purpose of AI.
“AI is the toolkit and we are the builders,” said Balyan. “Have your own identity and use it where it can help you but use it where it helps you to learn and get better at doing things and not where it does things for you.”
The show featured experts from the American Studies and Media and Communications department including, Assistant Professor Wendy Rhodes, Instructor Andrew Mattson, and Lecturer and Radio Station Manager Joseph Manfredi. The team also welcomed Clinical Applications EMR Manager of the SUNY Downstate Medical Center Jeffery Lee. Conversations highlighted the role of AI in education, journalism, healthcare and the media landscape, and AI-related ethics.
Photo Caption: OWWR Host Angelina Zavala (foreground) in studio with (rear, from left to right) student Amanda Zavala, faculty member Renu Balyan, and student Angalina Digilio.