Lisa Marshall
WMCO Station Manager
David Kennett, WMCO radio station’s first chief broadcast engineer, died April 15, 2020 in North Ridgeville, OH.
Dave Kennett, WMCO’s first chief broadcast engineer.
Kennett, a U.S. Army veteran, was a member of the Northern Ohio Amateur Radio Society (W8KFJ) and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.
WMCO student founder and Muskingum University Board of Trustees member Hal Burlingame ’62 met Kennett in 1959 while working part-time at WHIZ-TV in Zanesville.
Burlingame was also making plans at the time to begin Muskingum University’s radio station. He asked Kennett to serve as WMCO chief engineer.
Kennett began his time at WMCO in 1960. WMCO signed on the air January 28, 1961. Kennett worked with Burlingame as station manager to secure WMCO’s first Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensing.
“Dave clearly put the station on the air from a technological point of view and caused our limited equipment to get us airworthy,” said Burlingame.
WMCO’s first 10-watt transmitter came used from Kent State University. Kennett wired WMCO’s studio in Cambridge Hall to make everything functional.
“He spent a lot of time on it….he was the one who knew what to do with it and got it on the air,” said Burlingame.
WMCO’s founding staff members, 1961.
Kennett enrolled in science courses at Muskingum during his time working with WMCO. After Muskingum, Kennett worked for broadcast stations in Indiana.
He then was employed for 23 years as an engineer for Ohio Bell (with Burlingame) and Ameritech before retiring in 1992.
Burlingame recalled Kennett enjoying all kinds of media technology, including teaching Software Defined Radio (SDR). Kennett’s YouTube channel influenced many people around the world.
“He continued to have a full career in the field he loved so much,” said Burlingame.
Dave Kennett’s YouTube channel. This featured video has 52,500 views.
Kennett returned to Muskingum to celebrate WMCO’s 50th anniversary in 2011 with Burlingame and fellow founding members of the station. Kennett shared memories of getting the station live on (then) 91.1 FM.
Kennett’s survivors include his wife of 57 years, Juanita (nee Mehne); son, Bradley (Michele) of North Ridgeville; grandchildren, Jasmine (Jonathan) Monacelli of Elyria, Laurel Kennett of North Ridgeville; niece, Nancy (Larry) Claggett of Delaware, OH; nephews, Jim Hotchkiss of California, Jon Hotchkiss of Alaska. He was preceded in death by his parents, Norval and Laurel (nee Barringer) Kennett.
The WMCO staff honors and appreciates Kennett’s forward-thinking and technological contributions to our radio station. Thank you, Dave.
