Alameda's KJTZ 96.1 Wins Second in National Radio Awards

96.1 KJTZ, the student radio station at Encinal Junior and Senior High School in Alameda, CA, just took 2nd place nationally for Best Sports Reporting, Audio, in the 2026 College Broadcasters Inc. production awards. It's the only high school station among the four winners in that category. The other three spots went to university stations.

• Award: 2nd place, Best Sports Reporting, Audio, 2026 NSMC Production Awards
• Who gave it: College Broadcasters Inc. (CBI), at its National Student Media Convention
• Winning piece: "Encinal Baseball Plays Tamalpais at Oracle Park"
• Where the station lives: Encinal High, 210 Central Avenue, on Alameda's West End
• How to listen: 96.1 FM, weekdays from 7 to 11 a.m.

What award did Encinal's KJTZ win?

KJTZ placed 2nd in Best Sports Reporting, Audio, in the 2026 CBI NSMC Production Awards list.

That's a college contest. CBI says it got hundreds of entries this year. Here's who placed in KJTZ's category:

• 1st: Marshall University, WMUL-FM
• 2nd: Encinal Junior/Senior High School, 96.1 KJTZ
• 3rd: Mississippi State University, WMSV Radio
• 4th: Marshall University, WMUL-FM

So a high school crew from Central Avenue finished ahead of college programs, including Mississippi State. That's a big deal for a station that runs out of a high school.

What did KJTZ broadcast to win?

The winning entry was the station's call of Encinal's baseball game against Tamalpais at Oracle Park, where the Giants play.

Think about that: a teenage play-by-play crew, a big league ballpark, and a judging panel that mostly hears from college sports desks.

What is KJTZ, and how do you listen?

KJTZ is a low-power FM station run by students at Encinal. It's on the air at 96.1 FM every weekday morning from 7 to 11, and the station's website streams it online too.

It calls itself "The Bay's #1 Student Led Radio Station." The program was started by a former radio producer who became a teacher, KALW reported in 2021. Kevin Gorham is listed as the station's radio instructor.

What this means for Alameda

If you've got a kid at Encinal who likes sports, music or talking, this is a real, working radio station they can join, and now it's got a national award to show for it. Tune in to 96.1 on your drive across the island any weekday morning.

CBI's next convention is in Cleveland, Ohio, October 27 to 30, 2027. For more on local schools, see our Alameda schools news.