How two pine trees became the namesake for a creative endeavor.
written by ELIZABETH HOWARD
THE PINE ROOM PODCAST, based in Wheeling, originated with a group of friends and family who held a tradition every Saturday. All 10 of them would gather at one house and watch sports. With multiple TVs in use, they had plenty to discuss.
The idea to create a podcast started in February 2022, when one of the co-founders created a plan for sharing their discussions with an audience. The members met up, found a radio station to record at, and started from there. The big venue where they watched their weekly sports sat under two pine trees—and thus, the name was born. At first, the podcast’s main points of discussion were gambling and sports, but that has since changed. “We have a potpourri of things to talk about,” says Jarrett Delbrugge, one of the co-founders and social media manager. They’ve even gone from sports to The Clapper, a product that turns on lights, in one episode.
The Pine Room Podcast is one of the few podcasts of its kind in their area, Delbrugge says. “We get to do something different that not a lot of people around here are doing yet.” The Pine Room Studios offers three podcasts and seven hours of radio on WKKX in Wheeling. The Pine Room Podcast and Bettor’s Last Stand are weekly, and, on the occasional Soup N’ Stuff, one of the co-founders talks one-on-one with business owners. Podcast guests have included Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith, Dallas Cowboys cornerback C.J. Goodwin, and NBC Sports commentator Mike Florio.
Recently, they’ve expanded to doing recordings on location. A listener favorite was the Halloween episode they recorded at the Moundsville Penitentiary. They’ve started hosting events, too. Their latest was a pickleball tournament hosted in collaboration with the Ohio Valley Pickleball Club. The event was a hit, and they hope to expand it next year and host other get-togethers, too.
The response has been the most rewarding part for The Pine Room Studios crew. “It’s been pretty cool to see and hear people say they listened to the show or saw us on social media,” says Delbrugge. “Being out in the community and being involved is really rewarding.”
@thepineroomstudios on YouTube
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM WV LIVING’S WINTER 2023 ISSUE
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