Mapping Recent College Radio Stories (Photo: J. Waits)
With the beginning of a new semester on many college campuses, it’s that time of year when publications often take note of the role played by student stations. Here’s a recap of some recent articles about college radio:
KURE Hosts 3rd Annual Music Festival- KURE-Fest in Ames, Iowa this Friday
Iowa State University’s college radio station KURE is hosting its third annual free music festival this Friday, September 28. According to an article in the Ames Tribune, the event will be held at Iowa State and will feature RJD2 and Atlas Sound, among other musical acts.
New Online Radio Station to Launch at St. Petersburg College
MYRA Radio, a new online student radio station at St. Petersburg College, is set to launch this month. An article in the Tampa Bay Times discusses the plans for the station. According to the piece, the station’s name (MYRA) is an acronym for “make your radio active.”
WBGU Hosts “Indie 5K Race” to Raise Funds for Station
WBGU-FM (I used to be a DJ there!) at Bowling Green State University hosted an “Indie 5K Race” last weekend in order to “raise money and awareness for the station,” according to an article in The BG News.
College Radio’s Role in the Music Biz
Billboard did a nice piece about college radio, recognizing its continued importance in the music industry. The article states, “From tiny carrier-current frequencies whose main mission is teaching the basics of radio to FM powerhouses that compete with commercial, corporately-owned signals, people are paying attention to college radio, even if audience totals aren’t always robust. Major record labels allot resources to promoting new artists to college stations. Rising acts rely on the inroads that college airplay provides. And, college programmers respect the responsibility of breaking new music. ”
Radio as “Unsung” Resource at Keane State
A columnist in Keane State’s The Equinox wrote a piece about “unsung resources” at the college and included in that list, is the student radio station WKNH. David Padroza writes, “I have been involved with the radio since freshman year, and am still amazed at the technology and studio we have…To be able to access that kind of equipment is huge, but a lot of the student population does not even know about the studio.”
Upgrades to Elmhurst College Radio Station
An article in the Elmhurst Press profiles Elmhurst College’s radio station WRSE 88.7 FM following a ribbon-cutting ceremony in celebration of the station’s newly revamped studio in Elmhurst, Illinois. One of the upgrades includes a new automation system (the old one didn’t include any tracks newer than 1999).
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Online Station Seeks Participants
An article in the Scribe profiles University of Colorado’s student radio station in Colorado Springs. Known at UCCS Internet Radio, the Internet-only station has been around since 2003, “yet many new students are unfamiliar with its existence.” According to the piece, “…the station is alive and well on campus and looking for anyone who would like to produce a show.”
Did College Rock Die in 1992? (A.V. Club)
An interesting piece in A.V. Club details the demise of the “college rock” genre of music following the commercial success of grunge in 1992. In his article, Noel Murray points out that although college rock “died,” college radio didn’t die. He writes, “Meanwhile, as some of college radio’s more aggressive acts went mainstream, university stations moved on, too, and started programming more music from a new wave of quirky, fannish, lo-fi amateurs who were self-releasing cassettes and 45s. Thus indie rock became the new college rock: a business model that was also, to some extent, a sound.”
University of Northern Colorado Station Seeks New Members
Campus-only UNC Student Radio has been broadcasting to the dorms at University of Northern Colorado since the late 1960s, according to an article in the UNC Mirror. The piece states that the station now broadcasts online and has a staff of around 70 DJs.
WUTK featured on mtvU’s College Radio Countdown
According to an article in MetroPulse, University of Tennessee radio station WUTK was recently featured on mtvU’s College Radio Countdown show. The cable network had reached out to the station because it had determined that WUTK was one of the “most-listened-to college radio stations in the country.” The station then provided a top 10 countdown of music videos for mtvU.
College Radio is Important to Future of Radio
In a piece on Policy Mic, Adam Hogue argues for a reinvention of radio. He gives props to college radio, stating, “All around America, there are stations that people take regional pride in. Most of these stations turn out to be college radio stations. College radio should be the local voice of local youth. While radio is rapidly losing the young listeners demographic (people ages 12 to 24), I believe that it is the job of college radio to be the community alternative for young people.”
