Earlier this week I posted my 81st radio station field trip article. It was a pretty epic road trip to see WONC-FM at North Central College, as it had snowed 5 inches the night before and it continued to snow during our drive. I felt badly for our hosts, who took it in stride that Spring Break in Illinois can still be frigid. I love visiting radio stations and will report back on more field trips soon. Also this week, we reported on the WVBU DJ who was expelled from Bucknell University after a racist broadcast.
Macalester College Radio Station WMCN Making Changes to Schedule to Attract Community Listeners
In an opinion piece in the Mac Weekly, WMCN General Manager Jacob Frank calls for a re-invigoration of Macalester’s FM college radio station by making it more relevant to the local community. He writes that the 6 watt station,
should provide an outlet for voices within the Mac-Groveland community, and broadcast the best ideas (and music) that our campus has to offer. Right now, the station is underutilized. We have more than 150 DJs (most of them with interesting shows), but no consistency.”
He points out that it’s one of the rare college radio stations in the Minneapolis area with a FM signal and that although it’s a weak signal, “broadcasting over the air gives a radio station more legitimacy.” He makes the interesting point that, “In its current state, WMCN makes a great internet radio station. But our frequency and license to broadcast, and the desire to hold on to that license, means that we have an obligation to provide programming relevant to our community, on-campus and off.”
In an attempt to make the station more appealing to non-student listeners, WMCN is moving to a block schedule format this summer and will also be opening up the airwaves to “orgs, academic departments, identity collectives or any group on campus that wants an outlet for its ideas (or just wants to play music with a theme)” in order to “make programming a little more consistent on a day-to-day basis.”
WKDU Invites Local Non-Profits to Help Make Public Service Announcements at Drexel University Station
Drexel University’s college radio station WKDU-FM in Philadelphia is hosting a public service announcement (PSA) workshop on April 25 and is inviting non-profit groups to stop by to help record PSAs. According to Drexel Now,
And just as much a part of [the] listening experience for many is the hourly broadcast of a public service announcement. ‘Some of our PSAs have been in rotation for quite some time and our listeners know them quite well, almost by heart,’ said Chris Burrell, electronic music director at WKDU. ‘We had a listener who called up once and recited back the entire ‘Ride a Bike’ PSA, nearly verbatim’…With that in mind, Burrell and the staff at WKDU want to expand the catalog to better serve the local community.”
University of Northern Colorado’s Radio Station on an Upswing
The UNC Mirror reports on the current state of things at the University of Northern Colorado college radio station, UNC Student Radio. According to the article,
One organization that has overcome its own adversities to continue providing students with great opportunities is UNC Student Radio. While the student radio station has existed since 1995, it has not always been as vibrant as it is today. At one point in its history, fewer than 10 DJs had shows on the air, said current general manager Thomas Hoffman. All of that changed when Sam Wood, the former general manager and University of Northern Colorado graduate, took control of the station. ‘He created a brand for UNCSR,’ said Hoffman, who joined the staff during Wood’s last year at UNC. The number of DJs skyrocketed to around 90 during his time at the station, and Wood paved the way for others to take advantage of the opportunities at UNCSR as well.”
Profiling KTCU-FM at Texas Christian University
Catch a glimpse of KTCU-FM in a short video on TCU360 and learn more about the student-run station that emphasizes both sports and music programming. According to the article, “It first aired in 1948 in a closed circuit with 11 transmitters. The radio broadcasted only on TCU grounds, either in the dorms or in the buildings. In 1964, KTCU went from a closed circuit to a larger circuit on regular radio waves throughout the Fort Worth community.”
A Request for Student-Run Programming on Jazz-Oriented WVSU-FM
The Samford Crimson reports that a student is asking for the addition of a student-run show on “smooth jazz” oriented-college radio station WVSU-FM. According to the article,
Sophomore journalism and mass communication (JMC) major McClain McKinney…wants to hear more student voices on 91.1 WVSU. On March 24, McKinney proposed to university communication officials a project to change the station’s music and introduce a new student-produced show.
WVSU manager Andy Parrish said ideas for new programs are still under development, as changing the station’s format would be a large undertaking. He added that there are currently no plans to change WVSU from its current focus on jazz, which he said has built a loyal audience. ‘That said, we’re not opposed to opening up certain times of the day for additional programs and exploring creative, new ways for students to work in a professional media environment,’ Parrish said.
Right now, students are involved in the station as disc jockeys and work with Samford Athletics for sporting events. McKinney would like to add a three-person afternoon radio show. During that show’s timeslot, WVSU would replace its jazz playlist with alternative and indie music, as well as songs by students and Birmingham artists. ‘There’s so many possibilities that Samford radio has,’ McKinney said. ‘I see so much potential, especially for student involvement.'”
University of Southern Indiana Students Win at Indiana Association of School Broadcasters (IASB) College Competition
Kudos to students from college radio station The Edge. The University of Southern Indiana announced that its students won awards in the Air Personality, Radio Interview, Radio Sportscast, Radio Spot Production, Radio Imaging, and Radio Copywriting.
Southeastern University Launches LPFM in Lakeland, Florida
Bay News 9 reports on the launch on Southeastern University’s college radio station in Lakeland, Florida. According to the article, WSEU-LP (misidentified in the piece as WESU, which is Wesleyan University’s full power station) is a student-run station that “plans to play Christian music, as well as feature school and area musician and cover the university’s sports teams and news.”
San Diego City and County Proclaim “KCR College Radio Days” this Month
In honor of recent awards won by San Diego State University radio station KCR, the city and county of San Diego are proclaiming April 21st and April 28th “KCR College Radio Day.” San Diego State University announced that the day will be recognized on April 21st in San Diego county and on April 28th in the city of San Diego.
Sociology Class on College Radio Station KXUA
I’ve heard of radio shows hosted by faculty, but KXUA is airing something a little different. University of Arkansas writes that, “Douglas Adams, associate professor of sociology in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, hosts a weekly radio show, Social Sounds, for his general sociology class. On the broadcast, he takes callers questions about lecture material and reviews material for his biweekly exams.” It’s a bit reminiscent of the early days of college extension classes by radio.
We cover the culture of college radio every Friday in our College Radio Watch feature. If you have college radio news to share, please drop us a note at EDITORS at RADIOSURVIVOR dot COM.
