headphones at college radio station WMFO. Photo: J. Waits

College Radio Watch: Radio Camp, the Most Veteran College Radio DJ? and More News

By Jennifer Waits on June 14, 2017 in College Radio, College Radio Survivor

Over the past few weeks, my social media feed has been packed with graduation photos, ranging from preschool to college. Although we are still a week away from summer solstice, the end of the school year launches the seasonal break for many people, including college radio stations. Some stations are preparing to go silent for the summer, whereas others operate like any other time of the year. Notably, it’s also a time of transition, with some college radio station leaders graduating and moving on to post-collegiate activities.

Some college radio stations, including Saint Xavier University’s WXAV, will be hosting summer radio camps for kids and teenagers over the next few months. If you know of others, let me know in the comments.

Who is the Most Veteran College Radio DJ?

I got word that long-time KUCI DJ Michael Rydzynski recently celebrated his 40 year anniversary as a host at the University of California, Irvine college radio station. My tipster wondered if Rydzynski, who launched his show on January 14, 1977, could possibly be the most veteran college radio DJ in the country. I wasn’t sure, so I started to sleuth this out.

Here are some other stations with long-time DJs:

Professor Bebop at WTJU – on the air since 1973, which will be 44 years this July

John Weingart at WPRB – started in February, 1974 for two school years of grad school and came back in 1976, so at least 41 consecutive years

KDVS has had at least one DJ since the mid-1970s

KXLU also has some DJs who have been around since the 1970s and its Latin Music block “Alma del Barrio” has been around since 1973

Ken Berryhill, who started doing campus radio from his dorm room in 1951, which helped to launch future station WRVU, returned to WRVU in 1997 to do radio shows, remaining on the air until the FM license was sold

KFJC has several DJs who began at the station in the 1970s and its founder (the station began in 1959) has come back to do interviews about the station’s history

I’m curious to hear details about other long-time DJs, but also want to acknowledge that 40 years is a huge accomplishment, particularly since there are many radio stations that haven’t even been around for 40 years. What year did your station’s most veteran DJ start hosting his or her show?