College Radio Watch: 1980s Syndicated Radio, WBRU-LP Revives Bit of WBRU, and More News

By Jennifer Waits on January 19, 2018 in College Radio, College Radio Survivor

This week’s Radio Survivor Podcast #125 focuses on Radio Free America, which provides streaming and archiving services for public, community, college, and LPFM radio. Most intriguing to me is Radio Free America’s long history in college radio, with connections to CMJ and a former initiative that produced a radio show that was syndicated to 600 college radio stations.

On the podcast, Ken Pushkin talks about the syndicated college radio show, “New Music – the Alternative 10,” that he produced on LPs in the early 1980s as part of his Radio Free America project (Billboard wrote about it in 1982). Shows were full of music performances and interviews with up and coming bands of the time, including U2 and Stray Cats.

I certainly remember these types of syndicated college radio shows from back in the day and even have a similar LP of a 1987 show called “Music View: Radio’s Weekly New Music Magazine.” According to promotional material included with the LP, the show was “the hippest 1/2 hour on America’s airwaves.” Produced and hosted by former WNYU Program Director Jon Fox, Music View also included contributions from Jack Rabid (then the Alternative Editor for Rockpool).

Music View – the Radio Interview Show flyer from 1987. Photo: J. Waits

Sponsored by the Columbia Record and Tape Club, the free weekly service was busy signing up affiliate stations when episode 1 landed in my mailbox at WHRC in fall, 1987. Episode one included interviews with Robyn Hitchcock and Tommy Stinson (the Replacements) and featured music from both artists, as well as from Flower, Rema Rema, and The Saints. On the B-side of my LP, episode two includes music from Hoodoo Gurus, Celibate Rifles, Flag of Convenience, New Model Army, and Redd Kross.