Today is College Radio Day 2019, a day set aside to celebrate student radio around the globe. This year more than 500 stations are participating. One of the organized events is the World College Radio Day marathon, in which stations from all over the world take turns broadcasting on the official College Radio Day stream. Today, I tuned in to hear a bit of KJHK from University of Kansas, followed by Radio Univers in Ghana and now I’m listening to college radio station UTM Radio from Ecuador.
College Radio Day is a wonderful reminder of the diversity of college radio; during their marathon I’m hearing a mix of talk in various languages as well as a range of music from many different eras.
The annual College Radio Day is also a great excuse to reflect on college radio’s rich history, which stretches back to the beginnings of broadcast radio. My first experience in college radio was on a campus that launched a student radio station in 1923. Those crafty techies on college campuses in the 1920s are my college radio heroes, as they turned their passion for the brand new communications medium into a student activity that continues to thrive nearly 100 years later.
Learn more about college radio and its fascinating history by perusing the Radio Survivor archives, where we cover the culture of college radio on these pages and in our podcast. I’ve also been reporting on my field trips to college radio stations since 2008, having visited more than 100 college radio stations. Those reports are also chock full of history, giving a more complete picture of the roots of college radio. Happy College Radio Day!
