In the provocative piece, WNYU, New York is “Almost Public Radio,” radio veteran Ken Mills posits that college radio station WNYU at New York University (see my 2008 tour) falls into the category of “almost public radio.” Mills argues that stations in this category “copy public radio’s style, represent themselves as a public trust and/or […]
The stereotypical college radio station that I conjure up in my mind looks a lot like KDVS 90.3 FM at University of California, Davis. Its spacious digs are full of musical ephemera, from posters of bands that I’ve loved over the years to packed shelves housing recorded material on every format imaginable (even carts). Rumored […]
Today is the Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality. Radio Survivor is a supporter because we understand clearly how the internet is a powerful medium to disseminate diverse and independent voices. As an independent online publication and podcast Radio Survivor fundamentally relies on a free, unfiltered internet to exist and communicate with fellow radio […]
The most recent UCRN (University of California Radio Network) conference provided the perfect opportunity for me to finally see Loyola Marymount University’s college radio station KXLU 88.9 FM in Los Angeles. Located on the Catholic university’s resort-like campus full of palm trees, expansive lawns, and glistening white buildings, KXLU feels like a secret club, blasting […]
It was after dark when I arrived on the University of Richmond campus on Wednesday, March 15, 2017. Although I had a general idea of where college radio station WDCE was located, I had to circle the building before eventually spotting the station’s sign above the stairs leading down to the entrance to its basement […]
Over spring break, I took my first trip to the Bronx and was glad to have been able to visit a couple of radio stations, including Lehman College Underground Radio aka WHCL at Lehman College on March 28, 2017. On a chilly Tuesday morning, I made my way to the City University of New York […]
A little over a week ago, I got back from a radio-filled trip to Virginia, which included a stay in Charlottesville for the College Radio: Then, Now, and Next symposium and visits to nine radio stations throughout the state. Before heading to the airport, I trekked to a couple of radio stations, starting off with […]
My trip to Cabrini University’s college radio station WYBF was a long-time coming. Located on Philadelphia’s main line in Radnor, Pennsylvania, WYBF has shared an FM channel with WXVU at nearby Villanova University since 1991. I’d known of this time-share arrangement for many years and my own alma mater station WHRC had even made attempts […]
For at least the past year there have been more regular grumblings about the status of CMJ and this week Pitchfork is reporting that, “For the second week in a row, CMJ has not published its weekly college radio charts, calling into question the fate of an institution that has tracked the music played by college stations around […]
Earlier this week, Pitchfork published a long-form piece with the provocative title, Does College Radio Even Matter Anymore? The sub-head continues the theme, adding, “How left-of-the-dial stalwarts are fighting to stay alive.” Click-bait for college radio fans and practitioners, the article is actually more nuanced than its alarmist descriptors suggest. (more…)
