Big changes came to college radio in the 2010s, with dramatic losses and exciting new opportunities, leading to perhaps more college radio than ever before thanks to the variety of forms that college radio now takes. Despite the challenges, college radio is as resilient as ever and students’ desire to work in audio is strong […]
Archive | Noncommercial Radio
Podcast #227 – A Banner Decade for Community Radio and FrankenFMs
We begin part one of our review of the last decade in radio with the observation that it saw the greatest expansion of community radio in history. Though the second US LPFM licensing window that happened in 2013 is a significant driver, the growth happened all over the world. The 2010s were also a growth […]
The Greatest Flowering of Community Radio in History Happened in the 2010s
Mid-way through the last decade I declared that, “[w]ith regard to new stations going on the air, 2015 represented the biggest single-year leap forward for non-commercial and community radio in U.S. history.” That’s because 524 new low-power FM stations signed on that year. That was an increase of 56% over the number of existing LPFMs […]
The 2020s will be heaven for radio anniversary history buffs
Get ready for a decade of “100 years ago today” stories about the first this that and the other thing, radio-wise.
Podcast #225 – A Review of 2019 in Radio
Matthew Lasar starts off this episode by declaring that this was the year that his undergraduate students stopped listening to broadcast AM/FM radio. Then he admits, he’s nearly stopped, too. Find out why in this lively rundown of what was significant to radio in 2019. On the other hand, our resident college radio expert Jennifer […]
College Radio Watch: 2019 College Radio Year in Review
As we approach the end of 2019, it’s time for my semi-annual reflection on the year in college radio. As is often the case, the stories picked up most by the popular press focus on big news (like station launches, license sales, and budget crises), major milestones (like significant anniversaries), and quirky or feel-good stories […]
College Radio Watch: WDUB to Sell FM License and More News
On Wednesday, December 11, 2019, Denison University in Granville, Ohio, filed paperwork with the FCC for a proposed assignment of the FM license for its student-run radio station WDUB-FM (aka The Doobie). The sale price is a paltry $5,000 being paid by Ohio State University (WOSU Public Media). Additionally, Denison will be granted underwriting announcements […]
Podcast #223: Will CMJ Return, Will AM Go Digital and Will FrankenFMs Disappear? Plus Other Big Questions
The Federal Communications Commission is all about radio at the end of 2019, and we catch you up on what you need to know. We all have questions about the possibility of AM stations going all-digital, including the FCC. The regulatory body released the things it wants to know about how digital stations would work, […]
College Radio Watch: CMJ to Return in 2020 and More News
As we approach the end of 2019, I’m starting to reflect back on not only the year in college radio, but also the decade in college radio. While 2009 doesn’t seem like all that long ago, some major changes have occurred in the radio and technology landscapes, which have had implications for student radio. Beginning […]
The 2020 POTUS race as covered by someone who is actually from Iowa
The 2020 POTUS primaries start, oddly enough, with an event that is not really a primary. It is called the Iowa Caucasus, in which Iowans pick a Democratic or Republican Presidential nominee via neighborhood cluster meetings. In the end, all the local choices are tallied, and et voila, a winner or group of winners emerge. […]