The big college radio news this week is of course the format changes coming to WRAS-FM. On Tuesday, WRAS-FM student staffers were surprised to hear that they would soon lose programming control over the station’s daytime FM broadcasts. Georgia State University entered into a deal with Georgia Public Broadcasting that will allow the public radio […]
An article on PolicyMic, 4 Awesome College Stations Keeping Radio Alive, posits that college radio was in a downward spiral and is now in a period of renaissance. After author Chelsea Hawkins takes a look at some recent CMJ-award-winning college radio stations, she surmises, “Two years ago, it looked like student radio was heaving its […]
According to a story on WNEP, Pennsylvania College of Technology (Penn College) radio station WPTC 88.1 FM in Williamsport, Pennsylvania is facing an uncertain future after the college’s mass media major is discontinued. A petition in support of the station states, “After the Spring 2013 semester, Penn College is ending its Mass Media Communication major, […]
In a statement today, Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) acknowledged that it is reviewing the student radio station WZRD and has decided to “temporarily place the student organization on inactive status” while it completes the renewal process for WZRD’s FCC license. This response comes on the heels of news over the weekend that student DJs and […]
On Friday the volunteers and DJs at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU)’s student radio station WZRD 88.3 FM were called into a meeting and told that all shows were being suspended at the Chicago-based radio station. It’s a familiar-sounding story that calls to mind the shut-downs at KUSF and WRVU. The collective of WZRD DJs (DJs […]
In the past year, a number of high profile college radio stations have been moved off FM. Many claim that we are in the midst of a crisis, in which university officials are contemplating selling or leasing their valuable FM airwaves in exchange for monetary compensation. In order to address this trend, CMJ assembled a […]
People on the front lines fighting college radio station sales are always looking for signs of hope and for evidence that protests can make a difference. There have, in fact, been a number of college radio stations that have convinced their administrations to hang on to their stations and embrace them as a valuable part […]
Today marks the first annual College Radio Day. More than 350 stations all over the United States and Canada have signed up to participate. The concept’s fairly simple, it’s a day when people are encouraged to tune in to college radio and the goal is increasing awareness of the amazing range of stations based at […]
Last week, I helped fact-check a lengthy list of colleges who had sold or transferred control of their student radio stations to outside entities. It was a depressing chore, as I delved into the stories behind these losses. Yet, it also reminded me that there is a more heroic story that I keep wanting to […]
It’s encouraging to see that a number of upcoming events and conferences will be addressing the future of college radio. I will be speaking on a panel at the National Student Media Convention in October and am also hoping to moderate a panel “College Radio’s Crisis: Activism or Apathy” during the SXSW music festival next […]
