{"id":48542,"date":"2019-12-20T06:01:45","date_gmt":"2019-12-20T14:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiosurvivor.com\/?p=48542"},"modified":"2019-12-19T22:43:26","modified_gmt":"2019-12-20T06:43:26","slug":"college-radio-watch-2019-college-radio-year-in-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.radiosurvivor.com\/2019\/12\/college-radio-watch-2019-college-radio-year-in-review\/","title":{"rendered":"College Radio Watch: 2019 College Radio Year in Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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 about station personalities. But beyond those headlines, there are always a lot of fascinating tales of college radio stations embarking on innovative projects. I was happy to be able to visit a handful of San Diego-area college radio stations in 2019 to see for myself. Revisit those tours to Griffin Radio<\/a> at Grossmont College, KCR<\/a> at San Diego State University, SDS Radio<\/a> at San Diego City College, and KSDT<\/a> at University of California San Diego in my tour archives<\/a> and on Radio Survivor podcast #202<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s always a challenge to interpret a year’s worth of college radio news, as it often takes longer for trends to emerge. With that caveat, here are some of the themes that have jumped out at me throughout 2019. In the weeks to come, I’ll be taking an in-depth look back at the decade in college radio; where the changes are more pronounced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

College Radio Alums Rule the World…or at least the School<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Does 2019 mark a key point in college radio history, in which we have college radio alumni serving as leaders in industry and academia? These thoughts crossed my mind while reading some of the coverage surrounding the arrival of Reed College’s new president, Audrey Bilger (full disclosure: I know Bilger, as she’s married to a long-time friend of my husband). Music and college radio are a big part of Bilger’s past and present and she mentioned her time at University of Virginia’s college radio station WTJU in press interviews this year. Portland Monthly even asked, “Is Reed College’s New President Too Cool to be a University Administrator?,”<\/a> citing her college radio cred and humongous record collection, arguing that she is “probably, the first college president to own a bigger record collection than her school’s entire student body.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In somewhat related news, we also learned this year that former White House counsel Don McGahn was on a 1980s college radio compilation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Stations and Station Revivals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most encouraging signs of college radio’s continued health in 2019 is that students keep launching radio projects. In September, 2019, a student at Fordham was disappointed by the lack of radio opportunities<\/a> at the Lincoln Center campus in New York City, so she started up Wavelengths to showcase student-produced radio. Billing itself as “Fordham Lincoln Center’s first student-run internet radio station,” Wavelengths can be found on Instagram<\/a> and Spotify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other new stations in 2019 include the February debut<\/a> of online radio station the Quake<\/a> at Wilmington College and the launch<\/a> of a student-run streaming radio station KTSU2- The Voice<\/a> at Texas Southern University. A campus radio station<\/a> was also established in Zimbabwe at Great Zimbabwe University<\/a> this year as part of the “journalism training institution.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown Student Radio (which has been off FM since 2011<\/a>) was able to return to the terrestrial airwaves<\/a> in 2019 thanks to its successful launch of a new LPFM radio station. Part of a three-way time-share with an arts organization (AS220) and a community radio group (Providence Community Radio), WBRU-LP<\/a> is broadcasting in Providence, Rhode Island at 101.1 FM and online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Streaming radio station WRCM at Manhattan College<\/a> was revived in February<\/a>. It marks the return of radio to the Bronx, New York campus after a four-year absence. Additionally, at Wiley College, KBWC-FM resumed operations<\/a> after a 2-year break due to campus construction. Another revamp happened at Presbyterian College, where WPCX-LP returned to the airwaves<\/a> in Clinton, South Carolina with renewed student interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Montana, Montana State University’s KGLT-FM was also able to expand its broadcast range<\/a> thanks to the addition of a translator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also warmed my heart that Rice University was able to purchase its original call letters, KTRU<\/a>. Readers will recall that it continued to refer to itself as KTRU, even after its FM signal was sold off. Although it successfully snagged a low power FM signal (KBLT-LP), the KTRU call letters weren’t available until recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rumored CMJ Relaunch in 2020<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the end of 2019, CMJ emerged from a long slumber on social media, announcing that it will return in 2020<\/a>. Details are vague, but the new owners of the long-time college media brand plan to bring back CMJ’s radio charts, music events, and coverage of the college music scene. For decades, CMJ was a conduit between college radio stations and the music industry; with its weekly college radio airplay charts, annual conference\/music festival\/college radio confab in New York City, and reporting on new music releases.
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Podcast and Audio Production Projects Expand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, we learned about quite a few interesting podcast projects at college radio stations. While some stations are adding stand-alone podcasts, like MargRock at WKNC<\/a>, others are creating podcast versions of existing programs. Additionally, stations like WTJU are creating their own podcast networks as well as audio-drama podcasts<\/a>. I’m also pleased to see collaborations, for example the news podcasts<\/a> being undertaken by the Texas A&M-Commerce’s student newspaper and radio station KKOM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A project that I found particularly fascinating is a student-run radio production club at Ithaca College. While the campus is home to two college radio stations, members of the new TNT Radio Productions club “believe there is a lack of diversity in audio content at the college,” according to a November, 2019 piece in The Ithacan<\/a>. The group is “working to produce creative long\u2013form audio stories” that run the gamut “from contemporary drama to experimental audio narratives that are not restricted to common formats like podcasting,” writes the Ithacan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact that there’s increased desire for audio production opportunities on a college campus with two existing radio stations is a testament to the growing popularity of podcasting as well as audio drama. Speaking of audio drama, Arkansas Tech University’s communications and journalism department runs Arkansas Radio Theatre<\/a>. Its production, Concealed Carrie<\/a>, airs over KXRJ-FM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, with the boom in podcasting, some colleges are profiling the variety of podcasts both on campus<\/a> and produced by students. Boston University is home to a few<\/a>, some of which are affiliated with student radio station WTBU<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big Anniversaries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Numerous college radio stations celebrated MAJOR anniversaries this year and it’s perhaps important to point out how special it is that so many college radio stations have persevered for decades. Despite the transitory nature of college radio stations, these institutions carry on with new leaders and new students. In the commercial radio world, it’s an increasing rarity for a station to exist for 40, 50, or 60 years under the same ownership; so kudos to college radio!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the milestone anniversaries in 2019 include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n