World College Radio Day, 10/1

[notlob]

The greater Boston area is very fortunate to have so many independent college radio stations. Read my blog entry at http://notlobmusic.blogspot.com/2013/09/world-college-radio-day-october-1-2013_30.html

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

But college radio is under siege.

In many other parts of the country, stations formerly run entirely (or mostly) by college students have become NPR member outlets, eliminating student/community programming to (mostly) carry 24/7 public radio news and information programming with a professional staff, getting funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and substantial donations from listeners and businesses, often becoming "self-sustaining" and thus not needing to be supported by their parent college or university.

Here in Boston, Emerson College's WERS-88.9 has installed longtime Boston radio personality George Knight as a professional morning-drive DJ, and there are fears among Emerson students (and others) that it may only be a matter of time before 'ERS eliminates on-air student broadcasters, hires a professional airstaff, seeks (and gets) CPB funding, and becomes a full-fledged public radio station carrying a 24/7 AAA format.

Personally, I am among those who think that this may happen.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

But college radio is under siege.

In many other parts of the country, stations formerly run entirely (or mostly) by college students have become NPR member outlets, eliminating student/community programming to (mostly) carry 24/7 public radio news and information programming with a professional staff, getting funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and substantial donations from listeners and businesses, often becoming "self-sustaining" and thus not needing to be supported by their parent college or university.

That has happened to one or perhaps two of the more powerful high-profile college stations in some cities, but there are many more that it has not happened to, and will not happen to in the foreseeable future. Many urban and suburban areas have over a half-dozen college stations in their markets, they can't all become NPR affiliates!

Here in Boston, Emerson College's WERS-88.9 has installed longtime Boston radio personality George Knight as a professional morning-drive DJ, and there are fears among Emerson students (and others) that it may only be a matter of time before 'ERS eliminates on-air student broadcasters, hires a professional airstaff, seeks (and gets) CPB funding, and becomes a full-fledged public radio station carrying a 24/7 AAA format.

WERS is only ONE college station here in Boston. Many other colleges in the area don't view their student (and community volunteer) radio stations as semi-professional businesses and moneymakers. MIT (WMBR), B.C. (WZBC), Tufts (WMFO), Salem State (WMWM), Brandeis (WBRS), Northeastern (WRBB) and a number of other colleges outside the Route 128 belt still, for the most part, maintain a "hands off" attitude toward programming their college stations, allowing the students and community volunteers their creative freedom to a large degree, only requiring that the station maintain a certain percentage of students on staff and don't allow it to become overrun with a majority of non-student community volunteers. They still regard their stations as campus activities for students (and some community volunteers), not "players" in the Boston radio market competing for ratings and revenue with the commercial and professional public radio stations as WERS does.

 

[raccoonradio]

Indeed a station like WMWM which streams as well as covers the North Shore with its regular signal would on a Sunday bring you local music of all kinds including live bands, blues, old school hip hop, jazz and chill music.Concert listings, giveaways, public service announcements etc with the attributes Eli mentioned: student programmed (plus nifty community members), a group activity--training some for careers in radio.When stations cut jazz, blues, or folk shows--we still offer ours. And Boston has many great college stations and shows.

 

[CTListener]

What's the ratio of students to community volunteers in on-air roles at WMWM?

 

[raccoonradio]

The Mon-Fri lineup is pretty much student DJs while weekends are almost totally community (though two students host "Flava in Your Ear" for old school hip hop in one Sunday 3 hr slot). Mon-Fri shows are 2 hours long (that helps especially by day what with class schedules); weekends, 3 hours. Live DJs are on 7 am to midnight. Schedule at http://www.wmwmsalem.com