TheBigA said:
I know we're running headlong into the danger of over-analyzing this to death, but let's break things down here. You claim that WRLT gets a high share of student listeners, from Arbitron or whatever source you have. We know, however, that WRLT is an anomaly in a market of Nashville's size, being independently owned and not part of a group. Unlike most commercial outlets now, WRLT has the freedom to exploit niche audiences like college kids. If you can prove that the stations under the Clear Channel, Cumulus, or whatever groups have a similar demo, I would be happy to grant you your point. But I think WRLT is a special case.
Now, as for WRVU, there is merit in the belief that the station was not well run by its so-called "e-staff." The culture of college radio smacks of a lot of elitism as in-group terms like that suggest, but it also has a large share of participatory democracy, something unknown in other media, public or commercial. When the station's management changes every year due to graduation, a college outlet runs the risk of getting unqualified people in key positions such as program director, as well as having continuity problems. The PD, above all else, is likely to cater to what he or she and his or her friends like, not necessarily what is good from a critical standpoint (music criticism means nothing in this day and age, where everybody can get his or her two cents in about an artist or band). Peer pressure does not always make for good decisions, but sometimes it does. That "hit or miss" quality is endearing to college (and community, a la WRFN) radio fans but is an attribute that makes things irritating to practically everybody else (along with formats changing every two hours, sometimes without explanation).
A more complete diagnosis of the whole student attitude situation is that the DJs were not really representative of the tastes of the student body, which are almost certainly much more conventional--Top 40, Hip-Hop, and so on. The WRVU staff just wasn't making a connection with their peers, something I know you and I agree about. I am afraid that any incentive for things to improve was taken away with the sale. Who knows, an online-only WRVU might make it, but as you say, it certainly won't if the DJs don't eat some humble pie first.
) --- it's nearly impossible to have any real success with internet radio and while a few students and die hard listeners will check it out a bit, WRVU online will be a disaster, because the very students that didn't listen to radio, will never listen to this online and playing to no one is a miserable waste of time for the students and Nocks of any college radio world. The silence is not enjoyable. The real issue here was that it really didn't made sense to sell this paid for, inexpensive to operate frequency because the listeners will be just as happy listening online. This will end up being of the best snow jobs ever pulled off by the less than experienced in real media faculty that just seems to have preferred inflicting their elite will and way on bunch of people they never cared to know, understand or certainly listen too. FCC approved FM radio licenses don't come available everyday. Internet radio is a dime a dozen and generally that's what it's worth.