Much of my obsession with Harold Camping’s Family Radio empire has been a direct result of his live call-in radio show “Open Forum.” On the air for 50 years, the show was an amazing glimpse into the beliefs of the founder of the large Christian religious broadcasting network. Through that show, Camping spread the word […]
Author Archive | Jennifer Waits
Motion to Dismiss Filed with FCC Regarding Pending KUSF Sale
The contentious pending sale of college radio station KUSF to Classical Public Radio Network continues to keep the lawyers busy, as a Motion to Dismiss the entire application was filed with the FCC just before the July 4th holiday. At the same time that the FCC was sending out its Letter of Inquiry to University […]
7 Days of Radio Silence as College Radio Station in Dunedin Protests Possible Sale
Fans of the University of Otago student radio station Radio One 91FM in New Zealand were greeted with silence today as the station began a week-long on-air protest against a proposed station sale. It’s a pretty bold move to take one’s station off the air in protest and I’m guessing that it will have an […]
WRVU Sale May Violate Tennessee Non-Profit Regulations
Each and every college radio station facing a potential takeover by an outside group has a unique situation and the twists and turns of the transactions taking place at KTRU, KUSF, and WRVU are evidence of that. In each case, questions have been raised about not only the lack of transparency in these dealings, but […]
Family Radio’s “Open Forum” On Hiatus While Harold Camping Recovers from Stroke
Last week there were reports that Family Radio‘s 50-year-old “Open Forum” program was being cancelled in light of Family Radio founder Harold Camping’s recent stroke on June 9th. In recent months, the religious network’s call-in talk show has been a vehicle for discussions about the predicted May 21, 2011 “Judgment Day” and Rapture. When I […]
FCC Issues Letter of Inquiry into Proposed KUSF Sale
The fight over the future of University of San Francisco’s college radio station KUSF took an interesting turn yesterday when the FCC issued a “letter of inquiry” (PDF) about the proposed sale of the station to Classical Public Radio Network (CPRN). The letter dated June 28, 2011 asks University of San Francisco and CPRN to […]
Farewell to KUSF Assistant Chief Engineer Mike Schweizer
I’m very sad to report that Mike Schweizer, an important figure in San Francisco Bay Area broadcasting, died on Tuesday, June 14 at the age of 58. Schweizer was the assistant chief engineer for University of San Francisco’s college radio station KUSF and had been with the station for more than 33 years. We met […]
College Radio Day Hits the Airwaves on October 11, 2011
I make it a habit to evangelize the importance and relevance of college radio and that passion led me to create my Spinning Indie blog back in 2008. One of my main goals was to spread the word about college radio and also to remind people about the interesting stations in every pocket of the […]
NFCB Sessions’ Fundraising Tips for Radio: Celebrity Smackdowns, 1-Day Drives and the Philanthropist Next Door
The National Federation of Community Broadcasters‘ 36th annual community radio conference was an incredible few days full of radio education and community radio bonding. Held in San Francisco from June 1st to June 4th, it featured an action-packed schedule of sessions, keynotes, and workshops. I’ve already recounted the Saving College Stations panel and Matthew has […]
Sad Final Moments of WRVU’s Terrestrial Broadcast Recounted as Supporters Fight Proposed College Radio Station Sale
As I read through the accounts of WRVU’s final terrestrial moments last week, I get a horrible feeling of deja vu as I recall how I felt when learning about the sudden shut-downs of KTXT and KUSF. Although Vanderbilt Student Communications had alerted WRVU to the possibility that the station could be sold back in […]