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College Radio Matters

Last week I reported the news that Rice University was planning to sell the FM signal and broadcast tower for its college radio station KTRU to University of Houston. Since then I’ve spoken with KTRU’s Student Manager, who shared with me the fact that this news was released during Rice University’s summer break, making it difficult for students to initially organize and rally.

Despite the timing of this announcement, supporters of KTRU have made an impressive effort to save the station. Their Save KTRU Facebook page has more than 1500 fans, a rally at Rice University drew approximately 200 KTRU supporters, and Houston’s local Pacifica radio affiliate KPFT has even offered up an HD channel for KTRU in the hopes of ensuring that the station can somehow retain an over-the-air signal.

Those fighting for KTRU are still asking for help and have set up a new online petition which they are asking supporters (especially Rice University students, faculty and alumni) to sign. They are also seeking donations in order to help publicize their cause and obtain legal representation. KTRU alumni have chimed in with their thoughts on why college radio is so vital. Ray Shea’s piece on the Save KTRU website expresses the magic of college radio beautifully. Here’s an excerpt:

“KTRU was the driving force that would eventually propel me through six years and two college degrees. My best lifelong friends are all people I met at KTRU. And together we learned about music, about business, about media and promotions and organization and scheduling and budgeting. We learned how to deal with people, how to compromise and reach consensus. Sometimes we didn’t learn as well as we should have, but goddammit, we learned.

And somewhere in all that craziness, all those late nights drinking beer and listening to records and arguing about music, we accidentally participated in a movement. A movement that would permanently change the face of the music industry forever…

Somewhere out there, in the heads of a bunch of passionate music-minded middle schooler and high schooler and undergrad kids’ heads, is the next musical revolution. And KTRU can still be on the leading edge of this innovation and progress, but only if they are still around to do so.

My great fear is that if KTRU’s 91.7FM frequency and broadcasting tower are stolen out from under them, it will result in the eventual slow death of the station. For many reasons…an Internet-only radio station simply does not have the influence and resources necessary to survive as a self-perpetuating ecosystem. The loss of the frequency will essentially gut the station’s programming. And it breaks my heart that my two brilliant, talented, music-loving teenagers, both of whom up until last week were considering Rice as a possible college destination, may not get to experience what I experienced.”

I was also pleased to see that a number of people affiliated with University of Houston are also opposing the sale by showing up at rallies, organizing Facebook groups and speaking in favor of student radio at Rice University. A columnist at the University of Houston paper even pointed out that the arrival of a second radio station on campus won’t benefit students at either institution.

In an interesting twist, the folks at Save KTRU are reporting that fans of public radio and classical music (who have been happy to hear of University of Houston’s plans to expand the public radio network with this purchase) in Houston will actually be disappointed by the proposals on the table for the new all-classical station on KTRU’s current spot on the dial. Apparently the broadcast range for the new classical station will be much smaller than the existing classical station on KUHF. So who wins?

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2009 CMJ College Radio Awards

Even though I complain a lot about bogus radio station accolades, it’s still nice to see awesome stations getting recognition from their peers and the powers that be.

For the past few years college radio trade publication CMJ has been hosting a College Day during its annual CMJ Music Marathon in late October. As part of the festivities, college radio DJs and stations are feted with an awards ceremony honoring their efforts.

If you or your station reports playlists and charts to CMJ then you have an opportunity to suggest nominees for the awards. Now until September 27th you can nominate your choices for Station of the Year, Music Director of the Year, Most Adventurous Radio Station, etc.

You can see some of the individuals and stations who were nominated and won last year here. As always, I think it would be great to see nominees who haven’t made these lists before, so I encourage anyone involved with college radio to nominate and vote.

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International Radio Festival Banner for East Village Radio

With webcasting we all have the opportunity to sample radio stations from all over the globe, but it isn’t every day that there’s a chance to listen to a curated selection of international stations. The organizers of the International Radio Festival hand-picked more than 30 radio stations for inclusion in their festival taking place September 5 through 11th in Zurich, Switzerland.

During the festival, representatives from stations as far-flung as India, Paris, Moscow and New York City will be presenting programming over the Swiss terrestrial airwaves, online, and on cable throughout Switzerland. Among the 30 or so participating stations are three from North America: Canadian campus-community radio station CJLO AM (Concordia University, Montreal), online-only community radio station East Village Radio (New York City), and commercial radio station Wild 94.9 FM (San Francisco).

A few of the other stations slated to appear at the festival include Ghetto Radio (Nairobi), 102 FM (Tel Aviv), MotorFM (Berlin), and Obo & Hobos (Moscow). There will also be a keynote panel discussion about the state of radio internationally, music performances, and other events.

Related posts:

1. Chicago Independent Radio Project hits the ‘net, waits for an FM
2. Radio is Alive and Well at the CMJ Music Marathon
3. The decade’s most important radio trends: #2 The growth of Internet radio

What Do You Have to Sell, Donate or Swap?

An under-utilized feature on Radio Survivor is the free Classified Ads section on the upper-right side of the website. Our dream is that people will post radio-related events, job opportunities, requests for equipment, and more. I often run across people who are looking to find radio equipment for new stations and frequently hear about radio events that others are hoping to promote (conferences, radio station benefits, etc.), so the classifieds could be a useful clearinghouse for these announcements.

This week I heard from someone at a college radio station in Florida who is looking to save some money during the upcoming CMJ Music Marathon in New York City by having their college radio DJs share hotel rooms with students from other stations. We just added a classified ad for this and if you are interested, definitely contact the folks at Osprey Radio. If they don’t find some people to share rooms, they may not be able to go to CMJ due to the expense.

And, if this isn’t of interest, think about placing your own ad. Here are some of the things that I’d love to see posted:

-Radio equipment for sale, for free, or wanted

-Radio job postings (from job seekers and employers)

-Upcoming radio conferences and events

-Radio-related calls for papers for journals, books, conferences

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There’s more sad news on the college radio front today, with the report that Rice University is selling off the 50,000 FM signal for their long-time college radio station KTRU. According to a press release issued today, University of Houston System plans to buy KTRU’s tower, frequency, and broadcast license for $9.5 million in order to expand their public radio network. They plan to air classical music and fine arts programming over KTRU’s frequency and will devote their current station KUHF’s frequency (88.7 FM) to news and talk. The press release states,

“‘The acquisition of a second public radio station delivers on our promise to keep the University of Houston at the forefront of creating strong cultural, educational and artistic opportunities that benefit students and the city of Houston,’ said Renu Khator, chancellor of the UH System and president of the University of Houston.”

Ironically, these same arguments about the cultural and artistic benefits of the radio station are also being used by fans of KTRU who don’t want Rice University and listeners to lose an existing cultural institution.

KTRU, which began as a student experiment in 1967, will continue to operate as an online-only college radio station, but this option is not being embraced by those who see the ongoing relevance of having a terrestrial signal.

Official word from Rice University indicates that they believed that KTRU’s audience was too small to merit a the 50,000 watt station. According to a set of FAQs on the Rice University News and Media relations website,

“The economic downturn, and the resulting losses to Rice’s endowment, led to careful evaluation of how the university prioritizes and spends its resources, both its annual operating budget and its assets. In KTRU’s case, it became clear that the radio tower and 50,000-watt frequency served very few people. Because of Internet technology, KTRU can continue to serve its audience through www.ktru.org, while the university applies the proceeds from the sale to programs and services that will serve more people and help achieve the university’s aspirations.”

Students, alumni, and fans of the station couldn’t disagree more and are already stating their displeasure and have set up a number of groups in order to try to convince the administration of Rice University to reconsider. According to the website Save KTRU, Rice University abruptly shut down KTRU in 2000 and after talks with station members failed, the university agreed to continue running KTRU after more than 400 alumni wrote to the school stating that they would no longer donate to the university. Those with an interest in saving the station are encouraged to write letters to university officials, sign an online petition, join the Save KTRU Facebook page, follow Save KTRU on Twitter, and spread the word about the plight of the station.

A post on the Burn Down blog expresses the important role that KTRU has played both on campus and in the wider Houston community:

“KTRU provided a sense of community, creating a joint pride that despite our research-oriented ways, Rice was one of the hippest places in Houston. KTRU’s eclectic music requirements ensured that it constantly played music that was on the edge. More so than any other Rice institution, KTRU provided new and exciting art to anyone with a radio. Not just the Rice campus, but all of Houston benefitted from KTRU’s artistic endeavors. By selling KTRU, Rice is selling one of Houston’s most valuable artistic centers, and it was located on Rice University.”

Personally I’m disappointed to see another example of a university selling off a station for some quick cash. The result of this particular transaction will be that the Houston airwaves will become less diverse, with yet another public radio station (and presumably national programming) taking the place of a long-standing, well-respected local college radio station. FM does still matter, why else would University of Houston offer to pay over 9 million dollars for it.

Related posts:

1. The decade’s most important radio trends #11: Cash-strapped schools turn their backs on college radio
2. College Station KVTI Hands Control over to Public Radio Group
3. College Radio DJ Archetypes

Because of this, the survey really only gets at the fact that students seem to be aware of a radio station on campus. Survey takers aren’t asked the names of campus stations or if they are listeners. In fact, several of the schools on the list have multiple radio stations, so it’s impossible for one station to lay claim over the title of “most popular radio station” with certainty.

For example, in the latest survey Sacred Heart University is cited as having the 18th most popular radio station. Since Sacred Heart owns both an Internet-only student station (recently cited as one of the most popular campus clubs) and a public FM radio station, it’s not clear which station students were referring to when they said that their radio station was “popular.”

Additionally, this list is based on surveys of students at only 373 colleges, so it does not include the entire universe of college radio stations.

On Spinning Indie I have a complete list of this year’s “winning” radio stations in addition to the listings from the 2010, 2009 and 2008 editions of Princeton Review.

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Jennifer Waits practicing her art (source: CMM)

Radio Survivor’s college radio and culture editor received well deserved kudos from the College Media Matters blog over the weekend. Jennifer Waits was singled out as one of the “10 individuals who have mattered most to college media over the past academic year.”

CMM partners with the Associated Collegiate Press, “the largest and oldest U.S. student journalism membership organization,” and praised Jennifer as so:

“As an adamant ‘evangelist for radio’s ongoing relevance’, she is determined to specifically spotlight college radio culture- its independence, eclecticism, and celebration of a unique musical feast you will not find anywhere else on the dial.”

And our Technology Editor Paul Riismandel added these excellent lines:

“Jennifer Waits is the strongest and smartest voice reporting on and advocating for college radio today. With a deep knowledge of the history of this unique medium, combined with a keen sense of its role in our media environment, Jennifer shares the fruits of her research and passion at RadioSurvivor.com and her own blog, Spinning Indie. Not content to just write about college radio, she puts her conviction to work by visiting stations and networking with their staffs, becoming a catalyst for the exchange of information and ideas amongst this often atomized community. Jennifer is an invaluable asset to college radio (and she does her own show, too).”

Well put, and all the more reason why your RSS reader should be locked onto Spinning Indie and parked here at Radio Survivor too.

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The CRTC requires radio stations to play a certain percentage of spoken word programming, special interest music, music of Canadian origin, and asks that campus stations limit the number of “hit” songs that they play. The weekly percentages of material from each category vary by type of station and have changed over the years based on evolving needs of radio stations and revisions to the CRTC’s definitions of the different musical categories and sub-categories.

I was fascinated to see that the latest policy included references to experimental music and a discussion of where turntablism fit into that category. The CRTC even conducted an investigation into turntablism, with their Turntablism and Audio Art Study 2009 outlining not only the history of turntablism, but also delving into the challenges of attempting to categorize turntablism, DJ mixing, and audio art. According to the study:

“Turntablism and audio art are becoming more common forms of expression on  community and campus stations. Turntablism refers to the use of turntables as musical instruments, essentially to alter and manipulate the sound of recorded music. Audio art refers to the arrangement of excerpts of musical selections, fragments of recorded speech, and ‘found sounds’ in unusual and original ways…”

Stemming in part from this report, the July 22 policy change introduced a new experimental music sub-category of music for Canadian broadcasters, with its definition as follows:

“The unconventional and non-traditional uses of instruments and sound equipment to create new sounds and an orchestration of these sounds. This includes audio-art, turntablism, musique actuelle, electro acoustic and sound ecology. While it may involve the use of previously recorded sounds to create new sounds and orchestrations, it does not include spinning or beat mixing where the alterations of previously recorded tracks are limited to mixes between two or more pieces or samples.”

They further found that if a turntablist or sound artist is Canadian, then the piece of experimental music will also meet the requirement for music of Canadian origin (known as the MAPL designation). More details about these programming requirements are outlined in the previous Campus Radio Policy document from 2000 and in the related policy document Revised Content Categories and Sub-Categories for Radio.

It’s encouraging to see that Canada works to encourage musical diversity on radio and I would imagine that the Canadian broadcast system is unlikely to see the ever-shrinking playlists that have become so commonplace in the United States. Yet at the same time, the complexities in categorizing music and determining what constitutes a piece of Canadian music under the MAPL system must be time-consuming projects for radio stations. I’d be interested to hear if DJs and stations (particularly those on college campuses) feel that these policies help to support their missions to expose unheard music and local artists, or if they feel that the rules hamper their creative freedom.

Related posts:

1. RadioSurvivor’s Top Radio Shows – Paul’s #3: Incoming Wounded
2. Let the Music and Radio Conference Frenzy Begin: First Up- SXSW
3. The decade’s most important radio trends: #13 College radio tightens its playlist

Professor Charles Culver at the controls, about 1910 (Beloit College Archives)

The early history of college radio has not been documented sufficiently and much of it is sequestered away in the archives of colleges and universities.

Last year I was thrilled to see Hugh Slotten’s book, Radio’s Hidden Voice: The Origins of Public Broadcasting in the United States, as it is one of the first publications to give credit to college radio pioneers in the very early days of radio.

Personally I’m invested in this, as I’ve done quite a bit of research to uncover the hidden history of radio at Haverford College, where I got my start in radio. Students at Haverford College built a radio station in the 1920s and achieved a great deal of press and attention for both the station and their radio experiments (including a chess match with Oxford students by radio).

While investigating the Haverford station’s history I’ve also run across a number of other histories of college radio stations, often compiled by students or staff members. One such history is Dave de Anguera’s book Ethereal Messages: A History of Beloit College Radio 1907-1994.

Radio experiments began at Beloit College with the arrival of Physics Instructor Charles Aaron Culver in 1907. During his time at the college he initiated pioneering work in radio and wireless, leaving in 1920 to join the faculty of Carleton College (where he was also instrumental in college radio). As Hugh Slotten pointed out in his interview with me, Beloit College held one of the earliest licensed stations at a small college, with WEBW, having its initial broadcast in October, 1924. Beloit’s current station, WBCR-FM, is still going strong today.

WEBW log - first entry, 1924 (Beloit College Archives)

I reached out to Beloit College radio historian Dave de Anguera, as I thought he would be a perfect addition to the Radio Obsessives series here at Radio Survivor. From my own experience, I know what a challenge it is to dig through the archives of college radio stations, in which history is not necessarily documented all that methodically.

In his interview, Dave shares with me why he was inspired to research the history of radio at Beloit College, his take on how the trials and tribulations of college radio today are similar to its struggles in the past, and provides some perspective about the role of technology in college radio in 2010.

Jennifer Waits: What prompted you to research and write the history of radio at Beloit  College?

Dave de Anguera: I’ve always loved radio and have been a lifelong history buff to boot. So, when I kept coming across information on WBCR’s history, and the fact that it stretched back so far, I couldn’t contain my curiosity any longer and thus started investigating further.  I eventually made a proposal to the college (with the support of Beloit College archivist Fred Burwell and Professor Carl Balson) for writing and publishing a book on the subject.

Jennifer: Can you give a quick snapshot of the history of radio at Beloit and why you think it’s a significant piece of college radio history?

Dave: Beloit College started experimenting with “wireless telegraphy” in 1907, established a wireless station a few years later, and eventually operated one of first college radio stations (WEBW) in the ’20s.  After a hiatus during the Depression and World War II, a new carrier current station (WBWR) was constructed in the late ’40s. Eventually WBCR-FM was established in the mid-’60s, evolving from 10 to 100 watts in 1983, where it continues today. It’s important because they became involved very early on and (except in the ’30s and ’40s) have endured for so long. Also, the changes they went through reflected so much of what was happening in the larger world of radio.

Inside WBWR, c. early 50's (Photo by Ray Metzker, '51 -Beloit College Archives)

Jennifer: What accomplishments do you think have set the Beloit College radio station(s) apart from others?

Dave: Being ahead of the game on radio experimentation, essentially due to Dr. Culver’s pre-WWI work. Of course, there were other colleges that did research on this, but for a small institution such as Beloit it was unusual, to my knowledge.  Also the notoriety of operating two stations at once, twice during its history: Briefly in the late ’40s with a very early commercial FM station (WBNB) and a carrier current station, and later from the late ’60s through the early ’70s with WBCR-AM (somewhat sporadically) and WBCR-FM, which for the most part had separate programming.

Jennifer: What were some of the most interesting things that you learned during your research into the very early years of radio on campus?

Dave: How similar the budget woes, equipment snafus, and bureaucratic hassles were to what we were enduring at that time (late 1980s and early ’90s), and indeed, throughout its history.   Also fascinating was how, due to the lack of federal regulations (at least early on), stations could broadcast as far as money and technology would allow: Even WEBW could be heard out in Cuba! And that such heavy and cumbersome equipment was at the same time so incredibly fragile.

Jennifer: Can you tell me a bit about Beloit College and the role that radio played on campus when you were there? Was it purely a student station or were community members also involved?

Dave: It’s a liberal arts college located in Beloit, Wisconsin (90 miles northwest of Chicago), with currently around 1250 students and over 100 full-time faculty. At the time I was there (1987-91), there was a great deal of student involvement – it was one of the biggest organizations on the campus. But there were also a number of djs from the town and surrounding areas (as well as Alumni), which was important to WBCR’s sense of diversity and community outreach.

Jennifer: Are students/DJs at the Beloit radio station aware of the lengthy history of college radio on campus?

Dave: Prior to the book’s release, there was apparently little knowledge of it.  But now it seems that Ethereal Message’s objective of giving a sense of history to incoming students, at least those who become involved in WBCR, has been attained to some degree, judging by the feedback I’ve received.

WBCR 2010 Broadcast studio

Jennifer: Your history covers the years 1907 to 1994. Do you have any plans to update the history to include the last 16 years?

Dave: Not right now, but eventually I would like to find the time to update it.  There are many developments – including the obvious technological ones – that need to be documented, and I’ve also been itching to make a number of improvements to what’s already been written, as I’m rather critical of my work.

Jennifer: Are you still involved with radio? Do you have connections to the current WBCR?

Dave: Not presently, though I’d love to get involved again in some manner. I still have an infatuation with radio, and listen to college and public stations quite often:  I’m a fan of certain radio shows with an intensity most others reserve for television.  I don’t currently have any direct connections to WBCR, aside from Fred Burwell, who is on the advisory board and does a summer program: Red With Purple Flashes (Wednesdays 6-8 pm CST)  “Rare and obscure rock ‘n’ roll from the 1950’s-1960’s.” Listen in on www.beloit.edu/wbcr!  It’s a great show, so by God I’m plugging it…

Jennifer: Why do you think college radio history hasn’t been fully documented?

Dave: College radio has a much lower profile than its commercial counterpart, due to the fairly constant turnover in personnel and the (usually) much shorter broadcast range. This (along with the relative inexperience of the staff) also results in a complete absence of well-known national and regional radio personalities, which many histories tend to focus on.  This is unfortunate, as college radio’s history is a fascinating story waiting to be told.

WBCR-FM production room, March 1970. (Photo by Bob Wieland, '71 - Beloit College Archives)

Jennifer: Anything else you’d like to add?

Dave: Some friends of mine have expressed concerns (which I tend to share) about a dissipating interest in radio among college students, particularly due to the internet’s increasing demands on their attention. There’s also the growing reliance on “loop shows,” where pre-recorded material is used to fill air-time, thus taking away from the spontaneity that college radio has thrived on for so long (though it’s uncannily similar to the taped reel-reel programming that stations such as WBCR used in the 1950s). Still, many stations have utilized technology in more constructive ways, such as creating web sites for their stations and podcasting their shows. The key is for college radio to continue to embrace and evolve with the ever-changing technologies while maintaining its unique voice and independent spirit.

I couldn’t agree more! Thanks to Dave for chatting with me about the history of radio at Beloit College and for sharing some amazing archival photos.

Previous Radio Obsessive Profiles:

#1: Garrett Wollman’s Radio Tower Quest

#2: Jose Fritz’s Arcane Radio Trivia

#3: Radio Sticker of the Day curator Greg Blouch

#4: Seattle Radio Theater founder Feliks Banel

#5: Herculodge’s Jeff McMahon – The Man Who Loved Radios Too Much

#6 & #7: Jonathan Winter and John Jenkins of American Museum of Radio and Electricity

Related posts:

1. Radio Obsessive Profile #2: Jose Fritz’s Arcane Radio Trivia
2. Radio Obsessive Profile #6 and #7: Jonathan Winter and John Jenkins of American Museum of Radio and Electricity
3. College Radio’s Hidden History