CMJ's "Saving College Radio" panelists (Photo: J. Waits)

In the past year, a number of high profile college radio stations have been moved off FM. Many claim that we are in the midst of a crisis, in which university officials are contemplating selling or leasing their valuable FM airwaves in exchange for monetary compensation. In order to address this trend, CMJ assembled a panel on October 20, during College Day at this year’s CMJ Music Marathon.

“Saving College Radio” featured representatives from WFMU, WSOU, Kusf-in-Exile, WRVU Friends & Family, and the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) speaking about both the fight for college radio and about ways that stations can protect themselves. Although the audience of college radio DJs expressed little fear about their own stations’ futures (a show of hands indicated that few believed that their stations might be sold), the panelists argued that no one should take their station’s license for granted.

Ken Freedman, Station Manager of WFMU, moderated the discussion and started things off by saying, “We’re living in a completely new era…dozens of stations [are] being sold.” He explained that, “the value of college radio has only recently been discovered” and added that this is coinciding with the fact that many universities are “desperate” for cash. Freedman added that in most cases, stations are being sold to “NPR conglomerates” and that the resulting programming replaces “unique” local stations with a “robot repeater.”

Irwin Swirnoff, a former Music Director at KUSF told the story of how the University of San Francisco radio station was taken off the air on January 18, 2011. He explained that ever since January 18, he has been “fighting to save KUSF.”

Irwin Swirnoff Rallying at City Hall in San Francisco (Photo: J. Waits)

Similarly, Sharon Scott, former General Manager of Vanderbilt University station WRVU, described how she is in the midst of fighting the pending sale of the station. She explained that back in September, 2011, the Vanderbilt community was told that the owners of the WRVU license were considering a sale of the license. By June 6, 2011, a tip from a CMJ writer alerted WRVU staffers that the call letters for the station had been changed and by the next day, students were ushered out of the station. Now WRVU is playing “purely classical music” through a lease agreement with Nashville Public Radio.

In addition to Swirnoff and Scott, the panel also included some college radio folks who are not in the midst of fights over licenses. Omar Ahmad, Station Manager of WSOU, said that his station is “doing really well” and even added that they’ve had “assurances” from their university President about the future of the station. Norm Prusslin of IBS added, “College radio has fought the good fight for 70 years.”

Keep Your Licensee Happy & Make Friends with Station Alumni

Freedman then explained that it’s really important to maintain a strong relationship with one’s home institution, saying, “keep it a happy licensee.” Ahmad said that WSOU tries to do a lot for Seton Hall University. They broadcast many university events, including basketball games and other live remotes on campus. The station even sets up big promotions at these events, handing out stickers and WSOU merchandise so that they can further spread the word. He added, “You just have to make the licensee feel that they’re getting some kind of value.” Prusslin agreed, arguing that it’s important to understand who owns your license and it’s imperative to work at “building relationships at your home campus” and “think of ways to engage your alumni.”

Ahmad also pointed out the importance of forging ties with station alumni. He suggested having alumni return to the airwaves as guest DJs and also recommending reaching out to them in times of trouble. He added, “Don’t ever ignore a request from an alumni.” Later in the discussion he said, “You have no idea how powerful they are” and “they will be there to fight for you.”

Dismantled KUSF Studio

Signs that Your Station Might be in Danger

Freedman said that “every time a station has changed hands…in retrospect…the writing was on the wall.” He pointed out a few warning signs, including inventory requests, stations being moved to new departments, and funding changes. He explained that WFMU was formerly a college radio station owned by Upsala College. Freedman started to get worried about the station’s future after the college kept trying to get them to pay for more and more of their expenses. He also was getting told that the school was getting offers to purchase the license from religious broadcasters. When it seemed that they could lose their license, Freedman worked to form a non-profit so that he could eventually make an offer on the station.

Could a University President Guest DJ Stint Have Helped?

With that in mind, Freedman asked the panel to speculate on what could have been done to prevent KUSF and WRVU from being put on the chopping block. Swirnoff said that at KUSF, they always felt like the “unwanted step child” stashed away “in a basement.” He explained that administrators “never stepped into the station.” He said that in retrospect, it would have been helpful to have engaged more with the university. He said that it would have been great to have the university president do a “guest DJ set every year.” Swirnoff also said that it would have been helpful if KUSF had worked to collect testimonials from alumni, students, and bands over the years. He added, “Radio is so so important and super special” and that stations should “take a lot of pride in that.” He explained that KUSF has been working with some “very supportive faculty,” but that it’s important to forge those relationships before a station is in crisis.

Staying off the University’s Radar May Not be the Best Strategy Anymore

Scott argued that there is a real crisis in college radio and pointed out that WRVU is in the midst of a deal to sell the station for $3.35 million. As she addressed the audience, she said, “you guys are sitting on a lot of money.” As far as the situation at Vanderbilt, she described WRVU as the “freaks fraternity” on a “very conservative” campus. She said that over the years the station wanted to stay off of the school’s “radar.” Yet, in recent years some changes at the station started to occur under the leadership of a new advisor, who Scott characterized as the “grim reaper of college radio.” According to Scott, that advisor brought in “more and more staff,” meaning that students became less involved with certain aspects of station management. News and academic programs at the station were cut, meaning that the “public benefit” of the station was reduced. Scott agreed that, “anything you can do to engage yourself with the university is good.” To that end, WRVU supporters have worked with tenured faculty allies and have also worked to obtain letters and testimonials.

Prusslin said that not only is it important to forge ties with university administrators, but that one’s relationship with student government can also be critical, especially if they are a “direct funder of the radio station.

Play Less Gory Metal

Ahmad explained that although he believes that WSOU is in a good place with its administration, there have been times when the station has been under fire. It’s a heavy metal station at a conservative Catholic university, so there have been mandates from the school regarding musical content. With that in mind, the station now plays “modern active rock” (a more palatable term for metal) and does not play anything that “goes against the church,” “is misogynistic” or “gory.”

Make Students a Priority

KUSF, also at a Catholic university, began as a student-run station. Swirnoff pointed out that over the years more and more community volunteers became involved with the station. He said that it was “beautiful” to see students and non-students working together and added that it spoke to the mission of University of San Francisco. Despite that, the station was taken off the air while students were on winter break. He explained that it was a “secret deal” and was carried out “like a corporate take-over of a non-commercial station.” He said that thinking back on things, there were “internal issues that came back to haunt us” and argued that making students a “priority” might have helped.

Set up a Non-Profit

Some of the practical tips that came out of the panel included Freedman’s suggestion that all college radio stations should set up a non-profit “friends of” organization. He said this should be done with the permission of the college and that the group can be used for alumni outreach. The non-profit can also be a potential buyer of the station’s license if the university ever decides to put the station up for sale.

Learn about the Players: Brokers, Public Radio Capital, etc.

Prusslin also suggested that people involved with college radio learn more out the broader “landscape of non-commercial radio,” including the world of brokers. He recommended doing outreach to music associations and in one’s every day dealings to be “responsible” and “collaborative.”

Scott added that it’s good for stations to get letters from prominent alumni and align with a department on campus. She also encouraged everyone to learn more about Public Radio Capital’s role in station sales and the trend of public radio stations seeking out multiple radio outlets in their communities for talk and classical programming. She also said that in the case of WRVU, “the university really intimidated the students” with threats of “honor code violations.” Scott also argued that “bad surveys” gave the wrong impression of the station, when in fact it was the largest student organization behind the Greek system. She suggested that students at stations add a historian position (as WRVU did) and that they also become more involved with the station’s FCC filings. Supporters of WRVU also established the non-profit WRVU Friends and Family. Scott pointed out that groups like Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts can help stations set up a non-profit.

Occupy the Airwaves and Write the FCC

Swirnoff reiterated that there is a “crisis right now” and an increasing “commercialization of the left side of the dial.” He argued that the “airwaves belong to us” and encouraged everyone to “spread the word” about recent station sales and to “write the FCC” expressing concern. He added, “we have to occupy” the non-commercial airwaves. Freedman added that the situation at KUSF has become an “unprecedented FCC case” and that this is helpful to other stations in danger.

***

Here are are a few more resources for stations looking to ensure their future:

9 Tips to Ensure College Radio’s Survival

Saving College Stations Panel at June 2011 NFCB conference

College Radio DJs from California Convene at KCSB for UCRN Conference

Saving College Radio Panel at SXSW 2011 (Podcast)

The Mediageek’s Advice for College Stations, Part 1-Be True to Your School

The Mediageek’s Advice for College Stations, Part 2- No More Elitism, Recruit, Recruit, Recruit

Previous posts on CMJ 2011 include:

College Radio in the Spotlight

College Radio Still in the Spotlight at CMJ Music Marathon: Music Directors Talk Shop

CMJ College Radio Awards Winners Announced

Radio Guide to CMJ 2011

CMJ Announces Nominees for 2011 College Radio Awards

Nominations Open for 2011 CMJ College Radio Awards

Tuning in to College Radio on Soundtap at CMJ (Photo: J. Waits)

I’m always immersed in the world of college radio, but the past few weeks have taken my college radio immersion to another level, with back-to-back college radio conferences consuming my schedule. First up was the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, followed by the College Broadcasters, Inc. (CBI) conference in Orlando, Florida. Although both conferences featured panels focused on the “college radio crisis” and “saving college radio,” I came away from each experience feeling energized and optimistic about the state of college radio. Today’s New York Times article, “College Radio Heads: Off the Dial,” captures a bit of that positive college radio vibe, as it highlights the passionate people behind college radio.

As I learned at CMJ and CBI, the “crisis” isn’t top of mind for most college radio DJs. At the beginning of the “Saving College Radio” panel at CMJ on October 20th, moderator Ken Freedman of WFMU asked the audience how many people were afraid their stations would be sold. Only a few hands were raised. A similar situation occurred during CBI’s “The College Radio Crisis (and How to Survive)” panel that I was on. When asked the same question, only a couple of hands were raised. Although only a small number of DJs expressed their fears publicly, a number of private conversations revealed that many college students are eager to fight for their stations’ futures.

It was inspiring to meet 18-year-old college radio DJs who care deeply about radio. Marissa Greenberg, music director of Pace University station WPUB, is only in her first year of college, yet is already a radio veteran, having served several years in management at her high school station. Similarly, Sean Martin, the General Manager of Wright State radio station WWSU in Dayton, Ohio, told me that he enjoys connecting with other college radio stations in his area. He regularly tours nearby stations and even created a Facebook group for “mid-west college radio nerds.” At CBI, I met staffers from University of South Carolina station WUSC who are thinking about planning some events that would serve to bring together stations from across their region.  I also caught up with DJs from WRFL who do one of the most ambitious events that I’ve seen come of out college radio. Each year they organize and host the 3-day Boomslang music festival in Lexington, Kentucky across multiple venues.

Whereas today’s New York Times article seems to suggest that there’s tension between terrestrial radio and new technologies, I didn’t hear much of that talk at CBI or CMJ. No matter what type of station one volunteers at, the primary conversations seemed to circle around keeping DJs motivated and working, gaining more listeners, and keeping one’s station afloat. Clearly online tools and changing platforms are important, with numerous sessions at each conference dissecting social media, webcasting, mobile, and HD radio. But all of these tools were just one part of maintaining a successful radio station. That point is essential at terrestrial stations that need to also maintain a close watch on FCC regulations. With that in mind, many sessions at CBI provided tips for complying with FCC rules, preparing for EAS tests, and preparing for an FCC inspection.

In subsequent posts, I’ll recap some of the specifics from CMJ and CBI, including suggestions for stations in crisis provided on the “saving college radio”-themed panels at each event.

CMJ 2011 Hits NYC

Last week I was in New York City for the CMJ Music Marathon. As always, the city was packed with bands and college radio DJs who were either in town to discover the next big thing or in town to be discovered.

My focus, as it has been the past few times that I’ve attended, is to see how radio is represented during the festival. CMJ still serves as an industry publication for college radio, with stations all over the country (and Canada) submitting their charts to CMJ on a weekly basis. Back when I first started attending the convention in the 1980s, the CMJ Music Marathon was a chance to meet record label representatives and pick up promo albums. In those days, the exhibit hall was filled with record labels giving away vinyl and cassettes. Times have changes and much of the exhibit hall in 2011 was taken up by technology solutions for both stations and bands. A few tables had free music promoting artists from specific countries (Taiwan, Ireland).

For college radio folks, the main event was College Day on Thursday, October 20. Panels, performances, free food, and the College Radio Awards were the draw at the packed, day-long event on the 10th floor of the Kimmel Center at NYU. In this post, I’ll recap two of the panels that took place during College Day.

College Radio Events: From On-Air Stunts to Pony Rides

The first panel, “Eventus Maximus: How to Organize, Plan & Host a Killer Event,” offered tips for stations planning various types of events. In-studio performances, benefits, and shows co-presented at local clubs seemed to be the most common types of events thrown by the members of the panel. Innovative ideas for events and fundraisers included bake sales, kids’ dance parties at a night club, DJ on-air stunts (“make animal noises for money”), and the recent College Radio Day (one station offered pony rides). All of the panelists agreed that social networking tools (Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, etc.) were crucial in terms of getting the word out about their stations. Rob Wilcox, a radio promoter from The Syndicate, pointed out that a station’s Twitter feed can provide a “secondary personality” for the station. Some stations, such as KEXP, go so far as to have a separate Twitter feed for the tracks played over the air.

CMJ 2011 in a room with a view (Photo: J. Waits)

Is a 60-year-old College Radio DJ Problematic?

The next panel, Music Directors’ Summit, featured four college radio music directors talking about the ins and outs of working in college radio.

The first topic that they broached was the role of community member DJs at their stations. Moderator Greg Khaikin’s question to the group referenced stations that “have to include” community DJs and the struggles related to “dealing with people…who’ve been at the station for 20 years.” Erin Wolf, Music Director at WMSE at Milwaukee School of Engineering, said that her station is made up of DJs ranging in age from their 20s to their 60s. She said that students make up a small percentage of their DJs, but that she would like to have more students on the air. She added that the students, “don’t always know that we’re there” and acknowledged that, “we need to work more” to spread the word that the station exists.

The situation couldn’t be more difficult at New York University station WNYU. Music Director Maria Sherman said that last semester more than 100 students applied to be on the air. WNYU does also have DJs from the community who have been on the air for a long time. Sherman said that many of them have a large listener base and that it would be “silly” to take them off the air. Allan Benedict of WLUW said that at his station about half of the DJs are students and half are from the outside community. From 2002 to 2008, the station functioned as a listener-supported community radio station. Things changed in 2008 when Loyola University Chicago “assumed more control” of the station and shifted WLUW to more of a student station. Today the station’s executive staff is made up entirely of students.

Cassette Tape at WNYU (Photo: J. Waits)

Is the Digital Revolution Inevitable?

As in years’ past, the panelists also discussed the challenges of digital servicing from record labels and promoters.

In the olden days of college radio, labels sent out vinyl, cassettes, and CDs to college radio stations in the hopes that the material would get airplay. In today’s economy, fewer labels are willing to spend the money to produce and mail physical copies of music, so many of them send digital copies of tracks instead. Music Directors often say that this ends up creating more work and expense for stations.

Benedict argued, “I really don’t like the logistics of it,” saying that it’s “time consuming and kind of a hassle” to download tracks, burn CDs, and print out label art. Sherman added, “Our DJs do prefer physical media” and said that WNYU still does receive a lot of CDs and vinyl from smaller record labels. Wolf agreed, saying that WMSE has an “all physical” music library. Marissa Greenberg, Music Director of Pace University station WPUB, said that it’s exciting to get physical music in the mail, saying, “I love opening a package.” She also explained that WPUB doesn’t even have a computer, so dealing with digital releases is particularly challenging.

Despite a preference for physical music, many music directors are working to digitize their music libraries, even it it’s just as a back up. Benedict said that they are “slowly” working their way through the 13,000 CDs in their library and are mainly digitizing new material as it’s added to their library.

Tensions Dealing with Promoters

One aspect of a music director’s job is to interact with record label representatives and promoters who are working to get their music not only added to college radio station playlists, but also are looking for evidence of airplay in a station’s weekly charts.  Sometimes this interaction with the music industry is positive and congenial, yet other times it is adversarial as some aggressive reps try to pressure music directors to add their music.

Greenberg, who started her music directing career at her high school radio station, said that she got really upset after receiving an email from a promoter that “wasn’t super nice.” She said that she sought out advice from her peers and ended up handling it professionally, telling the promoter that what gets played by DJs at her station is “out of my control.” Khaikin, who works as a promoter at the Planetary Group, said that some promoters are “too pushy with stations” and that it can verge on “bullying.” Wolf said that when asked by promoters why a certain record isn’t getting played, she simply tells them, “it’s because DJs can play whatever they want.”

Khaikin added that it’s important to just “be completely open and honest with your promoter.” He reflected back on his days as a music director and said, “Don’t let the promoter get in the way of the music for you” and “don’t let people push you around.” Greenberg added that she’s been asked to chart music that isn’t actually getting played. She eschewed that practice, saying, “stay true to what’s actually being played.”

Sign at WNYU (2011 Photo: J. Waits)

Does College Radio Need to Fear Spotify and Rdio?

The conversation then turned to music services like Spotify and Rdio and the question was raised as to whether or not they are luring away college radio listeners. Benedict said that he views them simply as “tools” to help spread the word and are actually ways to help a station “branch out.” Greenberg contrasted Spotify with college radio, saying, “we have interactions with our listeners.” Khaikin agreed, adding that, “Spotify can’t turn you on to bands that you’ve never heard of before.” However, many of the panelists said that their stations had developed mobile applications, which they found useful for connecting with listeners.

Spreading the Word about New Music

During the Q&A session with the audience, the music directors shared some tips about ways to screen new music and share that music with DJs. Some hold listening sessions and others invite DJs to write reviews. Wolf said she posts charts and sends them to DJs and Khaikin said that he used to send an weekly email to DJs describing all of the new music adds. Sherman even hosts a radio show in which she focuses on new music from the past 3 months. Wolf also shares some of her favorite picks on the station’s blog, where she highlights a “song of the day” for both DJs and listeners. A DJ in the audience added that it’s a great idea to have a notebook in the studio so that DJs can write comments back and forth about the music that they like. The challenges in getting some DJs to branch out musically was described by Khaikin who said that there isn’t much “crossover” between what students listen to and what’s played on college radio. He added that the average age of a college radio listener is between 23 and 30.

Connecting with One’s Campus

An ongoing challenge for many stations is getting the word out on campus. Benedict talked about doing mix CD exchange events on campus. Greenberg said that at her station they asked a film student to make a commercial to help promote the radio station. Others mentioned throwing campus parties featuring DJs from the station spinning music. Additionally, campus newspapers publish charts for some stations. Wolf said that they are having an architecture student design the station’s new studio. Khaikin pointed out that it can be really helpful to involve students from other departments and Greenberg added that DJing for other campus clubs can be a great way to get a station’s name out.

Stay tuned for most posts recapping CMJ 2011. Previous posts include:

CMJ College Radio Awards Winners Announced

Radio Guide to CMJ 2011

CMJ Announces Nominees for 2011 College Radio Awards

Nominations Open for 2011 CMJ College Radio Awards

Marissa Greenberg of WPUB (Photo: J. Waits)

On Thursday, during College Day at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, the winners were announced in CMJ’s annual College Radio Awards. As is frequently the case, the awards ceremony was full of fun and frivolity. Awards recognized college radio staffers/stations as well as organizations and people working in the music industry.

WKDU from Drexel University in Philadelphia was the big radio winner, taking home awards for Station of the Year and for Biggest Champion of the Local Scene. And, in a nice nod to the struggles they’ve encountered over the past year, KUSF-in-Exile was awarded Best Student-Run Internet-Only Station. This year, the music marketing company The Syndicate swept the industry awards, winning every category except two (which were awarded to Sub Pop Records and to CMJ’s Editor-in-Chief Lisa Hresko).

Winners were chosen based on voting that took place during the CMJ Music Marathon among badge-holding attendees. The complete list of nominees can be found here and this year’s radio winners (see the industry winners on the CMJ website) are as follows:

Station Of The Year:
WKDU (Drexel University, Philadelphia)

Music Director Of The Year:
Omar Husain, CJLO (Concordia University, Montreal, Canada)

Specialty Music Director Of The Year:
Claire Sullentrop, WSOU (Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ)

Biggest Champion Of The Local Scene:
WKDU (Drexel University, Philadelphia)

Will Never Sell Out:
Thor Slaughter, KWVA (University of Oregon)

Biggest Community Resource:
KVRX (University of Texas, Austin)

Biggest Improvement:
WUTK (University of Tennessee, Knoxville)

Best Use Of Limited Resources:
RLC (Rutgers University and Piscataway High School, New Jersey)

Best Newcomer:
Thor Slaughter, KWVA (University of Oregon)

Most Adventurous:
WFMU (community radio station in Jersey City)

Best Student-Run, Internet-Only Station:
KUSF-in-Exile (San Francisco)

Outstanding Leadership In College Radio:
Marissa Greenberg, WPUB (Pace University, New York City)

CMJ 2011

The CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival kicks off tomorrow in New York City with a full schedule of live music performances, panels, film screenings, and an entertainment business law seminar. As was the case last year, there are a lot of radio happenings in the mix.

For college radio DJs, the most important event is College Day on Thursday, October 20th, in which panel discussions focus on both the art of doing radio and the challenges of running a station. A “Saving College Radio” panel will include representatives from WRVU and KUSF talking about the loss of FM at those stations. CMJ’s annual College Radio Awards will also be announced during College Day (voting will be open to CMJ badge holders up until some time on Thursday).

In addition to College Day, there will also be a College Radio Mixer tomorrow afternoon, a College Day after-party on Thursday, and college radio-themed mentor sessions on Friday. For those of you trying to make it to all of these college radio events, CMJ has put together a handy “cheat sheet” so that you know where to be and when.

As in years past, several college and community radio stations will also be hosting showcases and live remote broadcasts from CMJ. Here’s a selection of the radio happenings that I’m aware of:

Tuesday, October 18

College Radio Mixer at 4pm at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street) for college radio station staff members only.

WFMU/Mexican Summer Showcase from 8pm to 2am at Public Assembly (back room), 70 North 6th Street, Brooklyn

Wednesday, October 19:

KEXP Sessions at the Ace Hotel: free, live broadcasts from 9am to 5pm (EDT) at the Ace Hotel (20 West 29th Street). They will also be inviting college radio staffers to stop by at 9:45 for a presentation and a chance to observe a recording session. The line-up of bands includes:
10:30am EDT – Zola Jesus
12:30pm EDT – We Are Augustines
2:30pm EDT – Portugal, the Man
4:30pm EDT – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

New Waves in Radio panel discussion from 11am to 12:15pm in NYU Kimmel Center, Room 406 (CMJ badge required). Panelists from Rhapsody, Pandora, Clear Channel, and Sirius XM will discuss “traditional and non-traditional forms of radio, and discuss how artists can best take advantage of opportunities for airplay.”

WNYU Tour and Informational Session for College Radio Staffers at 12:45pm at New York University’s college radio station WNYU (5-11 University Place).

Official CMJ 2011 College Radio Showcase at Shea Stadium from 7pm until 1am: College radio stations KXSC (University of Southern California), KXLU (Loyola Marymount University), KVRX (University of Texas, Austin) and KTRU (Rice University) worked together to curate this free, all ages, event open to the public (no CMJ badges required) featuring Computer Magic, Fidlar, Unstoppable Death Machines, Slutever, Wild Moccasins, Extra Life, Gangi, Fresh Millions, Buxton, and the Sour Notes.

Thursday, October 20:

College Day at CMJ from 9:30am to 5:30pm at Rosenthal Pavilion, 10th Floor, NYU Kimmel Center (open to CMJ Badge holders)

KEXP Sessions at the Ace Hotel: free, live broadcasts from 9am to 5pm (EDT) at the Ace Hotel (20 West 29th Street). The line-up of bands includes:
10:30am EDT – Widowspeak
12:30pm EDT – Givers
2:30pm EDT – Dum Dum Girls
4:30pm EDT – The Lonely Forest

Digital Music Servicing, Radio Revamp (CMJ badge required): Panel discussion from 2pm to 3:15pm (NYU Kimmel Center room 905/907) on the topic of “how digitally servicing new releases is impacting college radio.”

College Day Afterparty at Sola’s (232 E. 9th St.) from 5:30 to 8:00pm

Friday, October 21:

KEXP Sessions at the Ace Hotel: free, live broadcasts from 9am to 5pm (EDT) at the Ace Hotel (20 West 29th Street). The line-up of bands includes:
10:30am EDT – WATERS
12:30pm EDT – EMA
2:30pm EDT – Caveman
4:30pm EDT – Atlas Sound

The Wizards of Oz panel discussion from 11am to 12:15pm for CMJ badge holders (NYU Kimmel Center Room 406). This panel will focus on the Australian music industry and will include a representative from FBi Radio.

College Radio Mentor Sessions at the Kimmel Center room 909 from 12pm to 1:30pm. Sign up for these sessions during College Day.

Silent Disco: From 6pm to 8pm this event (open to the public) at The Big Screen Plaza at Eventi Hotel (851 Avenue of the Americas) will feature videos made by Invisible Children “that have been used to inspire hundreds of thousands of people to use their talents to help stop a war in Central Africa where a rebel warlord is forcing children to fight as child soldiers. They will present The Musician Coalition, a group of artists uniting with their fans to build a system of life saving radio towers in the war affected region.”

Saturday, October 22:

9pm to 1am: KEXP is one of the sponsors of the 2011 Nomadic Wax CMJ showcase at 92YTribeca. Artists include: Omar Offendum, The ReMINDers, Masia One, Krussia, RahZemos, M.O.A., Babaluku, hosted by Kokayi with DJ Boo.

CMJ's 2011 College Radio Awards

Yesterday CMJ announced the nominees for its annual College Radio Awards.

Based on nominations submitted by folks who report their playlists/charts to the music publication, the list of nominees includes college and community radio stations, as well as individuals who work in college radio or at college radio-connected organizations.

I was excited to see that my very own college radio home, KFJC, is nominated for most adventurous station and that KUSF in Exile is in the running for best student-run, Internet-only station.

People attending the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City next month will be eligible to vote in the College Radio Awards and winners will be announced at the conference during CMJ’s College Day on October 20, 2011. The list is a mix of stations who have won numerous CMJ awards before (CJLO and KSSU in particular), as well as some newcomers.

And the 2011 CMJ College Radio Awards station nominees (go to CMJ to see the industry nominees) are:

Station Of The Year:
CJLO (Montreal)
KUOM (Minneapolis)
WKDU (Philadelphia)
WLUW (Chicago)

Music Director Of The Year:
Paul Brown, WKDU
Omar Husain, CJLO
Bill Schneiderhan, WSYC
Thor Slaughter, KWVA
Caleigh Souhan, KUOM

Specialty Music Director Of The Year:
Kelly Belfro, CJLO
Kate Estwing, KDHX
Brian Joseph, CJLO
Claire Sullentrop, WSOU
Andrew Wieler, CJLO

Biggest Champion Of The Local Scene:
CFUV (Victoria)
CJSW (Calgary)
KUOM (Minneapolis)
RLC (Piscataway)
WKDU (Philadelphia)

Will Never Sell Out:
Paul Brown, WKDU
Omar Husain, CJLO
Susie Kuo, KSSU
Joni Sadler, CHUO
Thor Slaughter, KWVA

Biggest Community Resource:
CFUV (Victoria)
KCMP (St. Paul)
KDHX (St. Louis)
KUOM (Minneapolis)
KVRX (Austin)

Biggest Improvement:
KRNU (Lincoln)
KRUA (Anchorage)
WHUS (Storrs)
WLJS (Jacksonville)
WUTK (Knoxville)

Best Use Of Limited Resources:
CKXU (Lethbridge)
KSSU (Sacramento)
KXSC (Los Angeles)
RLC (Piscataway)
Radio UTD (Richardson)

Best Newcomer:
Frank Higuera, KXLU
Joe Iannuzzo, KUMD
Thor Slaughter, KWVA
Andrew Wieler, CJLO
Jess Wiza, WDBM

Most Adventurous:
CFUV (Victoria)
KBUT (Crested Butte)
KFJC (Los Altos Hills)
WFMU (Jersey City)
WVUM (Coral Gables)

Best Student-Run, Internet-Only Station:
CSCR (Fusion Radio) (Toronto)
KUSF In Exile (San Francisco)
Osprey Radio (Jacksonville)
Rainy Dawg Radio (Seattle)
Radio UTD (Richardson)

Outstanding Leadership In College Radio:
Marissa Greenberg, WPUB
Omar Husain, CJLO
Susie Kuo, KSSU
Jon Schober, KUOM
Caleigh Souhan, KUOM

Nominations Open for CMJ's College Radio Awards

CMJ, the industry publication for college radio, has been doing college radio awards for a number of years now. They just opened up the nomination period for the 2011 College Radio Awards and anyone who subscribes to the CMJ New Music Report is eligible to nominate people or stations. The deadline is midnight on September 16 and the nominees will be announced soon after that. Final voting will take place in October during the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City (all badge holders can vote) and winners will be announced during CMJ’s College Day on October 20.

Some of the categories this year include: Station of the Year, Music Director of the Year, Sexiest Phone Voice, Most Adventurous Station and Outstanding Leadership in College Radio.

To get a sense of who has been up for these awards in the past, here are the 2010 nominees, the 2009 nominees and winners, and the 2008 nominees and winners.

What stations and people would be on your nomination list?

KZSC Lobby at UC Santa Cruz

Today the Huffington Post takes a stab at naming the 9 Best College Radio Stations. They admit that the list may not be complete (how could 9 stations cover it all?) and acknowledge that they drew inspiration from the recent College Radio Awards during the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City last week.

Several of the stations on the Huffington Post list were winners at CMJ and others have been featured in college radio lists compiled by Princeton Review and mtvU (for their College Radio Woodie Award).

No offense to any of the stations named, but it’s important to keep in mind how all of these lists are determined. Princeton Review’s list is actually only an accounting of station popularity on campus according to students at universities polled by Princeton Review (they are asked how popular the campus radio station is).

mtvU’s college radio Woodie awards (which seem to have been discontinued after last year’s ceremony) were based on online nominations and voting. CMJ’s awards were voted on by attendees at the CMJ Music Marathon based on nominations made by stations and industry types who are CMJ subscribers; so the list is limited to that universe of stations with connections in the CMJ sphere. As I mentioned during the nomination process, I was still really happy to see some new stations up for the CMJ College Radio Awards this year, as in the past it seemed that there were many nominees from the same small group of stations.

I do like that the Huffington Post piece explains what sets each station apart (although some of their fact-checking is sketchy– I chuckled when I saw that they wrote that KZSC is funded by the FCC. Licensed would be more accurate.) and in that respect the list is a great jumping off point for college radio exploration.

Here are the 9 Best College Radio Stations according to the Huffington Post:

CJLO (Concordia University, Montreal, Canada)

WKDU (Drexel University, Philadelphia)

WICB (Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY)

Radio DePaul (DePaul University, Chicago, IL)

KZSC (University of California, Santa Cruz)

KEXP (University of Washington, Seattle, WA)

WGRE (De Pauw University, Greencastle, IN)

WERS (Emerson College, Boston, MA)

WCRX (Columbia College, Chicago, IL)

I recently covered even more interesting (and lengthier) list of college radio stations put together on Zoomout. A few from the Huffington Post list are included, but by featuring 82 college radio stations, the Zoomout list is able to give a broader representation of excellent freeform college radio stations from all over the United States and Canada.

What do you think of this particular list? Is it a good representation of what college radio has to offer or are there glaring omissions?

2009 CMJ College Day at NYU

Next week the CMJ Music Marathon hits New York City and the surrounding areas from October 19 through 23. The annual college radio/indie music schmooze-fest will include music showcases, panels on the music industry, a special day-long College Day just for college radio DJs, a film festival, Entertainment Business Law Seminar, and a new music and gaming conference called CMJ Play.

I’ve attended CMJ a number of times over the years, including the past two years (which I covered extensively on Spinning Indie and Radio Survivor). This year, unfortunately, I’ll just be monitoring the festivities from afar.

The big highlights for me are the College Radio Mixer and College Day, in which folks from college radio stations get the chance to meet and share stories about their experiences at different stations. At the conference participants can also vote on nominees for the CMJ College Radio Awards and the winners are feted during College Day.  Over the summer anyone who reports to CMJ was able to nominate stations and individuals for these awards and the finalists were announced on October 4.

Here’s a partial list of some of the college (and some community) radio stations getting recognized (the voting also includes radio promotion company categories too). If you’re heading to CMJ, be sure to vote for your favorites between October 19 and 21st at the conference. Anyone with a CMJ badge can vote.

2010 CMJ College Radio Awards Nominees:

Station Of The Year
CJLO (Montreal)
KUOM (Minneapolis)
Radio UTD (Richardson)
WICB (Ithaca)
WKDU (Philadelphia)

Music Director Of The Year
Omar Husain (CJLO)
Fred Knittel (WKDU)
Justin Lanoue (CFUV)
Reece Lazarus (WICB)
Joni Sadler (CHUO)

Specialty Music Director Of The Year
John Anderson (WEFT)
Brian Joseph (CJLO)
Michelle Krupkin (KXLU)
Maggie Overton (WERU)
Adrian Warner (CJLO)

Best Use Of Limited Resources
CJLO (Montreal)
KSSU (Sacramento)
Radio UTD (Richardson)
RLC (Piscataway)
WKWZ (Syosset)

Best Team Effort
CJLO (Montreal)
KALX (Berkeley)
KWCR (Ogden)
WRMC (Middlebury)
WSBU (St. Bonaventure)

Best Student Run Station
CJLO (Montreal)
KUOM (Minneapolis)
KSSU (Sacramento)
WHRW (Binghamton)
WICB (Ithaca)

Biggest Champion Of The Local Scene
CFUV (Victoria)
CJLO (Montreal)
KDHX (St. Louis)
WKDU (Philadelphia)
WTBU (Boston)

Biggest Improvement
CJLO (Montreal)
KXSC (Los Angeles)
WLCA (Godfrey)
WPRK (Winter Park)
WRHU (Hempstead)

Best Use Of The Internet
BreakThru Radio (New York)
CJLO (Montreal)
KEXP (Seattle)
Radio UTD (Richardson)
WFMU (Jersey City)

Most Love For The Game
Krissy Agathos (WUSB)
Nichole Bennett (KVRX)
Omar Husain (CJLO)
Susie Kuo (KSSU)
Reece Lazarus (WICB)

Most Adventurous
CHUO (Ottawa)
KALX (Berkeley)
KDVS (Davis)
WFMU (Jersey City)
WNRN (Charlottesville)

Best Newcomer
Disney Bolin (WPRK)
Kayla Dowdy (WWHR)
Mary Kate Kennedy (WBWC)
Adrian Warner (CJLO)
Tyler Wardell (KZSC)

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.