College Radio Day

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Stephens College radio station KWWC-FM, Sweet 90.5, participated in College Radio Day on October 11.

Along with 330 other participating colleges nationwide, College Radio Day's primary goal revolved around raising awareness of the importance of college radio to society.

Lasting from 8 a.m. to midnight, Wiseman, her audio production class and practicum students, alumnae and community members each hosted their own one-hour show throughout the day.

Samantha Galati, a junior Integrated Media major and beginning student in Wiseman's audio production class, had little experience working live in the radio station.

"This was my first show, so I learned a lot being on my own on the radio," she said. "I made it a kind of ‘get to know me' show. I learned how to find things to talk about, play my music, write timing and everything."

More than 1,400 radio stations can be found with the turn of a dial, but budget cuts throughout the nation within universities and colleges have forced them to cut their radio programs.

Rob Quicke and Peter Kreten, two organizers of the event, believe college radio remains as the only genuine form of creative radio programming still existing today. In fact, college radio is the only free, live medium available that willingly plays unsigned, independent artists on a regular basis.

The organizers formed College Radio Day to shed light on the disappearance of what they consider an asset to its listeners and believe the extra attention created during this event will revitalize college radio stations' roles within society.

"Stephens College benefited a lot because it did get the word out there that we do have a radio show and that we are wanting to be listened to," said Lesley Nielsen, senior Integrated Media major.

Free from the restrictions of having to remain commercially-viable, college stations provide a variety of formats to its listeners, depending on the announcer's tastes and genres.

"College Radio Day showed all of the people involved in the radio station, coming forward and doing what they love, which rarely gets to happen," Galati said.

With the potential of 100,000 listeners, the radio station signal spans across a 30-mile radius. No equipment is used to determine how many listeners tune in daily to the station, but Jonna Wiseman, KWWC-FM station manager said gaining even one more listener during the event would be a success.

"It's just like religion," she said. "If you can win just one heart, one soul… through an event like this, then it shows how much power we actually can produce and put out there."

Wiseman wanted her students to experience the sense of community within the radio station during the event. Even if the listeners only tuned in for that one day, she believes that the word's out.

"Maybe that will bring us more announcers. Maybe that will bring us more listeners. Maybe it will bring more students to campus," she said. "Really, anything we could have done to reach out, I think will benefit us and the college."

Next year's College Radio Day is scheduled for October 2, 2012.