What Will Happen to College Radio?

Stateside, a Michigan public radio program, recently
spoke with me about the future of college radio. Here’s an excerpt
from their write-up:

Jesse Walker said he doesn’t
think college radio is dying, it’s just going through a rough
patch. He’s a former DJ at WCBN, Ann Arbor’s student-run, community
radio station. He’s also the author of “Rebels on the Air: An
Alternative History of Radio in America.”

Walker said college radio is a place for students to get the
education, experience, and freedom to take risks and explore the
world of radio, an experience he says you can’t get in commercial
radio. College radio is also a venue for underground artists and
bands to get their music out.

But some college radio stations are being sold off to public radio
stations, which takes away opportunities of exploration from the
students.

“They are being sort of taken over by these public radio empires,”
Walker said.

To read the rest—and to hear the actual interview, which was
broadcast on Tuesday—go here. For
my book on radio, which may help you understand the politics and
economics underlying these battles, go
here.