College Radio Stations Go Silent
News Brief for 6/8/2011
A fellow college radio station went silent on Wednesday. WRVU of Vanderbilt University lost its frequency in a 3 million dollar deal between Vanderbilt Student Communications and an NPR affiliate. The 57 year-old college radio station will be replaced by Nashville Public Radio’s new classical station.
WRVU is not alone. Student-run stations across the country have recently had their frequencies sold by the schools that own them. College Broadcasters, Inc. reports at least 6 other stations have lost their signals in the past few years. Some stations, like KUSF of the University of San Francisco, now broadcast only online, while others, like KTXT of Texas Tech, are gone for good. Common themes can be found in the reasoning of administrators behind the sales – money is tight and the media landscape is changing.
Mark Maben of College Broadcasters, Inc. came to the defense of college radio when KTRU of Rice University went silent in April. He noted, “Many Americans, including members of Congress, have complained that consolidation, voice tracking, syndication and automation have left communities without a true local radio station. Student stations are often the last locally-focused radio outlet in their community.”
Mark Saben’s quote is from a College Broadcasters, Inc. press release.
CMJ has more on WRVU’s abrupt change in format and ownership.
WRVU’s effort to save their frequency can be found at SaveWRVURadio.com
The last announcement broadcast on WRVU was recorded and can be found at tenwatts.blogspot.com.
