“Five Songs” is a series where we ask former and current college radio DJs to give us a list of five songs that they feel best represents the chosen topic. For this playlist, Norman Prusslin, founding General Manager of WUSB at Stony Brook University, chooses five songs that remind him of his first ever DJ…
College Radio Alumni: Peggy La Point, WRST
Name: Peggy La Point College: University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Radio Station: WRST Years Active: 1984-1989 Position(s): DJ (84-89), Program Director (87), Asst. Station Manager (88), Station Manager (88) Favorite Bands (then): I don’t know where to start here. In college, anything from REM, Depeche Mode, Prince, The Police, New Order and 10,000 Maniacs (and more than…
Twenty-Five Debut Albums You Heard on College Radio First
The debut album is tricky. Many great artists have debut albums that show raw potential but not a lot of polish, or that don’t really represent what they would eventually become (Radiohead falls into this category). Then, there are debut albums that are undeniable masterpieces, like the ones on this list. But without a track…
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 Killed Local Radio
Twenty-six years ago, President Bill Clinton signed the “Telecommunications Act of 1996”, a landmark overhaul of telecommunications law that completely changed the landscape of broadcasting in the United States. Billed as a way to allow any business to compete in the communications sphere, some of the most damaging provisions instead drove many small broadcasters out…
KTXT Alum James Faust on Hearing “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
In 1991, Nirvana was known to college radio fans but had not yet released Nevermind and the world-changing lead single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. James Faust, the station manager of KTXT at the time, recalls hearing the song for the first time.
My First Shift: WIDB, Spring 1982
“Five Songs” is a series where we ask former and current college radio DJs to give us a list of five songs that they feel best represents the chosen topic. For this playlist, John Bernstein, producer of 35000 Watts: The Story of College Radio, chooses five songs that remind him of his first ever DJ…
College Radio Alumni: Jesse Robinson, WGMU Radio
Name: Jesse Robinson College: George Mason University Radio Station: WGMU Radio Years Active: 2012-2016 Position(s): DJ (12-16) Program Director (13-14), General Manager (15-16) Favorite bands (either during your time at the college radio station or now, or both!): Foo Fighters, Mac Miller, Philip Glass, Hall and Oates, John Coltrane, Anderson Paak, The Beatles, Al Green,…
John Dufilho and his relationship with college radio
John Dufilho (The Deathray Davies/The Apples In Stereo/Clifffs) has been involved in the indie music scene for over 25 years, and college radio has played a huge role in helping his bands find an audience.
College Radio Alumni: Nathan Moore
Name: Nathan Moore College: West Virginia University (as a student host); University of Virginia (as a grown-up station manager) Radio Station: U92 at WVU; WTJU at UVA Years Active: 1998-2002 at U92; 2011-present at WTJU Position(s): At U92, I was a rock DJ for four years, jazz DJ for three years, talk show host for three years, and news…
Toadies talk about their worst interview
Interviews are hard, and it takes a long time to really get good at writing interesting questions. This poor guy wasn’t quite there yet. Watch this hilarious clip of Toadies drummer Mark Reznicek and lead singer Vaden Lewis talking about one of their worst interview experiences.