Dear Radio World

This is a version of the note sent to Radio World (oldSchool broadcast based trade pub) back in.... late 2022, it followed an opinion of Ken F, Station Manager of WFMU. I'm note sure if RW
published it... Portions of this were mixed into the InCiteRadio show of Jan'23:

https://www.mixcloud.com/pmcwhenever/inciteradio_jan2223_tide/

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Dear Radio World,

In response to the opinions regarding colleges selling: off loading their FCC licenses and related responsibilities, I would add firstly that I Love FM broadcast radio. BUT i’m old enough to have been weened on it, before corporate consolidation started and before College Radio was shifted from the students truly running it (academic/professional “advisors”really are the true runners of College Radio but they are not the one’s who built it, staffed it and listened to it and their signal’s audience…).

I remember when alternative radio was truly scarce and vital and community voices were only left of the dial… those days are long gone, daddy-o.

Colleges unload headaches (FCC is a mercurial terrorizing political expense for academics…) and if they can unload and not create waves in their tuition stream — they will make short money, especially if there isn’t a FM Boomer communications department hangin on to a crusty yellowing delusion. OK!

Broadcast radio of the college radio vintage, in reality FM (often w/ feeder “AM” wired into student buildings (really, dead from the beginning) will not die, but it has more than faded in student interest, entrenched mediums don’t die, they fade. Change is eternal. The internet won and few Non-com licensed stations have put the resources to tech-ing up. Where is your phone friendly updated site? App?

The communities that FM broadcast signals once ably served, have conveniently opened up their mobile PHONES to tweet and listen to their favorite radio-like audio from Bandcamp, Apple, podcasts, Youtube, Twitch, Amp, their OWN playlist or maybe even Mixcloud.

And so FM college radio fades as FM licenses are viable for only a minority of college board holders (generally with communication departments, spirited invested academics and/or sympathetic boards or those with NPR ties in major markets, oh and the long-game religious holders). Alternative FM fades, long live FM.

paul m cheevers managed college station headaches while a student and did thousands of hours of FM broadcasting at WCBN, WNYU and WZBC over the past 40 years. When not listening to WFMU via their awesome app, you can hear him anytime, from anywhere, via a distributed, redundant medium designed to withstand a nuclear attack, FCC limits or the whims of a programming departments' carousel (the internet): http://mixcloud.com/pmcwhenever