On Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, college radio stations around the nation celebrated and participated in the 13th annual World College Radio Day.
Starting in 2010, World College Radio Day is a day to “raise the profile of college radio stations across the world and encourage increased student participation in the medium of college radio,” according to collegeradio.org. The website says the day is also supposed to “encourage people who would not normally tune into their local college radio station to do so, and hopefully stay listening.”
“World College Radio Day is a way to bring together voices around the world via the radio medium,” senior communications student and radio DJ Quin Otto said.
Wayne State College’s student-run radio station KWSC 91.9 ‘The Cat’ was one of the many stations that celebrated this day. The station helped to promote the day via promotional shoutouts on social media platforms and by creating material that was played over the air. Some WSC students and radio DJs were recognized on the World College Radio Day Instagram page: Jasmine Snyder, known as DJ Jasmine; Travis Boock, known as DJ Toadtap; and Otto, known as DJ Tubby Sweetness.
“World College Radio Day is a day where students celebrate the voice of college students and the independent spirit of college radio,” WSC communications professor Sean Ahern says. “Music on college radio is important because it’s different than everything else commercial stations are playing.”
Ahern states college radio has a unique spirit and unique sound to it. It is a way to educate the public, but it also gives students a medium in which they can be heard.
“Radio is tied to certain things, and college radio is special because it allows students to have their own voice and experiment and hone their craft,” Ahern said.
There is always a theme surrounding World College Radio Day. The theme this year was “All Voices Welcome.” The theme highlighted being able to broadcast voices that otherwise are silenced. This gives people of all races, genders, sexualities, and many other demographics to be heard all over the world.
“College radio is important as it is a way to explore and express creativity,” Otto said. “College radio is the marriage between music that is sometimes weird or out there and music that is modern and cutting edge. World College Radio Day lets DJs come together from around the world to do just that.”
KWSC is a diverse station, playing anything from songs on the top 200 to triple-A, also known as adult album alternative, to music you might hear around other parts of the world. The station likes to recognize artists that may not be familiar to most listeners and give them the love and attention they so rightfully deserve.
“My goal as radio general manager is to make a dynamic and interesting sound that is different from everything else in the region,” Ahern said.
