College Radio Day
As we celebrate College Radio Day with stations accross the US the staff and volunteers of KSUA wanted to share their opinions on why college radio matters.
Kevin: Growing up in the interior of Alaska made finding new music a challenge. Having a local station to turn to that had such a great variety of music is initially what pulled me into to being a KSUA fan when I was a teen, and now that I work at KSUA it gives me a sense of pride in where I work. Being a station where all the programming is run by members of our community lets me see how varied our small community really is. Every semester I’m blown away at how many new volunteers are excited to work alongside station veterans. Anytime I see a KSUA bumper sticker in the wild I get excited to see how much pride members of the community have in our station.
Philip: College radio matters to me because it an underlying backbone of the Fairbanks music and art scene. When I think of the most inspiring and influential people that I knew or knew of in the last few decades I am inevitably led back to KSUA. For me, college radio was one of the the ways into a community of open-minded artistic people who made me feel like I had a place in this town. The appreciation for music here transcends all categories. For me, KSUA will always be the embodiment of the iconoclastic Fairbanks spirit, and I believe it will live on forever!
Tara: In a world filled with corporate radio stations with no consideration for local taste, interests, or issues, college radio remains an independent source of expression that really matters. College Radio gives students a place to learn, express themselves, find confidence, and grow with a community. I am so thankful for my time at KSUA radio and the friends I have met along the way.
Khan: The fun and spontaneity of College Radio was exposed to me by my high school music teacher. I was helping to run our school's radio program at KCAW and having a blast. He must have noticed, because he invited to check me out of our boarding school dorms to come onto his own late night show on KCAW, simply titled "College Radio" hosted by him and another local DJ. Every show began by blasting "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell", which set the free-form goofy improv precedent for the next two hours. I've strived to take that energy to KSUA and onto my own show "Subject to Change" with myself and bff. College Radio is a medium that we can't afford to lose!
“College radio matters to me as it’s been an important way for me to express myself through literature, and involvement with the community.” Austyn, host of Literally Literal Fridays 11am to 12pm. He is a new volunteer here at KSUA and already his show has been a big hit. He reads short stories live on air, and this month he’s been doing horror themed stories.
