Power to the People!

It's 1989. I'm thirteen years old. For some reason, I've grown tired of my Beatles, Beach Boys, and Monkees tapes. I'm disgusted by my mom's Dolly Parton, Neil Diamond, and Carpenters tapes (but they would later grow on me). Sitting in my room, listening to the radio, ready to strangle someone if I hear "Toy Soldiers" from Martika one more time. I don't care if the New Kids on the Block are "Hangin' Tough," they can suck it for all I care. I'm turnin' the dial desperately trying to find something different. All the same crap on all the stations, unless you want to hear sports or news. I had yet to discover and appreciate hip-hop. Something different was needed - more aggression, angst, more emotion. Finally, just to the left of the dial, I find something...a voice yelling about the "united snakes in captivity!" I stopped, and listened to the whole rant. It was beautiful. It was Jello Biafra's "Pledge of Allegiance." Little did I know, but this was my introduction to college radio, and the punk ethos, all at the same time. After Jello's rant, they played "I.C. Water," (a tribute to dead Joy Division singer Ian Curtis) from Psychic TV. Ironically, soon afterward, I would devour all that I could from Joy Division (they're still my favorite band). Every day, when I had the time, I would turn to the college radio station thirsty for more. Years later, I went to the Community College in Port Huron, and got a slot as a DJ on their radio station. That was obvious. Within a year, I was the Music Director. I logged over a thousand hours of airtime while working at WSGR-FM. But, I would never want to work in corporate radio. There was a time when alternative music was referred to as 'college rock' because that was the only place you could hear it: college radio. The history of free-style formats on college radio is long, it goes back as far as the early '60s. Unfortunately, we're living in a time when big money controls all radio. Clear Channel alone owns over 60% of rock n roll radio in this country. So, this means that colleges are feeling the need to push the ideals of corporate radio onto their radio students. College radio is dying, folks. There are few stations left anymore that stick to the traditions of free-form radio. In the Metro Detroit area, there's still WHFR-FM from Henry Ford Community College, WXOU-FM from Oakland University, and CJAM-FM from the University of Windsor. There's also WDET-FM, one of the biggest non-profit radio stations in the country (affiliated with Wayne State Univ, but not actually connected). Elsewhere, another big player is WFMU-FM out of Jersey City, NJ. I know, they're not in the Detroit area, but believe me, this is one hell of a worthwhile non-profit radio station. Go to their site, you can listen to it online. The Canadian station, CJAM-FM, and the Jersey City station, WFMU-FM are your best ticket to hear good college radio. You need to be online (or somewhere in New Jersey/NYC) to listen to WFMU, but if yr readin' this, yr online. Unfortunately, CJAM's listening area isn't very big, but check it out anyway. Support free-form college and non-profit radio! Please keep it alive.

Pump up the volume!