"A few weeks ago, the most astonishing thing happened to me. I received an email from someone who used to listen to my radio show when I was in college. We never met, but he used to call in to my show from time to time. Last week, he looked me up online and emailed to find out if I had a list of songs I used to play on the air.
I should note that my last day of hosting that show was 14 years ago. I graduated from Edinboro University Of Pennsylvania in 1994.
...wow! Has it really been that long?
College was an amazing time for me. I never went through a rebellious phase. Never did the binge drinking thing. I wasn't a partier, wasn't into the frat scene or college sports. For me, college life was about four things:
Classes, hanging out with my roommate, spending time with my girlfriend, and college radio...
My college had an FM station and I got involved at the beginning of my freshman year. By the time I graduated, I'd served as a music director, news director and twice as general manager.
Each Sunday night from 8 to 11pm, I hosted a show called Radio Free Edinboro, which sounded a little something like this...
- Never Told You | Power Of Dreams
- Railwayed | Kitchens Of Distinction
- Submarine Song | The Candy Skins
- A Good Idea | Sugar
- Capital Letters | Ned's Atomic Dustbin
- Sleep Alone | The Wonder Stuff
- Radio Days | World Party
- Golden Egg | Eat
- Mirror Song | Live
- I Wanted Too Much | a House
- The Taming of Carolyn | Lowest Of The Low
- Courage (For Hugh Maclennan) | The Tragically Hip
- I Take You To Sleep | New Fast Automatic Daffodils
- The Only One I Know | The Charlatans UK
- Come Play With Me | The Wedding Present
- Rudderless | The Lemonheads
- Not Too Soon | Throwing Muses
- The Dead Part Of You | American Music Club
- Sodium Light Baby | The The
- Unreal World | Godfathers"
(My College) Radio Days
Indeed. That does look like 1994. I was just reading today that Swervedriver was back...they'd fit on this list nicely. By the way, you can listen to his playlist (I'm assuming this was an actual radio show playlist from back in the day...but it could also just be some of his faves) from the blog post. Also, Rob's got another blog just focused on radio called This is the Box.
If you're a former college radio DJ have you ever been contacted by former listeners years later? One of the sweetest calls that I ever got as a DJ (in 1997 or so) was when a high school student called to tell me that she was a fan and was going to miss my show when she went away to college. Her plan was to have a friend tape the show for her so that she could continue to listen.
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3 comments:
I live in Nashville and grew up listening to our local college station. It rocked.
I would actually get a cassette tape and tape programs overnight then listen to them on my *walk-man* on my way to school.
I still have some of these tapes. Lots of Buffalo Tom, Idaho Beach House, Roxy Music, Black Flag, Pixies, Throwing Muses, The Smiths, Sisters of Mercy, Attrition....AH good stuff!
I wonder what became of my favorite Dj's over on 91 ROCK?
I definitely taped college radio stations on cassette too. I recently found a end of year countdown tape (tape #5) from 1985 that I made off of San Jose State's station KSJS.
I should do a post with that list...it's classic: 3 O'Clock, Shriekback, Stranglers, Wiretrain, Lone Justice, Husker Du, etc...
I went to Edinboro University in the late 80s and early 90s. I used to listen to that show. There was also a very faint Gannon University radio station that played pre-alternative music. I've been trying to find some of that music ever since: Strawberry Zots, Blue Clocks Green, etc.
As a side note, my brother, who is eight years older than me, also had a radio show at WFSE. He's been in radio most of his adult life now.
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