Radio Station Field Trip 95 - WMCN at Macalester College

WMCN Forever graffiti at the Macalester College radio station. Photo: J. Waits

I loved getting the opportunity to visit several college radio stations in the Minneapolis area this October, all of which have very interesting and lengthy histories. WMCN (91.7 FM) at Macalester College is the descendant of several campus-only carrier current stations (with a variety of monikers) that first emerged in the 1940s. Before that, there were wireless experiments on campus around 1917 and a radio club was active by the 1920s.

Today WMCN operates over FM out of its dorm basement studio in St. Paul, Minnesota. Read my full report on Radio Survivor.

Radio Station Field Trip 94 - XRAY.fm in Portland, Oregon

Salt and Pepper shakers at XRAY.fm. Photo: J. Waits

Over the summer, I did a small radio station tour road trip, hitting KWVA at University of Oregon in Eugene, KAOS at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and finally community radio station XRAY.fm in Portland, Oregon.

The beneficially of Reed College's former license, XRAY.fm operates over a very low power class D FM channel as well as on a translator in Portland. The relatively new station is already garnering fans and accolades from the local press for its mix of progressive talk programming and wide-ranging music shows.

Read my complete report about my tour of XRAY.fm on Radio Survivor.

Radio Station Field Trip 93 - KBOO in Portland, Oregon

KBOO's Development Director Becky Meiers. Photo: J. Waits

On November 8, 2015, I visited community radio station KBOO-FM in Portland, Oregon. Around since 1968 and going strong today with more than 500 volunteers, KBOO airs a mix of talk and music programming, covering a wide range of topics and genres. The station also runs a Youth Collective, giving young people access to the airwaves.

Read my full report on Radio Survivor.

Radio Station Field Trip 92 - KRLX at Carleton College

Stickers at KRLX. Photo: J. Waits

It's always fun to visit college radio stations that I profiled virtually for my now-defunct Spinning Indie 50 State Tour project. KRLX is one such station, which originally caught my attention way back in 2009 when I was digging into the early history of college radio. Located at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, the station is the descendant of an amazing radio legacy on campus, with the first station, KFMX-AM, launching in 1924. Sadly, KFMX ended its broadcasts in 1933 when faced with an increasingly crowded and competitive radio landscape.

Students at Carleton prevailed, however, launching a campus-only carrier current station in 1948, which morphed into FCC-licensed FM station KRLX in 1974. Read my full report on Radio Survivor.

Radio Station Field Trip 91 - Radio K at University of Minnesota

Signage on wall at Radio K. Photo: J. Waits

On Friday, October 23, I had a grand, three-hour tour of University of Minnesota's student-run radio station KUOM (aka Radio K) in Minneapolis. With a lengthy history (its AM signal dates back to the 1920s), Radio K embraces its past, yet also benefits from its state of the art digs. Inhabiting nearly an entire floor of a building, the station's space is full of personality, with some interesting artifacts from the past.

Read my full tour post at Radio Survivor.

Radio Station Field Trip 90 - WVAU at American University

Sign at WVAU. Photo: J. Waits

This spring, as Easter weekend approached, I made my way to American University's student-run college radio station WVAU in Washington, D.C. An online-only station, WVAU also publishes its own 'zine and regularly brings bands in to play live over the station's stream.

Read my full report on Radio Survivor.

Radio Station Field Trip 89 - KAOS at Evergreen State College

License plate at KAOS-FM. Photo: J. Waits

During a family vacation/road trip this August, I traveled to Olympia, Washington and got the chance to visit college radio station KAOS-FM at Evergreen State College. Located on a beautiful wooded campus, the station gets high profile treatment, as its broadcasts can be heard by passersby while waking by its building. With a mix of student and community DJs, KAOS airs a wide array of programs from its spacious studios.

Read my full report on Radio Survivor.