college radio

College radio is the best radio out there. Free from corporate influence that forces most radio stations to play a very small rotation, you can hear totally random music and unprofessional DJs. If you listen to the 4-6 am time slot, you will probably hear a very lonely, tired person. Saturday night often has dance music, and Sunday has exploratory or celebratory music. College radio stations still get sent cds all the time from the big labels, but they don't take payola to play them.
If you are in college you can probably get your own radio show and force people to listen to your favorite music and your ramblings. A lot of it is like the worst of e2 rambling nodes, but the fact that you hear a real voice and music makes it better.
College radio is very similar to the open source movement. Both show how good things can be if people are free to do what they love, and not have to worry about profit.

Although a Good Thing, music variety and DJ quality vary widely from station to station. Generally lots of mumbling, lots of dead air, lots of miscues in August.

Too many program directors think "Lets be like the X", when a Pacifica-like "Not alternative" format would be a genuine alternative.

Now that the FCC has legalized micropower radio, perhaps community and pirate radio stations will fill more gaps in the non-corporate radio world.

College radio provides listeners with new music you will never here and older music that has shaped bands you like. I have no hostility nor attention toward formatted stations, simply they just don't play what I like. The only college radio station I really know is KVRX, radio station of The University of Texas.

If it's one of those nights, 2AM a little on tilt in a passenger seat, KVRX is perfect! You never know what they are going to throw at you. Last night, rolling dowtown, I heard Kill the Poor. Dead Kennedys on the radio? They play several types of music including punk, rock and roll, hip hop, trance, blues, and even some country. Sadly, they do reject some of the music you request. I have been told," That's a little too mainstream." At first pissed at their attitude, I realized the nice integrity they keep with their music. They have tunred me onto many bands. Trans Am, Polvo, Pussy Galore, and Deltron 3030 just to name a few. Also, they give away great things that are easy to win at 3AM in the morning. If you are ever in Austin, TX between 10PM and 10AM, tune into 91.7 KVRX...........

"None of the hits.....all of the time."