Radio Survivor Podcast

On October 3, 2025, while World College Radio Day was being celebrated all over the globe, Cleveland State University’s nearly 50-year old student-run college radio station WCSB 89.3 FM was shut down by administrators. Staff and volunteers were escorted out of the station by police and programming was soon replaced by JazzNEO, a music service produced by public radio group Ideastream.  In the ensuing weeks, WCSB participants and supporters have been protesting this move and have organized under the name XCSB. To discuss what happened to the Cleveland State college radio station and what lies ahead for XCSB, two former WCSB student leaders join us on Radio Survivor. Liam Main was the business manager of WCSB and Alison Bomgardner was the most recent General Manager of the station. Show Notes: WCSB Student Leaders and Supporters Fight Against Takeover of Cleveland State University’s Student-Run Station (Radio Survivor) XCSB website Last capture of WCSB-FM website, when it was student-run station (Wayback Machine) Global College Radio Community Unites for XCSB Special Broadcast (College Radio Foundation) Ideastream Public Media website JazzNEO web page College Broadcasters Inc. website KUSF DJs and Fans Gear up to Fight Proposed Radio Station Sale (Radio Survivor, January 2011) Show Credits: This episode was produced by Jennifer Waits Hosted by Jennifer Waits and Eric Klein Edited by Eric Klein The post Podcast #346 – The Fight for College Radio at Cleveland State Station WCSB appeared first on Radio Survivor.

Jennifer Waits reports back from the Grassroots Radio Conference, held in Spokane Washington from September 11 to September 14, 2025. We recap FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez’s keynote address, in which she spoke forcefully about recent actions by the FCC that threaten freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Gomez talked about the importance of community radio, as a place that inherently provides a diversity of view points. Also on the show, we hear a bit about the National Campus and Community Radio Conference, which was held in Nanaimo, BC, Canada in June 2025. Plus, Jennifer digs into the latest “best college radio stations” list from Princeton Review. Show Notes: Grassroots Radio Conference 2025, hosted by KYRS in Spokane, Washington KYRS, Thin Air Community Radio FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez Gomez Sounds Alarm on Press Freedoms at Grassroots Radio Conference (Radio World) Podcast #267 – Live from the Grassroots Radio Conference: Community Radio and Protests (October 2020 virtual GRC) Podcast #162 – The Future of Community Radio, Live from Grassroots Radio Conference (October 2018 in Portland, Oregon) National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) Conference in Nanaimo, BC, Canada Counterculture: 20 Years of CIVL Radio in the Fraser Valley documentary 35000 Watts documentary about college radio Campus and community radio stations that Jennifer visited in Canada (tour reports forthcoming): Radio Sidney, CFUV-FM (University of Victoria), CHLY-FM (Vancouver Island University), Vancouver Co-Op Radio CFRO-FM, CiVL-FM (University of the Fraser Valley), CJSF-FM (Simon Fraser University), CiTR-FM (University of British Columbia) Nadwuar the Human Serviette On podcast #304, Lesbian Radio History in Canada, Stacey Copeland references some programming on Vancouver Co-Op Radio On podcast #330, Wetland Project and Slow Radio, we also discuss the Soundscape Collective at Vancouver Co-Op Radio 2026 “Best College Radio Stations” List from Princeton Review (Radio Survivor) Show Credits: This episode was produced by Jennifer Waits Hosted by Jennifer Waits and Eric Klein Edited by Eric Klein The post Podcast #345 – Catching up with Community Radio at the Grassroots Radio Conference and NCRC appeared first on Radio Survivor.

While the work of radio stations using terrestrial transmitters is a typical discussion topic on Radio Survivor, for this episode we find ourselves examining music and talk beamed down from satellites orbiting the earth. Satellite radio as we know it began in the 1990s, with its major players launching satellite radio services in the early 2000s. Brian Fauteux, Associate Professor of Popular Music and Media Studies at University of Alberta joins us on the show to discuss the fascinating history and relevance of satellite radio to both radio culture and the music industry. Brian is the author of the new book, “Music in Orbit: Satellite Radio in the Streaming Space Age,” released in 2025. Show Notes: Music in Orbit: Satellite Radio in the Streaming Space Age (UC Press) Brian Fauteux SiriusXM HBCU channel on SiriusXM Aquarium Drunkard Sirius XMU Behind the Scenes of XMU’s “Student Exchange Program” (SpinningIndie) Matthew Lasar on “Radio 2.0” (Radio Survivor) Radio 2.0: Uploading the First Broadcast Medium by Matthew Lasar Flashback Radio Survivor articles by Brian Fauteux circa 2014-2016! (Radio Survivor) Show Credits: This episode was produced by Jennifer Waits Hosted by Jennifer Waits and Eric Klein Edited by Eric Klein The post Podcast #344 – Music in Orbit: Satellite Radio in the Streaming Space Age appeared first on Radio Survivor.

Eric, Jennifer and Paul return with a new episode of Radio Survivor, recapping some of the latest news from our travels. Jennifer shares highlights from the annual student media conference hosted by Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) and from her visits to college radio stations in New York City. Just back from South by Southwest, Paul lends perspective on some of the latest trends in podcasting. Additionally, we provide details about an opportunity for radio stations to broadcast the Wetland Project‘s annual Earth Day 24-hour slow radio event, featuring the sounds of nature. If you are interested in airing all or part of the broadcast, the organizers can be reached at INFO at WETLANDPROJECT dot com. Show Notes: Wetland Project Wetland Project artists Brady Marks and Mark Timmings were our guests on episode 333 in 2023 IBSNYC25 conference hosted by Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Jennifer’s IBS conference reports from 2009 on Spinning Indie Paul’s report on the 2012 regional IBS conference in Chicago Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications (DLARC) Radio Survivor episode #335 about DLARC with guest Kay Savetz IBS collection in DLARC DLARC College Radio collection + December 2024 blog update about the project SXSW website Vox Media Podcast Stage at SXSW Sounds Profitable SXSW Radio Day Stage, with performances presented by various radio stations, including KCRW, KEXP, BBC Introducing, NPR Live Sessions, and Austin community radio station KOOP KUTX is the University of Texas-owned music radio station launched by NPR station KUT Douglas Rushkoff’s website iHeart Podcast Awards On Air Fest website College radio station WKCR at Columbia University + Jennifer’s 2017 station tour report College radio station WNYU at New York University + Jennifer’s 2008 station tour report Columbia University Amateur Radio Club Show Credits: Edited by Eric Klein This episode was produced by Jennifer Waits Hosted by Paul Riismandel, Eric Klein and Jennifer Waits The post Podcast #343 – Catching up on College Radio and Podcasting News (March 19, 2025) appeared first on Radio Survivor.

Several years ago, Radio Survivor had the pleasure of speaking with artist and restaurateur Alice Brock, the woman who provided much inspiration for Arlo Guthrie’s inadvertent Thanksgiving Day radio staple, “Alice’s Restaurant.” Sadly, Alice Brock passed away on November 21, 2024 at the age of 83, just a week before the classic rock radio airwaves will be blanketed with the song that made her famous. This year, in honor of Alice, we are presenting the Radio Survivor episode that we recorded with her in advance of Thanksgiving 2020, which was the most unusual of holidays, as the COVID-19 pandemic kept many of us separated from friends and family. During our discussion, Alice Brock shares with us not only some insight into the 18-minute anti-war epic “Alice’s Restaurant”; but also stories about her life and holiday traditions. For 2020, Brock was inspired to create a special introductory message for radio stations to play in advance of “Alice’s Restaurant,” and she explains why she was moved to offer up these words of thanks during that pandemic year in particular. As we approach another holiday, our thoughts go out to Alice Brock’s friends and family. We are so grateful to have had the chance to chat with Alice and share Thanksgiving 2020 with her through the magic of podcasting. Show Notes: Thanksgiving Radio Tradition withstands the Pandemic as “Alice’s Restaurant” Hits the 2020 Airwaves Alice’s Restaurant on the Radio Thanksgiving 2024 Radio Survivor posts documenting where to hear “Alice’s Restaurant” on the radio Alice Brock’s Message for Radio Stations (NFCB) Alice Brock’s website Show Credits: This episode was produced by Jennifer Waits Hosted by Jennifer Waits, Eric Klein, and Paul Riismandel Edited by Eric Klein The post Podcast: Remembering Alice Brock of Alice’s Restaurant appeared first on Radio Survivor.