As most of y’all know, I’m a freshman communications/journalism major at Shippensburg University. My emphasis is in broadcasting. While it’s expected that we get involved with the campus media, it’s not a requirement. Lots of people don’t do it. I choose to do it because I’m doing this as a career change, and I need all the experience I can get. Participating in radio and television is a good way to get this experience.
So I have a radio show on WSYC, Ship’s 100-watt FM radio station. It’s Saturday night, from 8-10 p.m. I do it with a grad student, but since I’m the undergrad, I’m ultimately responsible for the content and making sure everything goes down smoothly.
Tonight was the premiere. Normally, we would just program the music and stuff into a laptop computer and plug that into the board. However, that’s not possible yet. So we had four CDs to program a two-hour show. Fortunately, three of them were compilation CDs, so it’s not the end of the world. I think we had a good variety tonight. Lots of 80s, one Tom Waits track, and some 70s and 90s. The cool thing about college radio is that you can try different things, so Tom Waits felt more or less at home with 80s bubble-gum pop.
I am pleased to say that the show went off well. There was some dead air because I’m not familiar enough with the equipment to really make it work quickly. And I need to learn when to shut up. But all in all, it was good. When we get our act together a little more, and the station is finished making its improvements, we’ll be great.
Sadly, we don’t webcast yet, but the university is working on it. So when that happens, I’ll let you know so y’all can listen to me make an ass of myself on the radio.
Way to go, MsRobyn! I worked in college radio many moons ago. I had the time of my life. It’ll get easier over time and you might just get hooked.
I eventually moved on to television and film production but every now and then I think about maybe trying a radio gig again just for fun.
Good luck!
I started in college radio at KUCI way back in 1977, and that started a 15 year on-air career.
I still look back on my days at KUCI fondly. All the other students were into alternative, metal, or classical. I was the only one who did a top-40 show. I called it “intellectual music.” I was on 3 days a week from 12 midnight to 3 PM.
At the time, we were only 10 watts FM. Our slogan was: “You can spit farther than we can transmit.”
Not true, of course, but today’s KUCI has wonderful range and sound, compared to the KUCI of the 70s.
Keep it up and let us know when the webcast starts. Or that failing, send me an MP3 file and I’ll put it up on our website and post a link so everyone can hear it.
Is your theme song Rockin’ Robyn by Bobby Day?
OK, I know it’s Rockin Robin but you get the idea.
Any questions I can answer or help I can give, feel free.
No, the show’s theme isn’t “Rockin’ Robin”. We opened the show last night with Prince and the Revolution’s “Let’s Go Crazy”, which seemed appropriate.
Rico, I don’t have an mp3 file of the show, just an audiocassette that I can turn into an mp3 file. It’ll be really large, though, because it was a two-hour show. Right now, it’s the only way to record.
OK, the normal way of showing off your on air talent is to do an “aircheck.” Basically it’s your whole show with the music and commercials cut out, showcasing YOU.
A two hour show should be able to be cut down to maybe 5-10 minutes max that way - less if you talk less.
MsRoByn,
I was a volunteer/producer/programmer at KPFT (Pacifica radio) in Houston for 8 or 9 years and I loved it! my shows were generally long (4 to 5 hours in the middle of the night) and I never brought enough music so I would search the record library and play stuff based on the cover art, if the music sucked it got pulled off FAST!.
I also did a new age hour where I played 4 or 5 new age things at once (my new age hour was about 10 minutes long), a lot of that new age stuff is cool 5 records at a time!.
As far as “airchecks” go, do you have a stereo VCR?, I used mine to tape my shows for years and it works very well (set the receiver, line out to audio in on the VCR and program the VCR, life is good (and you can record a lot on a video tape).
I can do an aircheck; the computer we use to edit is hooked up to an audiocassette machine. It’s just going to take some time, and I’m not sure I have it this week.
But all in all, it was good. When we get our act together a little more, and the station is finished making its improvements, we’ll be great.