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College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
What a great little story this is. It's about the inevitable clash of generations over a college radio station in Cleveland, where the administration decided to kick out the kids and put in a more sedate (some would say traditional and boring) 24/7 jazz format.
The students who did shows there and those who listened to it refused to take the decision lying down, even after the police got involved. And now, they're actively trying to get their station back.
"This happened in Cleveland, of all places. The city where the words “rock and roll” were first transmitted across the airwaves and into the bloodstream of America, accidentally crowning this industrial pocket of the Midwest the Rock and Roll Capital of the world.
This was a place where a strange new sound had a fighting chance if one DJ liked it enough. Now, it’s a place where a state-funded university quietly removed its own students from the airwaves.
There was no emergency or misconduct requiring an officer in a doorway. Just a deliberate administrative decision, filtered through the lens of a nonsensical perspective that burying a half-century of music and counterculture is somehow good for its students and the community it served."
The Rock and Roll Capital Killed Its College Radio Station for Smooth Jazz and the Students Are Fighting Back
- Saul
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Re: College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
Maybe XCSB should have conversations with Cleveland public media donors...start quietly and piolitely, with plan to escalate and ramp up as needed...
- ckg927
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Re: College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
Saul wrote:
Maybe XCSB should have conversations with Cleveland public media donors...start quietly and piolitely, with plan to escalate and ramp up as needed...
It can't hurt to try, but WCSB and Ideastream Public Media donors face the same generational divide.
Last edited by ckg927 (December 29, 2025 3:00 pm)
- Saul
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Re: College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
Maybe XCSB should have conversations with Cleveland public media donors...start quietly and piolitely, with plan to escalate and ramp up as needed...
It can't hurt to try, but WCSB and Ideastream Public Media donors face the same generational divide.
True, but the idea is to find ways to impact their funding and hinder the switch as much as possible. And exposing ways where individuals are possibly profiting from the move through things like honoriaria for being invited or added to sit on boards. Make all this as thoroughly public as possible so donors know where their money is going... and so the people responsible know they're going to be exposed and embarrassed ... so long as there's absolute certainty about facts and these are documented with 100% retrievable evidence.
- ckg927
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Re: College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
Maybe XCSB should have conversations with Cleveland public media donors...start quietly and piolitely, with plan to escalate and ramp up as needed...
It can't hurt to try, but WCSB and Ideastream Public Media donors face the same generational divide.
True, but the idea is to find ways to impact their funding and hinder the switch as much as possible. And exposing ways where individuals are possibly profiting from the move through things like honoriaria for being invited or added to sit on boards. Make all this as thoroughly public as possible so donors know where their money is going... and so the people responsible know they're going to be exposed and embarrassed ... so long as there's absolute certainty about facts and these are documented with 100% retrievable evidence.
And I agree with that. I'm only saying that the average WCSB listener isn't going to be listening to the Ideastream stations(they operate WKSU, the main NPR station in the Cleveland area, and also own a classical radio station)..
Cleveland Scene did a story on the fallout in late October.
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Re: College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
ckg927 ... Likewise, I totally get that, and agree. I'm simply expecting (and/or hoping) the more mainstream listeners, being public radio listeners, to be an audience receptive to the message.
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Re: College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
The fight for this campus radio station is not over - and it's getting nasty.
Cleveland State University sued over shutdown of student radio station WCSB: What the lawsuit alleges
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Thread Starter- Chrisphen
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Re: College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
WCSB was recently home to the Subgenius Hour of Slack. For some reason.
- DOPEfm
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Re: College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
This same kind of thing happened in Toronto college radio history with CHRY when they dismissed all their volunteers, rebranded as Vibe105. Very little multicultural or alternative engagement like that of the past.
Last edited by DOPEfm (January 13, 2026 2:03 am)
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Re: College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
WCSB was recently home to the Subgenius Hour of Slack. For some reason.
The SubGenius Hour of Slack is actually perfect programming for campus radio as it takes a humorous swing at society, tinfoil hats etc. It has been around since the 80s where I stumbled across one of their books, The Book of the SubGenius. They also have podcasts on Spotify if you’re interested in sampling it, you may find it entertaining!
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Re: College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
WCSB was recently home to the Subgenius Hour of Slack. For some reason.
The SubGenius Hour of Slack is actually perfect programming for campus radio as it takes a humorous swing at society, tinfoil hats etc. It has been around since the 80s where I stumbled across one of their books, The Book of the SubGenius. They also have podcasts on Spotify if you’re interested in sampling it, you may find it entertaining!
Eternal Salvation or triple your money back.
I think they've discontinued the regular podcast. The church elders are...well...elderly.
- Shorty Wave
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Re: College Students Refuse To Let Their Campus Radio Station Die
WCSB was recently home to the Subgenius Hour of Slack. For some reason.
The SubGenius Hour of Slack is actually perfect programming for campus radio as it takes a humorous swing at society, tinfoil hats etc. It has been around since the 80s where I stumbled across one of their books, The Book of the SubGenius. They also have podcasts on Spotify if you’re interested in sampling it, you may find it entertaining!Eternal Salvation or triple your money back.
I think they've discontinued the regular podcast. The church elders are...well...elderly.
I think you’re right Chrisphen, I haven’t seen anything new from them in quite some time though I think they put a book out a couple of years ago. Still, I found it amusing back in the day, even kept a book of theirs I bought in the 80s!