Gen Z Is Reviving College Radio—So Why Are Universities Shutting It Down?
College radio is experiencing a GenZ renaissance
Montclair State University’s WMSC 90.3FM alone has 977 undergraduate student members. But while some universities embrace this growth, others are moving in the opposite direction.
On October 3rd—World College Radio Day—student staff at Cleveland State University’s WCSB 89.3 FM arrived for their shows and found police waiting to clear them out. The locks had been changed. With less than 24 hours notice, decades of content couldn’t properly be archived.
This is the third university this month to remove students from their own station.
College Broadcasters, Inc. works to educate administrators on a critical reality: once a broadcast license is transferred or relinquished, reclaiming it is nearly impossible. The FCC licensing process is complex, competitive, and takes years. Available frequencies are limited, especially in urban markets. CBI advocates for keeping these licenses student-centric because college radio is both a recruitment and retention tool where students dedicate time for no pay and no grade because they love it. They serve their community through public airwaves while creating transformative change in their lives.
After CSU’s shutdown, CBI immediately mobilized—connecting WCSB students with expert support, providing complimentary membership, and creating our first-ever NSMC Travel Fund. We raised two-thirds of their travel costs in days.
WCSB’s student leaders will present “Cleveland Doesn’t Rock: WCSB vs CSU” at NSMC in Denver on October 24th at 3:15 PM. The CBI National Student Convention will take place at the Denver Embassy Suites Downtown Hotel, October 22-25.
Student leadership from WCSB is available for interviews to discuss the station’s future and the impact of these changes. For interview requests, contact: Allison Bomgardner, student general manager at allynb2104@gmail.com and Liam Main, student business manager liammain729@gmail.com
Support student media in crisis at AskCBI.org.
