Free format college radio

November 5, 2:24 AMPortland Generation Y ExaminerBret Bernhoft

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As an industry fades, one word comes to mind; Wack.

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While radio is an increasingly antiquated and defunct medium for creating and "distributing" or broadcasting media, both the AM and FM frequency bands are finding a degree of security with the Gen Y student bodies of many universities across the country. With traditional barriers of entry, such as cost and technology, being removed through innovation and the continued failure of the radio industry's working business model,an alternative is beginning to pop-up; free format college radio. While still governed by the same FCC regulations and penalties as their troubled counterparts, free format college radio has a set of unique advantages thus enabling it to succeed.

1. Funding

Unlike traditional radio stations, free format college radio stations are typically funded by a majority, at the very least subsidized, of student fees. This enables free format stations to avoid the heavy influence of advertisers and marketplace insecurities. While it is true that many free format stations accept underwriters, the relationship between the station and this source of revenue is similar to that of a donor/donation mentality, thus precluding most from restrictions as a result. Free format stations, dependent instead on the tuition of the very listeners they serve, are forced into a more intimate relationship with their supporters. For Generation Y, once made aware of this bond, respond with an improved sense of responsibility over the free format station's content.

2. Content

Similar to the issue of funding, free format radio is nearly, if not entirely, dependent on those who fund each station. As the key point of interaction between the station and Generation Y, the degree to which the content becomes more significant increases. In addition, however, the content is also produced and broadcast by Gen Y directly to Gen Y, enabling the influence of peers in marketing. On the contrary, traditional radio focuses on filtered and carefully scripted content, removing the natural connection between their brand and Gen Y. Free format college radio's content acts essentially as a megaphone for a captive audience.

3. Audience

Another advantage that free format college radio has over traditional radio is the actual audience itself. For free format radio when considering both the elements of content and funding it becomes sensible to expect that the level of interaction, involvement and general support had for the station would be quickly generated. For free format radio the audience is also relatively captive and hyper local, meaning that their relationship to the station is a result of their relationship to the institution they are attending. For more traditional radio, the audience is free to move around the broadcast area and thus will relate to content much more subjectively.

Considering the run that traditional radio has had, perhaps it is time for the hyper-localization of the medium to occur to create another generation, Gen Y, of loyal and motivated listeners and content producers. Free format college radio, perhaps, might be the future success of a failing industry.