Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced by students, or may include program contributions from the local community in which the radio station is based. Sometimes campus radio stations are operated for the purpose of training professional radio personnel, sometimes with the aim of broadcasting educational programming, while other radio stations exist to provide alternative to commercial broadcasting or government broadcasters.
Campus radio stations are generally licensed and regulated by national governments, and have very different characteristics from one country to the next. One commonality between many radio stations regardless of their physical location is a willingness—or, in some countries, even a licensing requirement—to broadcast musical selections that are not categorized as commercial hits. Because of this, campus radio has come to be associated with emerging musical trends, including genres such as punk and new wave, alternative rock, indie rock, underground metal and hip hop, long before those genres become part of the musical mainstream. Campus radio stations also often provide airplay and promotional exposure to new and emerging local artists.
Many campus radio stations carry a variety of programming including news, sports, and spoken word programming as well as general music. Often the radio format is best described as a freeform, with much creativity and individualism among the disc jockeys and show hosts. Some of these radio stations have gained critical acclaim for their programming and are considered by the community in which they are embedded to be an essential media outlet.
Transmission
While the term campus radio implies full-power AM or FM transmission, a significant number of stations transmit with low-power broadcasting, closed circuit, and carrier current systems, in some cases to on-campus listeners only. Many universities and college stations today also broadcast via the internet, either as an additional outlet for their licensed stations or in lieu of obtaining a government-issued license. In addition, college programming is distributed through local cable television systems on cable FM or on the second audio programs of TV radio stations.Campus radio around the world
Argentina
The first campus radio in Argentina's history is LR11 Radio Universidad Nacional de La Plata, which belongs to the Universidad Nacional de La Plata. It was inaugurated on 5 April 1924 as an element of scientific dissemination and university extension, and it is the first university radio station in the world.The most famous campus/college radio in the country, FM Radio Universidad, is an Argentine radio station based in the city of Rosario, belonging to the National University of Rosario. It was created in 1994, and it has a strong focus on programs covering national/international news and current political topics of discussion, as well as AOR musical segments. The station transmits on 103.3 MHz.
Australia
Student radio stations generally operate under a community broadcasting licence. Some services, such as 87.8 UCFM Canberra, operate under a narrowcast license, while others broadcast exclusively online.- Adelaide – Radio Adelaide, University of Adelaide
- Armidale – TUNE! FM, University of New England
- Batchelor – Radio Rum Jungle, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
- Bathurst – 2MCE, Charles Sturt University
- Canberra – 87.8 UCFM, University of Canberra
- Darwin – 104.1 Territory FM, Charles Darwin University
- Launceston – LCFM, Launceston College
- Melbourne – 3SSR, Swinburne University of Technology
- Melbourne – SYN, RMIT University
- Melbourne – Radio Fodder, University of Melbourne
- Newcastle – 2NUR, University of Newcastle
- Perth – Curtin Radio, Curtin University
- Sydney – 2SER, Macquarie University and University of Technology, Sydney
- Sydney – SURG, Sydney University Radio Group
- Sydney – Sydney TAFE Radio, Sydney Institute of TAFE
- Wodonga – Wodonga TAFE Radio, Wodonga Institute Of TAFE
- Sydney – VL2UV, University of New South Wales It also broadcast on the same frequency in Wollongong and Newcastle.
- Adelaide – VL5UV, University of Adelaide
Austria
- Radio Radieschen 91.3 - a campus radio station running a 24/7 program by students of FHWien.
- Radio Campus - a campus radio station run by students of the University of Vienna.
Bangladesh
BUET Radio is the first campus radio in Bangladesh among the engineering universities. It was established on 30 October 2015 and is run by the students of the institution.
BRUR Campus Radio is the Campus Online Radio of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur.
KUET RADIO is a university-based radio station in Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, established in 2016. This station broadcasts campus-based programs and public notices of the administration.
SUSTcast is the campus radio station made for Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. It is the first-ever AI-based online campus radio among universities in Bangladesh. SUSTcast, a joint project of RoboSUST, Dept. of CSE, and Team Meow is open for all the students and teachers of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. Different organizations and teacher-students from the university can perform on this platform regularly.
UAPIANS RADIO is an online-based Radio which is organized by the Students of the University of Asia Pacific.
Belgium
- Urgent.fm
- Radio Campus
- XL AIR
Brazil
- USP FM – 93.7 MHz – São Paulo – University of São Paulo
- UNESP FM – 105.7 MHz – Bauru – São Paulo State University
- FM Unitau – 107.7 MHz – Taubaté – University of Taubaté
- Universitária FM – 104.7 MHz – Vitória – Federal University of Espírito Santo
- Udesc FM – 100.1 MHz – Florianópolis – Santa Catarina State University
- Universitária FM – 107.9 MHz – Fortaleza – Federal University of Ceará
- Rádio da Universidade AM – 1080 kHz – Porto Alegre – Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
- Mix FM – 107.1 MHz – Canoas – Lutheran University of Brazil
- UPF FM – 99.9 MHz – Passo Fundo – University of Passo Fundo
- UCS FM - 106.5 MHz – Caxias do Sul – University of Caxias do Sul
- Univates FM – 95.1 MHz – Lajeado – University of Taquari Valley
- Uni FM – 107.9 MHz – Santa Maria – Federal University of Santa Maria
- Federal FM – 107.9 MHz – Pelotas – Federal University of Pelotas
- URI FM – 106.1 MHz – Santiago – Integrated Regional University of Upper Uruguay and Missões
- Universitária FM – 99.9 MHz – Recife – Federal University of Pernambuco
- Universitária FM – 95.9 MHz – Boa Vista – Federal University of Roraima
- Universitária AM – 870 kHz – Goiânia – Federal University of Goiás
Brunei Darussalam
Canada
In Canada, radio stations are regulated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which provides that "a campus radio station is a radio station owned or controlled by a not-for-profit organization associated with a post-secondary educational institution". The CRTC distinguishes two types of campus radio: instructional and community-based campus. The community-based radio format is the predominant one, colloquially known as "campus-community radio." In recent years, some community-based campus radio stations, including CFFF-FM in Peterborough and CJMQ-FM in Sherbrooke, have in fact had their CRTC licenses formally reclassified from campus radio to community radio.Campus radio stations broadcasting at full power are assigned a permanent frequency and call letters and, aside from a requirement not to compete directly with commercial radio stations, are full players in the Canadian broadcasting spectrum. Campus radio stations in Canada are more commonly associated with universities than with colleges, although some colleges also have licensed campus radio stations. As well, some institutions maintain unlicensed campus radio operations which broadcast only by closed circuit, cable FM or Internet streaming. Also see United States section for more general information.
Canada's oldest community-based campus radio station is CFRC at Queen's University in Kingston, which has been on the air since 1923; it began as a commercial radio station and a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation affiliate but became the country's first university-owned station in 1942 and fully transitioned to a campus radio station in 1957. CJRT-FM, a campus radio station of the instructional type, has been on air since 1949.
The CRTC places responsibilities upon campus radio stations in Canada through the use of conditions of license that radio stations must follow in order to keep broadcasting. Campus radio stations, for example, are expected to be leaders in the Canadian content system which mandates a minimum number of Canadian musical selections throughout the day. The minimum Canadian content required for a campus station is 35%. Individual programs have their own requirements which depend on a particular program's content category. Generally, for popular music programs, hosts must play a minimum of 35% Canadian content. Programs featuring Special Interest Music must have at least 12% Canadian content. In early 2005, Humber College's radio station CKHC-FM became the first broadcast radio station in Canada to air 100% Canadian content. Other requirements generally made of campus radio stations include quotas of non-hit, folk, and ethnic musical selections as well as spoken word programming.
Most campus radio stations in Canada are members of the National Campus and Community Radio Association.
On 23 January 2012, the CRTC announced it would be eliminating instructional radio stations.