Jenifer Waits posted new article at Radio Survivor yesterday https://www.radiosurvivor.com/2025/10/love-to-college-radio-on-college-radio-day-2025/ it begins...:
" Over the years there have been so many reports about the ebb and flow of college radio and I’ve tried my best to not feed into narratives of decline. With that in mind, I was pleased to read a piece this week from Emily White, Gen Z’s College Radio Revival, which outlines feelings about college radio from current participants. ..."
She links to a very interesting article, below are just a few excerpts from it as an overview, but I encourage you to check out the full article:
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Gen Z's College Radio Revival
Reports say Gen Z isn't discovering new artists. But college radio stations are overflowing with new DJs.
In September, a bombshell report from MIDiA Research crystallized the mood: “music discovery is at a generational crossroads,” it argues:
“Music discovery is traditionally associated with youth, but today’s 16-24-year-olds are less likely than 25-34-year-olds to have discovered an artist they love in the last year.”
.... If you stopped reading here, you might conclude young people just don’t care about music anymore.
However, one unexpected source of music discovery is quietly booming among Gen Z listeners: college radio.
College radio killed the TikTok star
I spoke to seven student general managers and surveyed 80+ DJs at stations across America: ... ... They told me student interest in college radio has dramatically increased in recent years. Stations that once struggled to fill airtime are now turning people away, shortening shows, alternating time slots, and running training programs just to keep up with the demand from aspiring student DJs. ....
https://emwhitenoise.substack.com/p/gen-zs-college-radio-revival