I write this fully admitting that I am a bit of a nerd: I grew up listening to the radio. Mostly I enjoyed the National Public Radio (NPR) in the States, but at the ripe old age of five, I also happily proclaimed to my dad that our local Oldies station was my favourite. That was the ‘90s. Yet in the age of iPods, YouTube and torrents, I still listen to the radio.
In the past few years, studies conducted in Europe have revealed that radio listenership has actually increased over the past 30 years. According to one study, conducted by the United Kingdom’s Radio Advertising Bureau, listening to the radio might actually make people happier than watching TV or surfing the web. This may be because the voice on the radio provides a sense of companionship, and listeners can still be productive and do other things while they listen.
Beyond companionship, however, the popularity of radio is on the rise because programmers filter content in an age in which anyone can have their very own studio at home, thanks to Garageband. This is a facet of radio that is more valuable than ever before. In 2008 alone, over 105,000 full-length records were produced in the United States, compared with one-quarter of that in the early 2000s, according to Neilsen Soundscan. Sure, there is Pitchfork and other music reviews, but wading through them is time consuming, overwhelming, and, quite frankly, mostly pretentious dribble. Why not let the radio DJ—your new music critic friend!—play you a selection of only the best and most interesting tunes, allowing you, in turn, to decide what you like?
Other forms of media, such as social networking and blogging, complement and enhance radio, rather than replace it. Beyond simply calling in to hear a request, listeners can interact with programmers on their Facebook or Twitter pages in real-time.
Although geographically separated, many listeners can communicate at once. For example, CKUT, McGill’s campus-community station, has a “Clip of the Week” feature on the main page of its website, which enhances the listening experience by highlighting segments of a show you might not normally listen to. CKUT’s Campus Mixtapes (campusmixtapes.org) allows CKUT DJs and McGill students to curate digital mixtapes, which can be in turn, shared on Facebook.
Online archives mean you can always go back and hear a show later, no matter where you are in the world. Beyond music, campus community radio stations in Canada provide a home for many different community voices to express themselves, that don’t otherwise have the opportunity. Also, by tuning into the news and culture programs, you’re likely to learn a little something about your city and your world that you might not have known before.
My love of radio inspired me to get involved with CKUT on literally the first day I arrived in Montreal. CKUT has been a media mainstay in Montreal since its founding 25 years ago, and is still relevant to campus and the greater community. I think it will continue to be for at least another 25 years.
—Carol Ellen Fraser
Full disclosure: Carol Ellen Fraser is an elected student representative to and current Chair of the CKUT Board of Directors. To learn more about CKUT, visit their website at ckut.ca
