Sadly Georgia State administrators have been colluding with Georgia Public Broadcasting in an undemocratic fashion to attempt to replace daytime student programming of terrestrial broadcasts at student-run college radio station WRAS 88.5. Apparently this has been a very influential station for indie music in the States. Students and faculty appear to have been bypassed. And their trailblazing radio programming may now be replaced by more media for older white liberals with a literary bent.
The short version of what’s happening at WRAS 88.5 at Georgia State University is that daytime programming is being given over to Georgia Public Radio.
The student-run station is considered historically important to indie music:
“WRAS is one of the most powerful college radio stations in the nation. Its signal is as strong as the law will allow; those 100,000 watts cover all of Atlanta’s sprawling metropolitan area. “
“When WRAS adds a new artist to its rotation, it gets a heavy boost on the CMJ charts, and other stations around the nation tend to follow suit. WRAS is vital to gaining exposure both locally and nationally for upcoming bands, and with its signal disappearing from radios its significance will shrink.”
The decision was made without student input and officials are claiming, via the homepage of WRAS 88.5, that:
“This decision was not financially motivated. The university would have realized far greater compensation if it had simply sold its broadcast license. The number one priority in this partnership was the opportunity to expand internship and learning opportunities for students.”
They also claim students will be able to get the same experience online:
“WRAS does not have to change any programming and the student broadcasting experience will be unchanged. GPB will not dictate any of the student programming content. Listeners will still be able to get WRAS programs, but during …read more
Source: Hypebot.com
