Seeing the World through the Lens of Radio
Tales from a radio station road tripper
Seven years ago when I visited the nondescript WECB studio at Emerson College in Boston, I had no idea that I was beginning a nearly decade-long obsession with touring radio stations. That first college radio station visit sparked something in me that has led to nearly 100 field trips to a wide range of radio stations all over the United States (and in Ireland too).
A few days ago I published my 80th radio station field trip report. Much like the first, the 80th visit was to a small college radio station with humble digs. WRVG (“the Radio Voice of Georgetown College”), near Lexington, Kentucky, inhabits a tiny space tucked into the school’s student center. On the frigid February day of my visit, I had a clear view of the snowy campus outside the station’s window.
What’s inside a station itself is always interesting (I love chronicling strange items and always take pictures of home-made signs that issue warnings and edits), but I’m also enamored with the people who inhabit these radio spaces.
Over the years I’ve been to every type of station that you could imagine, from funky Internet-only community radio stations to low-budget small town commercial radio stations to the headquarters of massive religious radio network Family Radio (just before the predicted “Judgment Day” and the “end of the world” that never happened in 2011).
It’s always fascinating to meet other people who love radio as much as I do, even if our broadcasting philosophies are miles apart. Yes, I’m a DJ too and with each station visit I’m also picking up new perspectives that I can bring back to my fellow volunteers at the station that I call home (KFJC-FM at Foothill College).
So, as I turn the page on my 80th radio station visit, I can’t wait to get back on the road again. Chicago and Washington, D.C. are calling and there are so many more stations to discover.
Peruse my early radio station visits on Spinning Indie and catch up with my most recent tours on Radio Survivor.
