The radio dial is a wasteland. If I ever find myself driving stripped of my precious iPod, I spin through the FM dial with trepidation, knowing my options are rather limited.
Before the advent of MP3s, I was a slave to the radio. As a kid I relied on the radio for new music. After a while I noticed the alternative rock radio stations I listened to repeated the same ’80s songs .
When I moved to Eugene for school, I had given up on the radio and decided that the Internet was going to be the only place I could go for new music. But to my surprise, in Eugene I found a musical oasis in the vast wasteland that is today’s radio dial. That oasis is 88.1 KWVA, the University’s campus radio station.
Initially, the best part about KWVA was that I never knew what I was going to hear when I tuned in. On 88.1 I have heard just about everything imaginable, from rockabilly to Korean pop, indie rock to world music, 20-minute blocks of ambient noise to anarchist talk radio and everything in between.
The volunteer disk jockeys at KWVA are there because they love music and want to play it. This passion translates to a plethora of diverse and interesting music.
On Jan. 1 KWVA became an EMU program rather than an ASUO program, which means that the station will have more money to replace aging equipment. Student Senator Dallas Brown has challenged the transfer, saying that KWVA needs to prove that it is affecting students.
KWVA has had positive effect on me in the four years I’ve been in Eugene. The station has introduced me to myriad artists and offered me an alternative to the corporation-dominated radio dial.
Growth of KWVA benefits the entire community. In addition to providing Eugene with more musical options, KWVA provides alternative news sources like Free Speech Radio News and Democracy Now! The station also provides a platform for local news .
If you ever find yourself bored with your radio station, turn to KWVA. You just might like what you find, and if you don’t, the music will likely be completely different the next hour. I’d recommend checking out the audio grab bag that is Marc Time’s Sunday Morning Hangover or Craig Leve’s Friday morning pop show Snap Crackle Pop.
While you are giving new radio stations a shot, also check out Lane Community College’s radio station: 89.7 KLCC. Not near a radio? Both stations can be streamed off the Internet.
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