"Unless you have been living under a rock or were off campus last semester, you know that the sale of WCAL was quite controversial on the hill. Despite the protests, T-shirts sold and money raised, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) bought the radio station from St. Olaf for $10.5 million. In December, MPR announced that 89.3 FM would switch from classical music to a new format and be renamed �The Current.� According to program director Steve Nelson, the new format is �the anti-format.� "
Editor: For the "average" college station, I think this article features a theme I have commented on before. Many commercial stations seem to be AGAIN copying college radio. Am I wrong or is this not more highly understated (or perhaps unsaid) in the CMJ that put Nick H. on the cover. Putting him on the cover of CMJ says what about college stations? That we need to be led by non-students? Don't get me wrong, advisers at many station play essential roles. The point is, commercial stations are again (still) seeking to emulate the college station. Do the "alternative" or "anti-format" college stations need to change their "non-format" programming again to stay ahead of the curve? If so, where do we go from here?
