Marshall University’s WMUL will be celebrating College Radio Day by hosting a night of local music at Huntington’s V-Club, on Friday Oct., 2.

This marks the 5th Annual College Radio Day organized by the College Radio Foundation and WMUL’s 2nd College Radio Day.

The theme of the international event is, “Your Authentic Guide to the Next Generation of Music.” WMUL will be hosting performances by Charleston’s Qiet, Huntington’s Of the Dell, and Charleston’s Letters.

Program coordinator at WMUL, Braxton Crisp, said that College Radio Day is a time they can designate to celebrate college radio and all that it means.

Crisp said that the event is “For people who got their start in college radio and who never would have come to be where they are now if it weren’t for college radio stations.”

Throughout history, college radio has been dedicated to giving exposure to the unheard. College radio has been the starting ground for many of the most popular bands and groups, such as, American hip hop duo, Outkast, who formed in Atlanta, Georgia, where a college radio station was the first to play their music on the airways. Without that college radio station, “Miss Jackson” or “Hey Ya” may never exist.

“It’s as much about giving exposure to bands that are quality and worthy of getting the attention as much as it is to promote us and do things for college radio,” Crisp said. “What better way to salute college radio across the country than to do what college radio is meant to do, to give expose to things that fall under the radar?”

While commercial radio stations are more narrowly focused towards sports, news or a specific genre of music, college radio gives the freedom to explore many different genres of music.

“It’s something different and I think that’s what makes them so unique, if they just played basically the same stuff everyone else played they wouldn’t stand out near as much,” Crisp said.

College radio is the only free, live medium bold enough to play unsigned, local independent artists on a regular basis.

“There’s no monetary influence, we’re not being paid off to do certain things,” Crisp said. “I think its music entertainment in its purest form on radio.”

Door open at 8 p.m. and performances begin at 10 p.m. There is a $5 cover fee at the front door, ages 18+ are welcome.

Brianna Paxton may be contacted at [email protected].