THE BEAT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
OU’s All Campus Radio Network (ACRN) celebrates 50 years of music creation and appreciation. BY AYA CATHEY | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ATHENA YEARBOOK
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he All Campus Radio Network, founded in 1971, is Ohio University's only student-run radio station and music production company. After 50 years of music, faculty advisor Greg Newton and two of ACRN’s executive members look back on ACRN’s history. "My role is to be there as a resource as what I think of as big picture questions, general strategy things or just dealing with university bureaucracy. All of the editorial things are entirely in the students hands,” Newton says. Newton, associate dean for graduate studies, research and creative activity, has served as the faculty advisor for ACRN since 2002. He explained that while the media company continues to make strides in music journalism and video production, they have always stood out for being inventive and unique. In the late 1960s, ten student-directed dormitory radio stations existed at OU. They broadcasted across the university's East, West and South greens and linked their dorm stations to a news network feed. Later on, ACRN decided to separate from the other stations and became a commercial FM radio station. Their first broadcast with a commercial network affiliate was in 1971. By 1974, ACRN was broadcasting 24 hours a day and connected with the Continental Cable of Athens to expand their listener base. In 1978, ACRN became the first college radio station to utilize an Optimod FM audio processor and significantly improved their sound. Unfortunately, despite the new equipment, ACRN was still unable to gain a listening base on campus due to a decline in dorm station users and lack of exposure. Throughout the 1970s, the station played genres ranging from free-form jazz to progressive rock. In 1981, the station adopted its crustacean mascot, Snat the Rock Lobster, from the hit song "Rock Lobster" performed by the band The B-52's. During this time, they also moved into an air studio and established their craft in alternative and classic rock music.
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When their format changed to 'New Rock' in the early 1990s, it attracted several more listeners. A typical week for the station consisted of live shows, NBC produced concerts and interviews and broadcasts of community events. Each week would also include a two-hour program titled "A Year In Rock," where DJs would play a year's worth of hit songs the entire show. After over a decade of protesting, OU installed cable in all campus dormitories in 1995. Finally, the station was able to connect to the CATVision University Cable System and increased its presence on campus. Because of this, ACRN skyrocketed in the digital media world of Athens. Even in 1999, when they switched from a Cable FM broadcasting system to an online website (due to lack of funding), they continued to have a loyal fanbase. While they have continued the tradition of a 24/7 broadcast online, ACRN has grown tremendously in the last fifty years. What started as a FM radio broadcast has become a multiplatform, multimedia enterprise. In addition to their online music stream, they have expanded their platform to include video and digital journalism. For those who enjoy music in any capacity, there is a place for them at the new and improved Rock Lobster station. Including the production department, which primarily works on audio engineering, ACRN has expanded their Promotions department, which regularly hosts live events. Their editorial staff writes and creates music-related content for the websites. "I guess what I’ve seen mostly is an expansion of some of the non radio areas. The music journalism in particular on the website has really grown a lot,” Newton says. “Back in 2002, we probably had two or three students working on articles and now it's the single biggest department at the station," Newton says. Kiah Easton, an Athens native and junior at Ohio University, has spent three years with ACRN. He started at the station as a staff writer and was promoted to column editor before filling
