THE BEAT

OU’s All Campus Radio Network (ACRN) celebrates 50 years of music creation and appreciation.

BY AYA CATHEY | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ATHENA YEARBOOK

The 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.

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

his current role as the editorial director. "ACRN is an organization based around a communal love for music and a desire to share that love,” Easton says. “ACRN is flexible, nurturing, educational, and diverse."

Through his work at the station, Kiah used his love of learning to discover a passion for music journalism. Having a team of like-minded individuals gave him community and some of his best friends. His experiences on the editorial staff inspired him to double major in Journalism and Music Production. His role in the editorial department has also increased his confidence and made him a more skilled writer in a way that classes could not. ACRN gave him the opportunity to practice his craft in a semi-professional setting that would prepare him to enter the professional world. "ACRN works because our team is made of passionate, hardworking people who have invested their time for countless numbers of years,” Easton says. “Those that ran the show when I joined were extremely talented and have gone on to do amazing things. Those that are here now are on track to do the same."

Since his first day, ACRN has shaped Easton and many me that there are endless career options in the music industry and I hope others realize the same,” Martin says. “Having the opportunity to meet alumni and successful artists through ACRN gives me hope that I can achieve my goals as well."

He recalls his favorite memory at ACRN as the time he played kickball with fellow station members during his first semester at the station. The little-known event was soon called "Kick Ball and Kick-Back" and became a semesterly occasion. Unfortunately, there has not been a proper one in quite some time with the world on lockdown. "It was here that I met some of my best friends and just had a genuine good time," Martin says.

Martin has worked directly with the programming department, assisted in artist bookings and managed the daily music rotation for the past three years. As he reflected over his time at the radio station, he realized the tremendous impact ACRN has had on his life. "When I first started college I was dead set on a career as an audio engineer, producer and musician,” Martin says. “Because of ACRN, I am now searching for a job in radio directly out of school. If I could have my job at ACRN as a

like him. "Ever since attending my first concert hosted by ACRN, I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” he says. “Since then, I have had countless more formative experiences such as booking and interviewing some of my favorite artists."

The station earns all of its money independently, and live music is one of its largest revenue sources. Canceling most of the scheduled productions and shows due to the coronavirus pandemic put a large dent in their plans for the year. Over the last three semesters, DJs have not been able to get into the station regularly, and some of the departments' projects were compromised.

Despite this, the ACRN team successfully hosted two events last year: their Fall Quaranstream, in September, and their most popular event, Battle of the Bands, in November. Additionally, the editorial department has recruited several new staff writers. Over the last semester, they have worked tirelessly, creating album reviews, movie reviews and artist features.

OU Senior RJ Martin joined the ACRN production department in the fall of 2018 then became a DJ the following semester. Currently, he is the music director. "The experiences and relationships I have built have taught career for the rest of my life, I would be completely content." Newton is grateful for his 19 years of experience as ACRN’s advisor. "I think the way it has helped me most is that my relationships with the students at ACRN are a little bit different than the relationships I have with students in my classes or my advisees. I think it’s probably made me better in those roles because I understand a lot of the things going on with students better. It’s a closer connection,”Newton says. Newton believes working at ACRN reinforced the importance of out–of–classroom experiences for him. "They things they [students] do at ACRN are definitely a part of their learning experience and ways of making progress toward their professional goals, their career goals, but also just the relationships that those students make,”he says. “Those folks are going to be their friends for life.”

Although this April is ACRN’s fiftieth anniversary, the organization’s official celebration, organized by the Ohio University Alumni Association (OUAA), has been moved to April 2022. More details regarding the event schedule can be found at their website, www.acrnalumni.com. b