Good news, everyone!  One of MNSKA’s favorite radio shows is staying put!  I’ll give you a little background info about what happened and why this is important:

If you have followed this blog, you no doubt know about Rude Radio, the weekly 2-hour radio program (Sundays, 12pm – 2pm) devoted to ska, reggae, rocksteady, dub, and dancehall on Radio K (100.7 FM – KUOM University of Minnesota).  The show has a storied history and has featured several notable hosts over its long tenure, including General Moses (Brad Klein) who is the creator of the upcoming Legends Of Ska movie.  Radio K in the past year made some changes to their DJ requirements by requiring only current students be on-air, causing many of the specialty programs that had been hosted by alums for many years, including Rude Radio, to change hosts.  DJs Reverend Evan and Citizen D left the show in January and gave the keys to Dylan, who has done a remarkable job as the Rude Radio host this year.  A couple weeks ago, Dylan made the announcement of his diminishing role in Rude Radio this Fall semester due to his heavy course load, and without a direct replacement available was uncertain about the show’s future.

Fear not, ska fans! A few Radio K DJs and volunteers have come together to keep the show running.  Dylan will still be involved with the show in the first hour, focusing more on dub and traditional Jamaican music.  In the second hour, Radio K DJ Joey P will be playing more modern ska tunes to close out the show. This programming format is similar to previous incarnations of the show.

I cannot tell you all how much this means to me and MNSKA community as a whole.  We here at MNSKA volunteer our time to help build a scene and foster a community for bands and fans of ska music and Rude Radio has always played a part in that effort.  They promote the local shows, play music from MNSKA bands past and present, and give us a sounding board to get people interested in this music that means so much to us.

If you are a University of Minnesota student, please go to the Radio K studio tour on Thursday, September 15th from 5pm – 6pm (Rarig Center, West Bank Campus).  Get familiar with your college radio station.  Rude Radio and Radio K are always welcoming new volunteers!