Cleveland State University’s decision to shut down its college radio station, WCSB, and hand over management of the frequency to Ideastream for 24/7 jazz programming has miffed many Clevelanders. It’s prompted sidewalk protests, voracious social media criticism, conference speeches, petition drives and even a City Council resolution shaming the university for its choice.
And it’s definitely riled up Sean Watterson.
Watterson, the owner of the Happy Dog in Gordon Square, decided to create a temporary home for WCSB’s DJs—now residing under the nom de guerre of XCSB—who were locked out of the studio on October 3. He created a weekly series called “Save College Radio,” meant to act as a showcase for voices and music unheard elsewhere on local airwaves.
“The obliteration of WCSB is a blow to the local music ecosystem,” Watterson told Scene in a text message. Their “DJs featured local developing artists, and promoted these artists’ shows at local independent venues.”
“We wanted to give the XCSB DJs an opportunity to stay connected with their audiences,” he added, “and keep the issue in the spotlight until some kind of solution can be reached that ensures the students and community have a platform to continue the essential role they’ve played in our community for the last 50 years.”
A handful of DJs, from those playing German traditional to 2000s Hip Hop, will play sets from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. every Friday in November. All sets will be free and open to the public.
Save College Radio’s full schedule for the month is pending. Its lineup for November 7 is as follows:
- 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.: Beth C, from Friday Rock Rotation
- 6:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: Jackie The Dogwolf, from Hours of The Dogwolf
- 7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.: Into The Void, of Insanity
- 7:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.: Adam, from 666 oz. of Madness
Subscribe to Cleveland Scene newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter