This semester, the Grinnell College radio station KDIC 88.5 FM has a dynamic lineup of radio shows satisfying just about any music genre and taste.
First hitting the airwaves from Darby Gym in 1968, KDIC has grown to well over 40 radio shows—each one with its own distinct and eclectic personality.
Students now have multiple listening options from a variety of music shows to special interest LGBT talk and on-air live radio dramas.
KDIC has also seen a good increase in talk radio. “People have really been interested in interviews,” KDIC Station Manager Josh Tetenbaum ’10 said.
This is Tetenbaum’s first year as the station manager. As a first year, Tetenbaum began as a DJ and ascended the ladder to become the KDIC station manager in his fourth year at Grinnell. One of his initiatives with KDIC includes just getting the word out.
“Most people don’t know much about it,” Tetenbaum said, but he admits he is sometimes surprised by who does listen. This year is unlike others in that, due to SPARC budget cuts, KDIC was forced to reduce staff.
Still, Tetenbaum looks forward to what this semester offers.
“Look out for KDIC T-shirts,” Tetenbaum said. “We [also] hope to get [KDIC] broadcasted in public places like the Grill.”
In addition to shirts and more public airings, the station has scheduled a lot of returning shows and some new ones.
“[KDIC will air] everything from psychedelic music to indie and rap,” Tetenbaum said. The lineup will incorporate his own show, “ListenHear.”
Other shows include Alec Maliwanag ’13 and transfer Marcus Eagan’s ’12 “the Straight Jacket,” which airs on Thursdays at 11 p.m.
Eagen and Maliwanag describe their show as, “Trendy-Indie-Smokin-Dank-Drinkin-Crown and Purple Drank.”
This eclectic show has gotten off to a great start, with one of the first programs featuring an on air interview with Canadian pop rock duo Dave Thomson and Paul Gigliotti of Wavves, famous for their hit radio single “California.”
“Look for a lot of big names to come through [the Straight Jacket] including Big Sean,” Eagan said, referring to a Detroit based hip-hop artist signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. music label.
But if 90s boy bands, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson and pre-gaming (for those of age) are more your taste, check out “The Hour of Power,” hosted by Melanie Jucewicz ’12 and Matthew Rosenbaum ’12.
With weekly themes, a two-hour playlist of one-minute drift intervals that Hilary Brown ’11 just describes as “drunk,” you can expect to start your Friday nights off right.
Finally, “Chicken Noodle Soup” is another one of many new shows starting up this semester. Also known as “Gilly & Michelle’s,” this show combines Gillian Dryjanski ’12 and Gonzaga University transfer, Michelle Murphy’s ’12 dual passions of talk and music.
“We are good people who like good music and wanted to team up,” Murphy said. She was excited by the prospect of having a radio show. “[I] love the mellow nature of radio here.”
Murphy’s partner in talk-show crime agrees. “It’s so chill,” Dryjanski said, “and we can do what we want.”
Murphy and Dryjanski’s “Chicken Noodle Soup,” which is summed up as a “good time” and “funky,” is just one of many programs that really showcase the diverse taste of the student body.
For more information on KDIC, check out KDIC’s website www.kdic.grinnell.edu. A schedule of all radio shows and contact information can be found there.
For students interested in their own radio show, KDIC still has some time slot openings. Tetenbaum encourages first-year students to apply. No experience is necessary, only a sample playlist.