Valencia College Radio: Back and Better Than Ever

Valencia+College+Radio%3A+Back+and+Better+Than+Ever

Kayla Reyes Marseil, Contributing Writer

Valencia College’s East Campus brings back its radio station with a new name change and big goals of broadcasting on satellite radio.

With the finalizations of the new SAE building, Valencia College Radio, or VCR, opened August 28th with only four shows. Now it has 20 with four new pending ones.

VCR is an internet based radio station with hopes for being the biggest college station in America. The broadcast line-up consists of talk shows such as sports, science, and conspiracy theories. As they move into music, there’s a segment that plays vinyl classic rock, and live DJ shows of different genres like EDM, hip hop, low fye hip hop, and future beats like clectic hip hop and R&B.

If interested, staff and students can contribute and learn everything from the soundboard to the software. If they know a DJ they can bring him/her in also. “They literally produce their show exactly how they want it. If they want to structure it where they have certain segments, they do it,” says John Pearce, VCR program director and lab technician.

Pearce has a goal of moving towards satellite, to have a worldwide presence. However, if that does not happen he wants Valencia College to have its own radio platform. “I would want it to be bigger than Orlando, that’s why I got the show in London. I would want this to be the biggest college radio station in America that can bridge the gap between where students are making their careers off of Valencia College Radio. Where they can go somewhere and say, ‘yeah, I was a host on Valencia College Radio for this show’ and that actually turns a head in the industry,” remarks Pearce.

Pearce also hopes to eventually offer live entertainment on the main stage located behind the new arts building on East Campus. The station would be broadcasting live and interviewing students on air asking them questions about their day, or classes, to provide entertainment to the campus.

Having connections to club venues and food places is a plus for Pearce. He envisions setting up a DJ booth outside to create a live setting. Deejays could hand out tickets alongside the club and food venues.

As spring semester approaches, there will be a radio and podcasting three credit class that goes over journalist aspects of radio, how to do an interview, how to write an interview and structure it, software and technology, and how to use cameras. Pearce will not be teaching this class and since it is very new, the description is subject to change.

If any student is interested in starting their own show and don’t know how, interested in sitting in on a show, or wanting to learn the production, reach out to Pearce via email at [email protected].

Download the app MIXLR on any Google Play or Apple Store to listen live or previously recorded broadcasts. Simply search Valencia College Radio with no spaces.

Pearce’s shows are Tuesdays 12-2 PM and Saturdays 1-3 PM. The station also has its own call in number which is 407-582-2135.