From Saturday, April 18, to Sunday, April 19, hundreds of radio stations across the country will come together to broadcast shows with music played only on vinyl.
The 48-hour event, called Vinylthon, takes place annually and is entering its 11th year. This year, College of the Desert will participate for the third time on Saturday, April 18, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
COD will air seven new shows featuring a variety of genres and artists, all with the same vinyl feel including the crackles and imperfections.
Scott Colwell has been the station manager for COD Roadrunner Radio since 2020. He began participating in Vinylthon as a way to give students experience with physical media.
“We’re lucky. We can go on the air and do live-to-tape, but a lot of schools don’t have that ability,” Colwell said.
For this year’s Vinylthon, Justin Rojas is hosting a throwback show featuring songs he grew up with, including old-school pop, funk and rock. It will air from 11 a.m. to noon and repeat from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“It is a fun experience because it is different from a regular show that we would air once a week. The songs we choose sound better, in my opinion, since they are played on records rather than as digital files. The songs also play continuously throughout the segment, which I love because it keeps the audience engaged in what we are playing,” Rojas said.
Vinylthon listeners can also tune in to “Love on the Turntables,” hosted by Tayler Vasquez, which will air from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and repeat from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. The show will feature some of the most classic love songs from the ’60s and ’70s.
Vinylthon was started in 2016 by College Radio Day creator Dr. Rob Quicke to highlight the importance of vinyl and traditional curation. It is organized by the College Radio Foundation.
Vinylthon serves as a fundraiser for the Next Step Radio Scholarships, supporting students who aspire to careers in radio. The event also coincides with Record Store Day.
You can listen to COD Roadrunner Radio’s Vinylthon shows this weekend on the COD Roadrunner Radio app, Live365, CODRoadrunnerRadio.com or on your Alexa by saying, “Alexa, enable the COD Roadrunner Radio skill.”
