Radio the World Can Hear - NDMU Radio Goes Digital

Radio silence is over for Notre Dame of Maryland University. After a temporary hiatus, the University’s Communication Arts department is reviving NDMU Radio and it’s going futuristic, leaving behind the traditional, and outdated, analog format.​

Gone are the days of cassette tapes and compact discs, as well as call letters and over the air tuners. NDMU Radio is now online and all programming is streaming. The great news about this technology shift is that listeners can tune in from all over, not just on campus, which is a main goal of the NDMU Radio Team. The only thing the students need is a steady internet connection - there’s even an app called TuneIn that makes connecting to NDMU Radio effortless.​

Acting as a bridge to the world outside NDMU, the station allows prospective students the opportunity to tune-in to the on-goings of student life. With multiple projects currently in the works, NDMU Radio is vastly dedicated to strengthening the connection between the campus and non-residents. Whether a commuter, an adult student, or a high schooler looking for more information about their future undergrad, the accessibility of NDMU Radio is ever-present and reliable.

The station, currently run by undergraduate students, is hosted in the newly refurbished Communication Arts department on the fourth floor of Gibbons Hall. The modern, state-of-the-art facilities offer up a plethora of opportunities for those who are planning to seek out a career in radio or are just interested in the exploration of the medium itself. Both faculty and students can participate in the various radio activities, and are highly encouraged to do so.

Molly Wolanski, the student head of the reinstated station, believes “that people who are passionate about radio need to get involved and support their local independent stations. At Notre Dame, anyone can create a show about anything and we love to see the creativity people come up with.”​

In this day and age, where it seems like technology is advancing every second, the question of restarting the radio station seems to loom overhead. However, like a school newspaper, the radio station provides students with the opportunity to be hands-on creators of their own innovations. No longer just consumers, participants design their own shows, fill timeslots to avoid empty air, and creatively adapt to the complicated, yet fascinating, realm of broadcast radio.​

According to Dr. Pamela O’Brien, chair of both the Communication Arts department and the radio station, “There’s no better way to teach and train students in the media than a hands-on environment. You can talk about what goes into creating a show, but, until a student experiences it from pre- to post-production, they can’t really understand all the variables that they must address.”​

From music to talk shows to political commentary – the students involved are working to incorporate as many facets of national radio as possible. Streaming 24/7, the station is a mix of live and pre-recorded material. O’Brien is hoping that, as the station grows, students will be more accustomed to working with the live feed, but right now they’re running mostly with recorded sessions and a substantial library of music.​

No matter the time, NDMU Radio is waiting, proudly serving its listeners, but it cannot wait to bring in more volunteers. As the motto of the station stands, “this is your [the students’] station, but it only works if the community is ready to get involved.”​

For those interested in DJing, reach out to Wolanski or directly email the station.