A common theme on Radio Survivor is that claims of being first should be viewed skeptically. From purported first college radio station to first internet simulcast, we’ve learned that there’s always another challenger to the prize.

This time around, however, we can say this is definitively the first ever episode of Radio Survivor broadcast, and recorded, live on the air. We make the leap into live broadcasting at the request of Portland, OR community station XRAY.fm, which is the station that prompted us to turn our podcast into a proper weekly radio show. They have the task of conducting a fund drive in the midst of a stay-at-home-order, so they asked their shows to try to broadcast live – remotely – one way or another. We were more than happy to comply, each of us from our respective homes, united over a videoconference and an Icecast stream to the XRAY studios.

Fittingly, we take up the topic of firsts, as we note how internet broadcasting and inexpensive automation technology have proven to be tremendously helpful tools for community and college radio during this pandemic – even if many stations absolutely prefer to be 100% live. Staying on the air is vital for listeners and for programmers and hosts, keeping these connections flowing with energy.

We wrap up with some positive college radio news.

• XRAY.fm
• Icecast is the open source internet radio platform we used to send a high-quality signal to the XRAY studios.
• Podcast #146: Volunteer Radio from Antarctica
• Podcast #167: Alternative Histories of Podcasting
• Jennifer’s Tour of XRAY.fm
• 10 Weird Things Spotted by a Kid during Radio Station Tours
• College Radio Watch: WMHD Relaunch, KSLC Goes Classical, WNUW Coronacasts and More News

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