HEWITT, N.J., Oct. 1, 2024 – Over 700 college radio stations in over 50 countries will unite to celebrate World College Radio Day (WCRD), which is happening worldwide this Friday, October 4, 2024.
GRAMMY Award nominee and multi-Platinum singer and songwriter Gavin DeGraw will also serve as official WCRD 2024 Ambassador. DeGraw’s keynote interview, recorded for all participating radio stations, covers his remarkable life story, his views on democracy, and how college radio helped start his career. DeGraw’s first single was supported by college radio. “College radio played it. And I won’t forget that. They gave me a shot!” said DeGraw. For DeGraw, college radio stations “were listening to the songs and wanting to give opportunity to underground music and unknown music,” added DeGraw.
This year’s WCRD theme is “The Soundtrack of Democracy” and college radio stations around the world are invited to participate for free. “Celebrating democracy is crucial because it ensures the continuing right to freedom of speech, education, and the ability to influence government decisions that affect lives,” said WCRD founder Dr. Rob Quicke, who is also director of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism & Mass Communications at Marshall University in West Virginia. “In an election year, this theme resonates deeply with our students and listeners, and I’m excited to hear the special content that the students will produce for this year’s event,” added Quicke.
The annual WCRD event is organized by the College Radio Foundation, which also raises money for student scholarships and college radio station grants. “We invite all people, companies, and organizations that care about the continuing medium of college radio to please donate what they can to the cause at collegeradio.org,” says Quicke.
About World College Radio Day: This year marks the 14th annual World College Radio Day. The mission of World College Radio Day is to harness the combined listenership of hundreds of thousands of college radio listeners throughout the world and celebrate the important contribution of college radio by uniting for one day. The College Radio Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit, organizes the yearly event. For more information about College Radio Day and the College Radio Foundation, please visit: www.collegeradio.org. Interviews: Rob Quicke – [email protected].
About Gavin DeGraw: GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum singer and songwriter Gavin DeGraw’s inimitable voice and soulful style boldly bloomed on his 2003 Platinum-certified full-length debut, Chariot. It included the Gold single “Follow Through,” as well as Platinum hits, “Chariot,” and “I Don’t Want To Be.” In 2008, his self-titled second album, Gavin DeGraw, bowed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 powered by the platinum-selling single “In Love With a Girl.” His Gold-certified Sweeter saw him return to the Top 10 as the single “Not Over You” went 4x Platinum. Meanwhile, his duet with Colbie Caillat, “We Both Know,” garnered a GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of Best Song Written For Visual Media for the feature film Safe Haven. With a front row seat to this wonderfully wild life led by his late parents Lynne and John Wayne, DeGraw recounted his most meaningful memories and valuable lessons on his seventh full-length offering, Face The River. This past winter, DeGraw released his applauded first-ever Christmas EP, A Classic Christmas, and recently welcomed Chariot 20, a reimagined anniversary version of his seminal debut album. DeGraw is the rare talent who can seamlessly share the stage with Billy Joel and The Allman Brothers or Maroon 5 and Shania Twain with his signature fusion of pop, soul, country, folk and funk.
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Media Contacts:
Courtney Beebe
Sony Music Nashville
[email protected]
Photo credit: Matthew Berinato
