Chill Out with Soul Session

By Lauren Jurgemeyer
Web Content Contributor

Mark your calendar Oct. 5 is the eighth annual National College Radio day, and to celebrate I sat down with some staff members of KTSW.

National College Radio day was founded in 2010 with the goal to combine the listeners of all college radio stations in celebration. College Radio day also promotes the appreciation for college radio stations and their importance to the media landscape. In 2012 World College Radio day began, and presently over 30 countries participate.

I spoke with Cameron Hubbard (DJ Saint Paul), about his specialty show, Soul Session, that airs on Thursdays at 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. He has been a DJ at KTSW for two years, after a friend of told him to apply to the station. Hubbard said, in a joking manner, that he, “didn’t really know what I was getting into.”

Sami Dugdale, the Program Director at KTSW, told me that Hubbard is, “a very chill, laid back person,” and went on to conclude that his personality is reflected in the show. Dugdale revealed that she has known Hubbard for a little over a year after they met on the program staff.

Dugdale described the job of the specialty DJs in comparison to regular DJs. Regular DJs play the music that has been previously programmed by the music staff, but the specialty DJs are given a little more leeway.

Dugdale said, that as long as the DJs selections stick to the format of the station, “…we give them a chance to do something different. Like, like we don’t play a whole lot of like R&B music, like Cameron plays on his show, but it’s really cool that we have the opportunity to play that because of him.”

Hubbard chimed in and said that having that freedom to choose his own music is the best part of his job. He went on to tell me that Soul Session is his own creation. Hubbard came up with the concept and tried to incorporate his personality as much as he could. He said, “it is definitely a soul session all around.”

Hubbard went on to express his love for the radio station, when he said, “The best part [of working at KTSW] is everybody, everybody loves music around here. Everybody knows music, everybody’s artistic, everybody’s creative and open to everything. There’s no wrong way to feel or wrong way to express yourself around here.”

KTSW invites you to spend National College Radio day with us. Tune into FM-89.9 for an exciting day filled with celebration, music and fun. KTSW is hosting our first annual scavenger hunt that offers some exciting prizes; follow our twitter for more information.

Tune into Soul Session and our other specialty shows to show support to your local college radio station.