We love our college radio in Northeast Ohio, from WCSB, WRUW, WBWC, and even community station 91.3 The Summit in Akron, and we encourage you to drop Spotify for a few hours and give a listen to all of them. We quit Spotify in 2019 and it didn’t kill us (they hardly pay artists anyway). We all promote shopping local, and it’s always a good time to Listen Local.
Big congrats to non-commercial college radio stalwart WJCU who broadcast from transmitter facilities located on the John Carroll University campus, who are celebrating their 55th anniversary and recently launched a Hall of Fame honoring their history. You can always Listen Live to WJCU online by clicking here.
WJCU is now able to call themselves the World’s Best College Radio Station after winning Station of the Year from the International Student Broadcasting Championship. Under General Manager Jasen Sokol since 2020, they seem to be doing just about everything right, as WJCU was also a finalist in the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Media Awards and took home First Place in Best Social Media from the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts. A complete (and lengthy) list of recent awards can be found below.
To celebrate, why not tune in and participate in their annual Radiothon 2025, which raises over 75% of their annual costs. As of this writing, they had already raised over 50% of their $70,000 goal. WJCU offers cool swag for your donation, from bumper magnets and air fresheners (for your car, which still has a radio!), to a WJCU shot glass (toothpick holder those under 21), to a full zip hoodie, or the opportunity to join one of their DJs on-air for an hour.
Their loose playlist format allows for individual DJs to program a blazingly eclectic array of music programming, from outstanding sports coverage to ethnic music on Sundays to world music, talk radio, and music formats like indie, Triple A, freeform, ambient, metal, folk, country and oldies.
Radiothon 2025: https://www.wjcu.org/radiothon-2025
WJCU Awards: https://www.wjcu.org/about/awards
Shows: https://www.wjcu.org/programs
Listen live: https://www.wjcu.org/listen
WJCU Awards 2024/25:
Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts
First Place, Best Social Media: Nikolena Samac, Bobby Gerome, Aidan Houck, WJCU Sports Social Media
Second Place, Graduate Audio Competition: Zachary Sinutko, Emily Davala, Jayden Beddingfield, 808s and Mixtapes
Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Media Awards
Finalist, Best College/University Radio Station (under 10,000 students): WJCU 88.7 FM
Finalist, Best Celebrity or Artist Interview: Zachary Sinutko, Emily Davala, Hamoud Qotaynah, Jayden Beddingfield, Waka Flocka Flame Interview
Finalist, Best On-Air Pledge Drive: Joe Madigan, Jumpin’ Joe’s Basement Show – Radiothon 2024
Finalist, Best Foreign Language Program: Zsolt Molnar, Ildikó Antal-Ferencz, Zsófia Dorgay, Fülöp Dömötör, Bocskai Radio – Business, Higher Education, and Community Forum at the Hungarian Summit in Florida
Finalist, Best Logo: Bobby Gerome and Joey Gerome – Off the Rocker Logo
Finalist, Best Press Release: Zachary Sinutko, WJCU Hall of Fame Press Release
Finalist, Best Sports Interview: Bobby Gerome and Aidan Houck, Ben Day Interview
Finalist, Best Social Media Campaign: Emily Davala and Elizabeth Stout: WJCU Hall of Fame
Finalist, Best Promotions Director (Radio): Zachary Sinutko and Mackenzie Jackson
Finalist, Best Sports Director (Radio): Bobby Gerome and Nikolena Samac
Finalist, Tom Gibson Award for Outstanding Radio Engineering: Cornelius Gould and Eric Simna
International Student Broadcasting Championship
Winner, Station of the Year: WJCU 88.7 FM
Winner, People’s Choice Content Creator: Nikolena Samac, WJCU Sports Instagram
Runner-Up, Best Sports Play-by-Play: Bobby Gerome, JCU Men’s Basketball vs. Ohio Northern
Finalist, Best Sports Colour Caster: Bobby Gerome, OAC Men’s Basketball Championship Game
Finalist, Best Sports Colour Caster: Owen Close, Benedictine Football vs. St. Francis
Finalist, Best Audio Production – Sponsorship: Emily Medina, JCU Votes Promo
Finalist, Best Interview: Zachary Sinutko, Emily Davala, Jayden Beddingfield, and Hamoud Qotaynah, Waka Flocka Flame Interview
Finalist, Best On-Air Team: Laken Kincaid and Evan Richwalsky, From the Bench
Finalist, Best Newcomer On-Air: Sage Fossaceca, Speak In Tongues
Finalist, Best News Feature: Laken Kincaid and Evan Richwalsky, Heights Now: Shaker Heights Zoning Battle
Finalist, Best Audio Production – Imaging: Mackenzie Jackson, Owen Close, and Maddie Otterman, Road Trip Trio Promo
Finalist, Best Video Execution: Bobby Gerome, WJCU Sports
Finalist, Best Content Creator: Nikolena Samac, WJCU Sports Instagram
Finalist, Best Social Media Execution: Emily Davala, Aliyah Shamatta, Liz Stout, WJCU Instagram
College Broadcasters, Inc. National Student Production Awards
1st Place, Best DJ: Zachary Sinutko, Emily Davala, Jayden Beddingfield: 808s and Mixtapes
3rd Place, Best Regularly Scheduled Entertainment Program: Laken Kincaid and Evan Richwalsky: From the Bench
3rd Place, Best Promo: Laken Kincaid and Evan Richwalsky: From the Bench Promo
College Media Association Pinnacle Awards
1st Place, Best Audio Entertainment Program (under 3,000 students): Zachary Sinutko, Emily Davala, Jayden Beddingfield: 808s and Mixtapes
2nd Place, Best Audio Promo/PSA (under 10,000 students): Laken Kincaid and Evan Richwalsky: From the Bench Promo
2nd Place, Best Social Media Engagement (under 3,000 students and two-year colleges): Emily Davala and Aliyah Shamatta: WJCU Instagram
3rd Place, Station of the Year (under 10,000 students): WJCU 88.7 FM
3rd Place, Best Audio Newscast (under 3,000 students and two-year colleges): Laken Kincaid: Heights Now: JCU responds to Cleveland Diocese’s controversial statement on sexual identity and gender
3rd Place, Best Audio Sportscast (under 10,000 students): Jake Vulinec, Bobby Gerome, Evan Richwalsky: JCU Football vs. UW-Whitewater 9/2/23
College Media Association Film and Audio Festival
2nd Place, Best DJ: Zachary Sinutko, Emily Davala, Jayden Beddingfield, 808s and Mixtapes
Hungarian Catholic Bishops Conference St. Francis de Sales Award
Zsófia Dorgay
University Heights Good Neighbor Award
Eric Simna and Jason Meyers