By Jude Morgan

KDIC Studio- “My buddies and I were just talking late one night, when it suddenly hit me. What if, hear me out, we started a podcast? So many people would listen to us, we’d be like THE philosophers of our time.” said Brad Chaddington ‘27 when being interviewed for a timeslot on KDIC’s radio weekly schedule. For staff at KDIC, this phrase had become all too familiar. With the sudden rise of true crime, gym bro, and motivational podcasts, college radio has been struggling to find anyone who is willing to play actual music, or contribute any content with actual substance.

To counteract this movement, recent changes have been made to the application process that should hopefully weed out the potential wannabe podcasters. The new questionnaire section has been specifically tailored to target these undesirables, featuring questions such as “how old were you when you discovered politics on twitter”, “why do you own a Shure SM7B Dynamic Vocal Microphone with when you have no understanding of audio mastering” and “why do you willingly choose to listen to Joe Rogan?”. On top of the personal questions, any groups of four men with podcast equipment were barred from applying, even going as far as to ban them from entering the office entirely. 

Students,  on the other hand, had a mixed response to the new limitations. S. Dawson ‘25 personally felt antagonized, stating that he felt antagonized. “I thought my rambling boring conversations with my equally boring friends making premade and obvious statements was an interesting concept. The fact I must have a premise for a show now completely restricts my creative liberty, and everything podcasts stand for.””. As for others, this movement came as a blessing. Emily Dick ‘25 informed us that “My roommate has gotten this weird obsession with true crime podcasts. It has gotten to the point where multiple families of victims now have active restraining orders against her from how much she asks about their deceased loved ones. Thank fuck she has had her platform taken away.” 

Although there have been discussions on the monetization possibilities of having these podcasts, even SPARC refused to stoop that low. As much as we love money, we still have standards. As for the other available slots, staff at KDIC has been trying desperately to find hosts who will actually play something other than Pink Floyd or other generic college rock under the premise of it being underground. Although it has been a rather rough start, there have been no shortage of eager go-getters looking to spread their influence to the fourteen loyal listeners.