WCBN, the student radio station at the University of Michigan, plans to participate in National College Radio Day on Tuesday with a special event on the U-M Diag.

From 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., the station plans a live DJ broadcast from the Diag with student DJs, bands, crafts, and raffles for WCBN gear.

From WCBN's announcement:

"This is the first year WCBN-FM will participate in National College Radio Day - an event to celebrate the contributions of college stations nationwide in broadening the airwaves of their respective college towns with music and reporting that is non-commercial, locally relevant, and produced by students and community members with a passion for non-mainstream culture. Only WCBN offers intellectually stimulating selections of music unparalleled in depth of history and cultural scope. Tuning into 88.3-FM, you might hear one of the talented Ann Arbor area bands performing on the Local Music Show, U of M professor T. Hetzel interviewing a visiting writer on Living Writers, or maybe you will find your ears alighting for the first time on French coldwave, musique concrète, no wave or Japanese rockabilly selected by DJs devoted to their craft.

"Students members have the opportunity of learning skills in radio engineering, development, programming, publicity, web design and all of the skills involved in running a successful non-profit organization that has been the alternative culture backbone of the University of Michigan for 40 years.

"The event at the Diag will feature two local bands between noon and 1 p.m., Los Renaissance Men and the Rainbow Vomit Family Band, whose performances will be broadcast live on the air. Subsequently, student DJs will be DJ-ing from the Diag and taking requests from interested passer-bys. Students are invited to learn how they can get involved in one of the most respected freeform stations in the country as well as the challenges facing great college stations across the country due to strained university wallets.

"This past year, the University of San Francisco, Rice, and Vanderbilt’s administrative bodies have traded their FM licenses for some quick cash at a great loss. This generation of college students has grown up learning about music and everything else from the internet or dubious mainstream sources. WCBN is a bastion of the great tradition of college radio at the intersection of musical culture and community as well as a platform where students advocate daily the value of free expression. College Radio Day is a day when hundreds of college stations come together in solidarity to promote this cause. WCBN is encouraging everyone to tune in and check us out on this special day.

"A broadcast produced by College Radio Day will air at 11 am."