Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Joan Jett and Kenny Laguna of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts have been named the official 2018 Ambassadors for College Radio Day, which is happening nationwide on Friday, October 5th, 2018.
For Joan Jett, the impact that college radio has had on her career has been hugely important: “College radio, when we were struggling, was one of the elements that really kept us afloat – being able to play gigs and people had heard of us because they were playing us on college radio stations. College radio was a big deal for us,” says Joan. This is echoed by Kenny Laguna, who says, “We’re definitely a product of college radio, and through the years we’ve managed to remain on college radio with the records we put out. It means a lot to us.”
After forming The Runaways, Jett has amassed an impressive string of gold and platinum albums while also breaking gender barriers in the music industry when people dismissed a girl with a guitar who was more Ramones than Joni Mitchell. Along with band member/producer/manager Kenny Laguna, they have soldiered on to great success in an ever-changing and unforgiving industry. For college radio, their toughness and journey are inspiring.
“Joan Jett and the Blackhearts have so much in common with college radio,” says CRD Vice President Anabella Poland. “They are honest, raw, gritty, unwavering to mainstream, and they put on a daily fight. College radio was there to support them from the very beginning, and we are delighted that they will be our ambassadors this year.” Jett and Laguna have recorded an exclusive interview to be played on participating stations nationwide during the day’s celebrations.
Set for Friday, October 5th, the 8th annual College Radio Day will unite college stations from around the world to bring awareness to the work and value college stations bring to the broadcasting medium. Hundreds of stations worldwide have signed on to participate. This year the theme is When All Else Fails, College Radio Speaks, which highlights how students create unique programming and content on college radio that is important to them and not heard on any other medium.
About College Radio Day: The aim of 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 event is organized by the College Radio Foundation, a non-profit based in New Jersey. For more information, please visit here.
