Streaming begins on Thursday, October 1 at 6 PM EST at
https://player.live365.com/wcrd
When the airwaves light up on Friday, October 2, music lovers, student journalists, and independent radio champions across the globe will unite under a shared banner: “HOPE — Always In The Air!” Anchored by this year’s uplifting theme, the World College Radio Day 26-hour global marathon offers a continuous broadcast pass through dozens of countries, dozens of languages, and hundreds of unique student perspectives. Powered by Live365, the annual marathon showcases how student-run broadcasting serves as a vital training ground, community builder, and cultural incubator worldwide.
Starting at midnight CEST, the marathon kicks off in the Pacific and circles the globe hour by hour, seamlessly handing off the broadcast baton between student stations. The journey begins in the Marshall Islands with CMI Navigators 107.5 FM, handing off to Fiji’s The Vox Populi, New Zealand’s Radio Control 99.4FM, and Australia’s Woroni Radio. From there, listeners head to Asia with Radyo Katipunan 87.9 FM and UST Tiger Radio in the Philippines, Sun4U Radio in Malaysia, UMT Radio 98.2 FM in Pakistan, and İTÜ Radyosu in Turkey.
As the sun rises further west, broadcasters light up the European continent from Greece’s UP FM 103.7 to Austria’s Campus & City Radio St. Pölten, Croatia’s UNIDU radio, Sweden’s K103 Göteborgs Studentradio, Germany’s Radio UNICC, France’s Radio Campus France, Italy’s RadUni, Spain’s ARU, Ireland’s Juice FM, and the UK’s Carrot Radio & City Sounds.
The signals then cross the Atlantic to Argentina’s Conexión Abierta, Canada’s CHMA and CKUT 90.3 FM, and a coast-to-coast lineup of U.S. stations, including 89.3 WGSU, OWWR, Black Squirrel Radio, KANM Student Radio, 90.3 WRST-FM Oshkosh, WTTU 88.5 FM, 88.1 The ‘Burg KCWU-FM, and KUCI 88.9 FM. Rich cultural soundscapes also ring out across Latin America from Peru’s Conéctate, Mexico’s Frecuencia CEM and UniRadio 99.7 FM, Costa Rica’s RADIO-E, and Colombia’s RRUC – Red de Radio Universitaria de Colombia.
What makes this marathon so electric is the sheer authenticity of student broadcasting. Radio on this scale delivers raw, authentic programming that commercial stations rarely duplicate. From indie music breakthroughs to localized commentary, tuning into the broadcast lets listeners hear what youth culture actually sounds like in Manila, Istanbul, Vienna, Bogotá, and beyond—all in a single day.
Above all, this year’s theme speaks directly to radio’s enduring ability to connect people across physical distance and cultural divides. Whether discussing student life, regional news, or universal challenges, these stations demonstrate how human connection stays strong over local airwaves and international streams. The marathon ultimately culminates in a massive worldwide simulcast featuring syndicated programming, interviews, and special performances designed to bring all participating stations into harmony for one final, memorable hour. You can follow along with the complete schedule in your local time zone via Live365 or stream directly through participating station websites all day long.
COOL FACTS:
Number of Participating Stations: 35 featured stations and national radio networks. Several entries represent entire national campus radio syndicates (such as Italy’s RadUni, Spain’s ARU, Colombia’s RRUC, and Radio Campus France), which collectively represent dozens of individual university stations.
Number of Participating Countries: 25 countries (ranging from Pacific island nations like Fiji and the Marshall Islands to European, Asian, and Latin American countries).
Number of Participating Continents: 5 inhabited continents explicitly featured on the schedule: Oceania, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.
Estimated Reach of the Broadcast: Tens of millions of potential listeners globally across combined terrestrial airwaves, digital streams, and syndicated networks.
