Zagreb's Radio Student turns 22 this year and its birthday is now traditionally marked by this annual club event, which is a highlight in the calendar of the city's alternative scene. The not-for-profit radio station first aired in 1996, its two main goals being to offer education/training for students of journalism and radio enthusiasts, and to offer a broadcast program that can't be found anywhere else. It started with several alternative shows, its current editor in chief, Ivan Vlašić, having shaped the station to being what it is today.
'I wanted to expand our motto which is Radio that isn't for everybody to include the unique tone of our journalism, not just the music we play', he says. As a result alternative and specialist music shows have been joined by activistic reporting focusing on human rights, ecology, marginalised groups and other topics, presented on fifty radio shows a week which are produced by around 150 people, most of whom are volunteers.
Such is the respect the station holds, it easily obtained a new transimitter in a recent crowdfunding campaign, an achiuevement that will also be celebrated at theis year's party. Radio Student's regular DJs will entertain on the night alongside live shows from exciting, young alternative bands from Croatia and the ex-Yu region, including Tús Nua, ŽEN, Haiku Garden and Crvi.
by Ivor Kruljac