College radio isn’t dead — at least not at TCU.

KTCU, the university radio station, recently received a certification from Gov. Rick Perry for its participation in College Radio Day.

The event aims to raise a greater, international awareness of the many college and high school radio stations in America, according to the College Radio Day website. This year, College Radio Day will be on Tuesday, Oct. 2.

College Radio Day began in 2010 as the brainchild of Rob Quicke, a college radio station manager at William Paterson University in New Jersey.  Quicke’s idea soon became a movement for awareness of college radio stations as well as a way to provide extra fundraising for the stations that wished to participate.

KTCU Assistant Station Manager Janice McCall said colleges across America and abroad can participate in College Radio Day, and that it is a great opportunity to show the rest of the country that college radio can still thrive.

“It’s just such a unique animal, and the goal is just to raise awareness and show that it still exists,” McCall said.

College Radio Day is especially important to TCU’s student DJs. Erik Peters and Deven Riley co-host a classic rock music show called “The Papa E & Daddy D Show” every Tuesday night on KTCU from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Both want to go into the radio business after college.

“Working here is a great learning experience, and it also gives you a good idea of what you can expect in a career in radio,” Peters, a senior political science and film-television-digital media double major, said.

In addition to Riley and Peters’s show, KTCU hosts a number of other variety shows, such as a grunge rock hour and two sports shows. The reason for this variety is because the station managers like to see what the students will do when given their own time slot.

“They get the hands-on experience," McCall said. "They get to learn what all the buttons do, and they get nervous when they go on air the first time, but then they learn how to get better at it. It’s a lot of fun to watch them go through."

Riley, a junior sports broadcasting major, said he enjoys the freedom that comes with co-hosting a show.

“There’s a lot of opportunities, and the station managers let you do what you want, as long as you stay within the guidelines,” Riley said.

KTCU is broadcast on 88.7 FM and students are encouraged listen in on College Radio Day.

For more information, visit the organization’s website.