Advances in technology and continued student interest have kept the All Campus Radio Network active as a student organization since its inception in 1971.
“When the organization started, it was just kind of jumping on to what was technologically new, and back then it was just hooking up network wires in dorms and being able to do a radio station,” said ACRN General Manager Rika Nurrahmah. “Fortunately, as the past 40 years have evolved, so have technological upgrades.”
ACRN was first established as an organization April 4, 1971, and this weekend marks its 40th birthday celebration. In order to celebrate its birthday, ACRN members have been promoting the station all week and will hold a birthday concert tonight at The Union featuring local bands Whale Zombie, The D-Rays and Scubadog, as well as Columbus band In Silent Movies.
“We usually top off the birthday weekend by having a couple of shows, so tomorrow is our big, big show … in which we have a lot of local bands and regional bands who we’ve booked to play ACRN shows in the past years and who have always supported us in what we do,” Nurrahmah said. “So we have them host our concert as well as have our birthday cake to cap off the week.”
Scubadog agreed to perform in the birthday show because of the station’s past support of local musicians.
“ACRN does and has been doing amazing work for the entirety of their existence. Basically, for the independent music community in Athens, they have been tireless advocates and promoters for the music scene in Athens,” guitarist Josh Antonuccio said. “So I think they just represent a really important part of the music scene in Athens.”
In addition to hosting music performances, ACRN will celebrate its birthday with a banquet open only to ACRN alumni and current members.
“We’re expecting around 80 to 90 people to attend, which is the largest I think we’ve had of all the banquets — we hold them every five years. It’s just a way for us to reunite alums and get them up to speed as to what ACRN has been doing,” Nurrahmah said.
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