On April 22 and 23, Ashland University’s radio station, 88.9 WRDL, will be hosting its 6th annual Vinylthon.

This annual special was started at AU by instructor Derek Wood in 2017 and has been a unique experience for students and alumni ever since.

Vinylthon officially started nationwide in 2016, where college radio stations celebrate the unique format of vinyl records and have programs that are exclusively played on vinyl.

“Those stations get off to their normal format for the day and all the music comes from vinyl records. It’s just a unique day that shows the capability of college radio to be an alternative option to an over-saturated marketplace that is terrestrial commercial radio,” said Derek Wood, general manager of 88.9 WRDL.

Vinylthon features high school stations, college and internet stations, all exclusively playing vinyl records.

The special at WRDL will feature genres from several different decades.

The decades will range from the 1940s to today, which will be nearly 100 years of music across a 48-hour time period.

“It will feature anything from pop to rock to soul, and even things that are more mainstream like top 40 pop,” said Wood.

This year is unique because this is the first time Vinylthon is a weekend event compared to its usual 24-hour weekday event. WRDL has won the Golden Slip Mat award five times since Vinylthon started at AU, and there is another award for stations that will go 48 hours.

“I think it is such a unique day because it shows the spirit of college radio, the students involved, the faculty involved, friends and community members, and alumni. My hope is everyone involved can showcase some of their favorites,” said Wood.

Wood will be on air from 8 a.m. until noon Saturday the 22 and Sunday the 23. Former Journalism and Digital Media adjunct Wood Scott Saunders, from Rise FM in Mansfield, Ohio, will be on air with Wood.

Members of the Early Birds show and other AU students will be on the air, including alumni from the program. Chair of the Journalism and Digital Media department Dr. David McCoy and his daughter, Cassie McCoy, will be on the air, as well as former adjuncts of the program.

You can easily access this special at wrdlfm.com and across north central Ohio on 88.9 WRDL FM, and you can also contact members of the station all across social media.