Month: August 2021

Something’s Wrong With This College Radio GHQ Online

Web sites tied to broadcasting and publications are themselves media entities and major entities involved in the media entity they represent, especially now as society is tied to life online.

Universities are well aware of this… Well, most of them. That includes the student-run stations that let students further hone their skills on- and off-air. 0It’s broadcasting, it’s publishing, it’s a web design and site management, it’s public relations. It’s a voluntary thing and it’s practice for the career path that lays ahead.

I have crossed many station sites in my time researching music submission options. Many sites are big-time, others are static web sites. Simplicity is fine too as long as you make information clear regarding contact info, operations, perhaps about the publication.

So many students and schools have it right. The University of Florida‘s student-run GJQ.fm gets it so very wrong.

(Author note: Any U. of Florida students who read this – I’m not out to attack, I am saying there’s work to do.)

While Florida State University’s WVFS comes out pretty prominently in various general college radio searches. I’ve needed to be more direct with the University of Miami’s WVUM. In both cases, the sites are information tools you’d expect from such prominent schools. WUCF, WPRK, WIKD, and plenty of other station-site or official stations in Florida and across the country accomplish the simple tasks and having basic self-representative out there along with search engine optimization so they can be found, contacted, informative and entertaining to the general public..

It’s web management and a publication’s responsibility.

How did I find GHQ.fm? Through an article from the University’s main site. GHQ had never shown up or stood out when I searched for Florida college radio. The article came up in a direct search for UF’s campus radio station. That doesn’t mean GHQ doesn’t show up in search results in general, but unless you know the station, the results look like jargon.

There isn’t a contact page on GHQ which is not common with media – commercial or non-profit/community. WUFT (GHQ’s sister-site) does and is a good example of why a station would have one GHQ’s site provides links to their Twitter and Facebook pages though. After searching the site thoroughly and not finding info email contact means I reached out on both social platforms…

I got no replies through Twitter. My Facebook message (after disclosing that I’m a blogger) asking about the music submission policy got “GHQ.fm” as the response. There’s been no response to the follow-ups I sent. including a PR email contact request.

I know that music submission question is common for college radio. I wouldn’t have asked if it was clearly disclosed on GHQ.fm. As for any social-media messages: Wither answer the question, or don’t reply.

One may cite the coronavirus or summer as a key cause of GHQ being poorly self-representative. Neither hindered general web management basics for many student-run radios across the continent. Some were responsible and said they had issues while others have gone offline (for the season or since 2020 when the pandemic muted campus life).

A porous web site – information, accessibility, management, and oversight – is an issue that’s been part of GHQ longer than COVID-19 has affected the world, or the summer of 2021 has reduced the University of Florida’s student body. The station’s public arm slights the summer excuse too0

In short and aimed at the web 0roperty in general: GHQ represents one of the most prominent public schools in Florida and the US. Bring the site up to grade in management and presence in the 2021-22 college year, please. GHQ is a media entity, voluntary or nott, and has online responsibilities to fulfill.

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