(page 3 of 3)
KWVA is one of the few radio stations where Sandberg could get away with being so personal with the songs he plays. Corporate radio has playlists that are determined by Top 40 songs and market research about what the most people want to hear. Not at KWVA.
Jim Sandberg adjusts the levels for his radio show on KWVA, "The Jimbo Show."
Go to the KWVA homepage and
listen to the station live
"There's definitely a niche market for college radio," Sandberg said. "There are people that flip around to commercial radio, and then there are people who leave it set at KWVA. They're open to hearing new things. They might hear something they really like, call in and find their new favorite band, whereas with commercial radio, you listen to it to hear what you know. There's no surprise."
Sandberg has experience with the commercial radio crowd. On occasion, he DJ's for live audiences. A set at Buster's Sports Bar and Grill near campus showed him that.
"It was the typical mainstream versus underground argument," he said. "They wanted to hear what they knew."
Not all his live audiences are so strict in their listening tastes.
"When I play at the Indigo District I can play what I want, and people are ready to hear it and ready to dance," he said.
Sandberg had no idea that radio DJing might lead to work as a live DJ, but in truth it doesn't matter. Right now he works at a record shop, but his eventual plan is to be a high school English teacher.
"That's always been my dream, to go out and do a bunch of things with my life and then become a high school English teacher," he said. "Those were always my heroes in high school."
But music, he said, will always be his hobby and his passion. As for working in radio, it is good for now.
"It's a privilege," he said. "I mean, there are people driving around listening to me."