Over 100 Radio Stations Will Go Vinyl-Only For Charity Event Vinylthon 2019, With Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine in Support

Across the USA and the world, radio stations will celebrate the unique format of vinyl by going vinyl-only on Vinylthon, April 13, 2019.

Stations playing vinyl for 24 hours will win the Golden Slipmat Award to recognize their deep passion for vinyl. Vinylthon is an event for the entire radio industry, which also takes place on worldwide Record Store Day.

Organized by the College Radio Foundation and open to all radio stations, commercial and non-commercial, Vinylthon is the radio industry’s response to the remarkable vinyl renaissance that has occurred around the world. The College Radio Foundation gives grants to college radio stations to keep them on the air. Vinylthon 2019 will be the fourth Vinylthon event, and proceeds will go to their College Radio Fund that supports college radio stations.

According to Megadeth’s frontman Dave Mustaine, and supporter of Vinylthon:

“If I was forced to pick my top three vinyl albums, I would probably pick some old classics, because of the tonality of the instruments back then and a lot of the analog amplifiers, as well as the analog consoles and analog recording devices. Same thing with the analog microphones. So, probably ‘The White Album’ from The Beatles. Probably ‘Wish You Were Here’ from Pink Floyd, or ‘The Dark Side of The Moon’, which is another great album for sounds like that. And most definitely, because it’s very personal to me, AC/DC’s ‘Let There Be Rock.'”

Vinylthon organizers provide special on-air content for participating stations, featuring artists such as Dave Mustaine. Other supporting artists include Judas Priest, Don McLean, Dee Snider, Sevendust, Daniel Lanois, Darlene Love, and The Lumineers to name just a few.

Vinylthon founder, Rob Quicke, says, “This event is for all radio stations and it’s a fun day for both listeners and broadcasters alike. People are passionate about the magic and warmth of vinyl, and broadcasting radio shows with vinyl is an amazing, hands-on experience for many of today’s radio broadcasters.” Quicke is also GM at WPSC 88.7 FM at William Paterson University of New Jersey, winner of the 2018 Marconi Radio Award for Best Non-Commercial Radio Station.

Participation in Vinylthon is free for non-commercial radio stations, but there is a fee for commercial radio stations ($250), which goes straight to the College Radio Foundation, which organizes the event. “Commercial radio stations that participate are paying it forward to the next generation of professional broadcasters, who really need the support,” says Quicke.

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