Live from the Underground

“Jewell chronicles the rise, fall, and legacy of college radio in this sprawling and richly detailed account. . . . [Live from the Underground] offers both an animated homage to college radio as a microcosm of American culture and reassurance for readers that the medium isn’t dead. It’s a fascinating deep dive.”—Publishers Weekly

“Deeply researched . . . Jewell tells some wonderfully obscure tales. . . A pleasure for fans of alt-rock and its dissemination in the face of corporate and academic resistance.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A meticulously researched book.”—Boston Globe

“Jewell masterfully presents college radio as a battleground for debates about free speech and censorship, which audiences should be served by public airwaves and how, and the very role of higher education in American society.”—American Studies

“Offers a deeply researched, insightful account of college radio from its beginnings up to the present day. . . . Live from the Underground will be influential on future histories of radio and broadcasting. Jewell expertly shows how to source rich narratives about ephemeral media.”—American Journalism

“In writing Live from the Underground, Jewell accomplished an enviable feat—she produced a cultural and political history of college radio that has mass appeal. There is something for historians, music fans, and former radio DJs in Live from the Underground.”—Society for U.S. Intellectual History

“An interesting and insightful look at how this nationwide phenomenon has sculpted American culture. . . . Live from the Underground teaches us the importance of listening to college broadcasters while supporting their experimental stations as sites of free speech and free expression critical to our Democracy.”—Midwest Book Review

“From breaking explosive news stories and discovering the next exciting underground music scene to challenging the status quo by allowing ALL voices to be heard, college radio continues to be a vibrant cultural force.  Katherine Jewell provides an entertaining, authoritative, and in-depth look at this unique medium and all it has to offer.”—Jim Bolt, Founder, KSSU Student-Run Radio, Sacramento State

“The large and small stories told [are] valuable . . . Jewell follows the interesting tension in the college radio idea of musical, social, and political communities. Without commercial pressure, they could stand outside dominant commercial culture.”—Brooklyn Rail

“Jewell (history, Fitchburg State Univ.) deftly chronicles college radio’s story . . . Although music is central here, this monograph shines by illuminating the intricacies of stations’ various allegiances to governing bodies (parent institutions, funders, the FCC), their audiences (campus, the broader community), and their staff (fomenting creativity, professional skills, or both), while revealing the profound connections between DJs, artists, industry, politics, and culture.”—CHOICE