KSLU’S Rock School celebrates anniversary
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
by: Rene Abadie
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s radio station, KSLU-90.9FM, will celebrate
the ninth anniversary of its syndicated “Rock School” radio show on Thursday, April
14, without ever missing a weekly airing nor having to play a rerun.
“Rock School” creator and Communication Professor Joe Burns has hosted every
show – 469 as of Thursday – and, except for about 30, has researched and produced
every one.
The show airs every Thursday at 5 p.m. and on Sundays at 4 p.m. on KSLU. It is
also offered live and online at KSLU.org.
The show is carried in 15 affiliate markets and internationally on Radio Universidad
in Salamanca, Spain, as well as on the PRX Radio Network. The show’s podcast has a
five-star rating on iTunes and was named one of the top rock podcasts by Player.fm,
a site that ranks and lists podcasts. The show receives approximately 10,000 downloads
every week.
Burns said there are no plans to stop making new shows anytime soon.
“The magic number right now is 520,” he said. “Once I create and air show 520
that will be 10 years of doing ‘Rock School.’ Then I’ll seriously think about if I
should continue, but not before then.”
KSLU Radio General Manager Todd Delaney said, “Burns continues to impress me
with the variety of topics he covers on ‘Rock School.’ From the obscure to the outrageous,
each show is an in-depth rock ’n roll history seminar that entertains as much as it
informs. It has become a national caliber program that our students can strive to
emulate.”
Writer, actor and political commentator Ben Stein is a fan of the show and redid
his famous roll call from the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” replacing “Bueller”
with Burns to open the show. Stein has also been a guest on the show, where he discussed
rock and roll in the 1960s.
The program has won the International Communicator Award six times, having taken
the Award of Distinction four times and the Award of Excellence, the top prize, twice.
“Rock School is recorded and produced in Burns’ own audio studios, and his wife
Tammy serves as co-host.
