CAMPUS NEWSInnovation, amplified: University of Niagara Falls Canada launches student-powered digital radio station
UNF Radio features student programming from Master of Arts in Digital Media and Global Communications program
At a time when the media landscape is shifting faster than anyone can track, University of Niagara Falls Canada is providing its students with a way to lead the change with the launch of its new digital radio station.
UNF Radio hit the digital airwaves April 7, broadcasting from Niagara Falls to the world. The student-operated broadcast experience is equal parts academic rigour, creative freedom, and real-world professional training. Embedded within the Master of Arts in Digital Media and Global Communications (MA DMGC) program, the radio station places students at the centre of every decision – from content strategy and show development to scheduling, promotion, and technical implementation. This is experiential learning at its most authentic as every broadcast is a deliverable and every show is a portfolio piece.
“UNF Radio is what happens when you trust students with something real. Our students are shaping the future through every show and every broadcast decision. Every audience interaction will be that much more meaningful, and they’ll be gaining professional experience as they study. That is the education we are committed to providing,” said Raquel Benitez Rojas, Associate Dean of the MA DMGC program.
For a university purpose-built to prepare graduates for leadership in the digital world, UNF Radio represents the clearest possible articulation of that mission. Students go beyond just learning about digital media, through this radio station they have the opportunity to practice it at a professional level, with a live global audience tuning in from day one. Canada is home to 26.7 million digital audio listeners and that number is projected to rise to 28.8 million by 2027, according to a November report from Statista.
UNF Radio’s programming reflects the diversity and ambition of the student body, shows like International Student Diaries, Brain Boost, Niagara Vibes, Connected Media, and Voices of Digital Media speak to a community that is local in experience and global in perspective.
“Innovation is a value that we live here. The launch of our digital radio station is a powerful demonstration of what this university believes: that students who are given the tools, the trust, and the creative freedom to lead will rise to do exactly that,” said David Gray, President and Vice-Chancellor at UNF. “This station belongs to them, and we could not be prouder to amplify their voices to the world.”
Broadcasting weekdays, the station features a morning block of content from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by an afternoon replay and late-night encore, with music filling the airwaves in the early morning. For more information or to tune in, visit unfc.ca/unf-radio.
