As the clock winds down to June 29 when Georgia Public Broadcasting will take over the daytime airwaves of Georgia State University’s WRAS/Album 88, a coalition of music industry organizations have launched an advocacy effort in favor of preserving student control.

The campaign involves outreach to musicians, writers, and music industry professionals of all sorts, inviting them to submit testimonials about the role Album 88 has played in shaping their careers. The effort is endorsed by The Atlanta Chapter of The Recording Academy; Georgia Music Partners (GMP); The Music Business Association (previously NARM); and National Assn. of Recording Industry Professionals (NARIP).

A letter sent to GSU and GPB reads in part:

“For the last 43 years, Album 88’s wonderfully-eclectic, 100,000-watt station has helped many of us launch our music careers by providing an outlet for developing alternative music in a major market. It was the first station to play Outkast on the radio – and pioneered airtime for the likes of Collective Soul, R.E.M., Indigo Girls, and many more. The Boomtown Rats’ new wave hit “I Don’t Like Mondays” was inspired in the WRAS offices when Bob Geldof and Johnnie Fingers were there for an interview. Album 88 is at risk of becoming yet another talk-radio signal come June 29. Just as Album 88 has given us a voice for the past four decades, we must now stand together and voice our support of its student-run, music-centric format.”