VCU news

It isn’t unusual for history to repeat itself in entirely new fashions. One of the latest cases involves Ram Radio, the live broadcast for Virginia Commonwealth University’s men’s basketball, as well as select baseball and women’s basketball games.

People have been listening to sports and throwing their hands up (celebrating points and victories) from just about anywhere since the invention of the transistor radio. But this phenomenon has fallen by the wayside with the arrival of smart phones — few of which include radio tuners.

FM tuner or not, the good old days are back for VCU fans who now throw their hands up anywhere they have a cellular signal, thanks to Ram Radio’s new smart phone streaming option. With the 2011 CAA men’s basketball championship tournament beginning March 4, the timing couldn’t be better.

“As a die-hard VCU basketball fan living on the West Coast with the time difference, it has been difficult to follow every game because I’m usually on the move during game times,” said Paul Smith, a 2003 VCU School of Mass Communications alumnus now living in Seattle. “Now I can listen to every play from anywhere with post game interviews and commentary.”

Ram Radio isn’t new to live broadcast. Fans have tuned in via AM and/or FM radio for more than three decades, according to Robby Robinson, associate athletic director for corporate partnerships with VCU Athletics. Robinson said the same broadcasts have streamed over the Internet for more than 10 years.

With more than 63 million Americans now carrying smart phones, it comes as no surprise that Ram Radio’s latest incarnation includes a live webcast formatted for mobile browsers.

“It used to be that if you didn't live within range of the radio signal, there was no way to hear the Ram Radio broadcast,” said Robinson, who also provides play-by-play commentary. Robinson’s partner and associate athletic director Mike Ellis provides color analysis.

“Then Internet audio became available and people all over the world could listen,” Robinson said. “But they were tied to their computer and Internet access. Now, if you have a smart phone, you aren't tethered to anything. You can listen anywhere you get a signal.”

To “tune in,” visit www.vcuathletics.com/rr on a mobile browser and click one of the large headphone icons to begin streaming — one for low speed connections (GPRS) and another for medium (3G). Over local Wi-Fi connections, a third high quality option is available.

The same broadcast is made available for desktop- or laptop-based browsers via http://vcuathletics.tv/flash/Testwebcastpage.php and 107.3 FM.