Radio Študent is a non-profit, urban community radio station, established by the Student Organisation of the University of Ljubljana on the 9th of May in 1969, as a direct result of the student movements in the 60s. As such, it is one of the oldest and strongest community radio stations in Europe, with over 200 regular student and non-student contributors. Since its early beginnings, Radio Študent has strived to promote values such as tolerance, freedom of speech and solidarity. It plays a crucial role in Slovenia’s society by providing informal media training for students and young people who are willing to learn, but are not yet established as media professionals. Each year, Radio Študent trains more than 50 new young radio announcers, sound technicians, and journalists who report on politics, music, culture and science.

Throughout the history of Slovene radio broadcasting, Radio Študent stands out as the foremost presenter and critic of global music events, putting forward a characteristic form of music criticism and a passionate goal to introduce edgy, marginalised and socially provocative music from across the globe to its listeners. This goal is not only reflected on the air of Radio Študent, but also on the ground—among many other concerts, Radio Študent has for the past 18 years organised the Club Marathon (Klubski maraton), a series of over 20 concerts in venues across the country for aspiring artists, where many of the alternative scene’s heavyweights got their chance to be heard for the first time. Each year, the record label ZARŠ, Radio Študent’s very own, also releases a promotional CD for the bands, selected to participate in Klubski Maraton.

An important contribution to the content of Radio Študent’s programme is also made by the journalists who specialise in politics, culture & humanities, student & higher education issues, and science. Often educated primarily through the informal media training received at RŠ, the journalists regularly manage to produce quality broadcasts and tackle complex topics in a unique and thorough way. Radio Študent extensively covers the work of cultural institutions and has established one of the most prolific productions of cultural reviews in Slovenia. In its political coverage, the journalists strive to focus both on marginalised topics from across the globe, as well as local topics of utmost importance that do not receive sufficient coverage elsewhere. Overall, Radio Študent has always served as a loudspeaker for a multitude of voices – several ethnic and social minorities find their place here, and are able to produce their own broadcasts.

The celebrations for the 50th birthday of Radio Študent have kicked off in March with a series of live events in co-production with the most prominent concert venues and cultural institutions from across the country. The central point is the grand concert on 9 May featuring the world renowned Slovene group Laibach and the alternative jazz orchestra Mimika, based between Zagreb and London.