From the scat jazz of legendary performer Ella Fitzgerald to the latest album from indie rock group TV on the Radio, Fresno State radio is nothing if not eclectic.

(Which is why its most popular show, the Evening Eclectic - a daily line-up of tunes that would never show up on MTV but are treasured by the disc jockeys who play them - is so appropriately named.)

Tuesday is College Radio Day, a national celebration of college radio stations that aims to raise awareness about the importance of independent radio, harness more listeners, and maybe raise some money for struggling stations along the way.

College radio is "the only free live medium brave enough to play unsigned, local, and independent artists on a regular basis," according to the website dedicated to the cause.

College Radio Day is the brainchild of radio stations at Saint Xavier University in Chicago and William Paterson University in New Jersey. It was started to rally support for college radio at a time when many stations are selling to off-campus outlets. Like many other forms of independent media, college radio has fallen on tough times, losing student listeners to iPods and internet music sites such as Pandora and Spotify.

But Fresno State radio is an exception. Despite all the changes that have pushed FM radio to the periphery, KFSR is thriving.

This reason: independent and local artists are the lifeblood of the station, and KFSR hasn't strayed from its commitment to playing "music that would never find the light of day on" pop radio, said station manager Phillip Lochbaum.

And the DJs - almost all of them volunteers - are a passionate and knowledgeable bunch whose music tastes spread far and wide.

"People tune into us because we don't play the Top-40," he said. "I would rather have students learn about Ella Fitzgerald than Lady Gaga."

KFSR will mark College Radio Day with a free screening of a movie about grunge rock band Nirvana, filmed three months before the band released its second album, Nevermind, which some critics have called one of the best rock album of all time. KFSR's Evening Eclectic will premiere "Nirvana Live at the Paramount" Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Audie's Olympic in the Tower District.

Lochbaum said Evening Eclectic would host more events in the Tower District where people can meet KFSR DJs and "put a face to the people who you hear on the radio."

This type of community engagement is critical to the station's longevity. As a non-profit, the station doesn't get any money from the college but relies on donations - an increasingly tricky way to finance a business in a down economy. KFSR isn't an expensive operation - the studio has four employees on the payroll - but Lochbaum wants to build its audience, on and off campus, to ensure that support continues. Even though KFSR is entering its 30th year, Lochbaum said a lot of people still don't know Fresno State has a radio station.

"We're out there," he said. "Just change the dial."