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Spinnaker History

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1974

Spinnaker Media started on Jan. 9, 1974, with the birth of the campus's first newspaper, The Halyard. Professor William Roach, who helped establish UNF's Communications Department, also initiated the school's first newspaper. A veteran of U.S. Naval combat in World War II, Roach suggested the name Halyard, which is the line on a ship that carries signal flags. It fit the nautical theme of the university.

In its 2 1/2 years of existence, The Halyard earned national recognition from the Associated Collegiate Press in the form of a First Class award.

Besides working at daily newspapers as a reporter, columnist and editor, Roach had been a faculty member around the country. He embraced what technology could do for journalism and proposed that the Halyard and UNF become only the fourth college program to use a computer — in 1974.

1976

The Halyard stopped printing on July 6, after a dispute with the Student Government Association. The paper operated with funds from the Activity and Service fees, and the Educational and General funds. The SGA, unhappy with the newspaper, cut The Halyard's budget during work on the following year's A&S fee allocation. It also tried to control the paper by changing the composition of The Halyard's publications committee.

University President Thomas Carpenter responded, "This campus will have a free newspaper or no newspaper." With $10,500, Carpenter underwrote an interim laboratory newspaper ("The Phoenix") for educational purposes from Aug. 16 through the following March 7.

1977

The student body demanded a free press, so with a new board for oversight, the newspaper restarted on Aug. 17. Professor Gary Harmon said the newspaper staff, wary of continuing the Halyard name, liked Roach's original nautical-themed suggestion. They decided on The Spinnaker, a racing sail which was colorful, powerful, and built for speed.

1993

Spinnaker Radio and Television got its start when Todd Hardie, a Communication major, asked Professor Joe Lesem to help him start a student media club. The club — the UNF Broadcasting Association — kicked off with music programs and talk shows such as Hardie's sports show, The Bullpen. The radio station quickly expanded when Continental Cablevision, the cable provider for Jacksonville at the time, donated equipment and allowed what was then called Osprey Radio to provide the background music for the programming guide on channel 4. This arrangement ended when MediaOne bought out Continental Cablevision. After that, the station broadcast its signal on two closed-circuit cable channels on campus: Ch. 12, the Housing channel, and Ch. 58, the Osprey TV channel.

1995

With Professor Roach's encouragement, Spinnaker, an early adopter of using computers to produce the newspaper, launched its website just six years after the birth of the World Wide Web.

2000

In the summer, the Center for Student Media was formed within the Office of Student Development. This department served as an umbrella organization for Spinnaker and Osprey Radio and TV, which were elevated from club status.

2001

In January, Spinnaker Radio coordinated with UNF Computer Services to begin streaming over the Internet.

2011

Spinnaker Digital and Spinnaker Business spun off from the newspaper to become their own departments. At the same time, the board and the new leaders of the Center for Student Media departments agreed to consolidate news-gathering operations.

In the past, the newspaper, TV station and website each had their own reporters who sometimes covered the same event. After conducting research and visiting area media outlets, the board and leaders opted for a hub-and-spokes model in which a reporter gathers news in multimedia formats for all departments to use.

2012

The Spinnaker reached financial independence from direct A&S-fee funding on July 1; for the first time, it was funded solely by ad sales and subscriptions. The deal was a result of cooperation among the Center for Student Media, SG Director Betty Garris, and Senate President Carlo Fassi.

2013

In July, Osprey TV and Osprey Radio changed their names to take on the Spinnaker brand. The move, suggested by board member David Luckin of WJCT, reflected the new joint Spinnaker Media auxiliary budget and promotions efforts. The Spinnaker printed its last newspaper on August 28. Its first magazine, Spinnaker, came out in September.

2015

With the convergence of Spinnaker Media’s five multi-media platforms, Spinnaker leaders reprioritized its efforts to a digital-first mindset. Spinnaker still printed its award-winning magazine each semester, filled with investigative reports, interesting profiles, and creative writing, but its primary focus shifted to instant coverage of news, sports, and entertainment on its website.

2021

As part of President David Szymanski's merging of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs, Spinnaker Media was moved under the UNF Department of English. Spinnaker's funding source transitioned from Activity and Service fees to Student Life and Services. This move also spurred Spinnaker to increase collaboration with other UNF Academic Departments.

2023

In October 2023, Spinnaker Radio adopted an open format, introducing multiple genres, to better engage students.

2026

In February 2026, Spinnaker's leaders decided to surrender Spinnaker Radio's low-power FM license to the FCC due to ongoing logistical issues related to its transmitter placement, in favor of focusing on its online broadcast.