Hey Everyone!

Welcome to my Spring 2018 social fundraising page for CHIRP!  The past year has been a landmark year for our volunteer-driven community radio station.  After 10 years since our inception and 7 years of broadcasting online, we have finally achieved our goal of securing a spot on the FM dial! Since October 21^st, 2017, we have been broadcasting on 107.1 FM while continuing to stream online.  Our new signal has brought us a larger audience of music lovers and we remain committed to providing the best independent and local music from all genres commercial-free.

As long as I can remember, I have had a passion for radio and music.  I grew up listening to legendary radio stations like Oldies 104.3 and 97.9 the Loop in my dad’s car and developed a lifelong love of alternative rock from being glued to Q101 throughout my middle and early high school years.  As a kid, I dreamt of being a DJ and even recorded my own “radio shows” on my boombox.  Toward the end of high school and through college, my musical tastes shifted to punk and indie rock and later a wider variety of independent music. Consequently, my interest in radio waned as there was no commercial radio station that could provide the music discovery I needed.  I turned to Pandora, Spotify, and Bandcamp to discover new music but something was still missing. I missed the local feel of a radio station, I missed the personalities of DJs who could guide me on my musical journey, and I missed feeling connected to my community. When I randomly stumbled upon CHIRP, my interest in radio was instantly reignited and I knew that I needed to be a part of it!

I have been volunteering with CHIRP since September of 2016 and it has been an amazing experience! I have met tons of people who share my passion for independent music and I will soon get to live my childhood dream of being on the air (once I overcome my fear of auditioning!)  I primarily volunteer in CHIRP’s music department where I review new albums to add to our rotation each week.  I provide a little background information on the album for the DJs, recommend songs for airplay, and flag any tracks that violate FCC regulations.  I also help out with fundraising as I am doing now and tabling where I attend many shows and festivals to connect with current CHIRP listeners and introduce new people to the station.

CHIRP has become a big part of my life and I want to do everything I can to ensure the success of the station.  Unfortunately, running a nonprofit, noncommercial radio station isn’t cheap.  In addition to the regular rent, utilities, and streaming costs, the new FM transmitter costs about an additional $15,000 per year to maintain.  CHIRP heavily relies on donations from listeners and supporters like you, without you we would not exist! For those of you who have never heard the station before, please give us a listen on 107.1 FM on the north side or online at www.chirpradio.org.  If you like what you hear, please consider giving a $10, or even $5 donation.  No donation is too small and we are grateful for all of the support we can get!  Thank you so much!

Peace, love, and community radio,

Eric

Sending a Few Dollars to CHIRP Makes Good Sense!

CHIRP is a a listener-supported, volunteer-driven station. You make everything we do possible, whether it's supporting local artists, introducing you to tons of new music, throwing great events, or providing an outlet for your favorite DJ. Please make a gift supporting our fall fundraiser so we can continue this important work!

In this era, it's more important than ever to support independent media. No commercials. No voice-tracking. No algorithms. Just great music brought to you by true music fans.

If you would like to become a sustaining member by making a recurring donation (monthly or quarterly), or if you want to select a thank you gift, please visit CHIRP's main donation page to make your contribution (and don’t forget to enter the name of the CHIRP Volunteer or DJ in the “How did you hear about CHIRP” section so they can receive credit for your gift).