Another year, and the COVID-19 Pandemic is still here…

But so is the Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP). We continue to broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with live programming a minimum of 18 hours per day.

The audience for my show, “The Thursday Spin,” continues to grow. Nothing is more gratifying than receiving requests from new listeners or notes from long-time CHIRP fans. Because the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, I continue to livestream my show from my home studios in Chicago and Bradenton, Florida, often with my buddy Dexter (pictured above). I purchased the equipment to livestream at my own expense, because our listeners want to hear live DJs and I wanted to stay on the air. CHIRP is a huge part of my life. I have been a sustaining donor for nearly 10 years because CHIRP provides a vital service for Chicago’s music and entertainment community.

When the first wave of COVID-19 hit 18 months ago, CHIRP needed to go into survival mode. We canceled all live events, including our record fairs, which dried up vital sources of funding for the radio station.

Our listeners kept the station on the air with their generous donations, and I am pleased to report that CHIRP has started to appear at community festivals throughout the Chicago area, plus we will have a Record Fair Booth at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival. However, it still isn’t “business as usual.” Until the pandemic is defeated, things at CHIRP could change at a moment’s notice.

That’s why we need your help more than ever. Please donate to CHIRP’s Fall Fund-Raising Drive. Your tax-deductible donation helps keep the lights on and our transmitter humming on 107.1 FM in Chicago. Without your generous support, we would not have the livestreams, website and free apps that push our live programming and podcasts to every corner of the world.

My personal goal is to raise $1,071 during CHIRP’s Fall Campaign. If you donate to CHIRP and mention my name, I will match your generous gift dollar for dollar up to $500 total.

Please make your tax-deductible donation today, and be sure to make a song request, because I want to personally thank you during one of my upcoming shows.

See you this Thursday night at 10 PM CDT!!!

DJ MIKE 

CHIRP is your community radio station.

In these times, it's important to have things you can rely on in your life. Things that provide some consistency -- and hopefully, some joy! -- even when the rest of life is strange and too often, stressful.

Over the course of the past eighteen months, we hope that CHIRP has provided that source of happy reliability for you. We've been able to continue our work throughout the pandemic, always lifting up the voices of local artists and nonprofits, always commercial-free, and with live, passionate, curious DJs, because of your generous support.

If you believe in this work, and if you're able, we hope you'll support the station with a gift today.

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).