It seems unbelievable, but 2025 marks CHIRP's 15th anniversary.

So much has happened since I played, "Thank You Friends" and launched the station at chirpradio.org on January 17, 2010:

• We passed a bill through Congress that allowed us to get our broadcast license -- and for more than 1000 other nonprofits across the country to get LPFM licenses.
• We survived a crazy flood - on the third floor!
• We launched our broadcast at 107.1FM
• We celebrated the 20th anniversary of the CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights
• We created the CHIRP Music Film Festival, Both Sides Now, and Chicago Independents' Day
• We've played music by thousands of local artists, many getting their first-ever radio airplay (we played music by more than 1900 different local artists in 2024 alone).
• Our long-running series', CHIRP Night at the Whistler and The First Time are also celebrating fifteen years
• We renovated both studios and doubled our workspace last year
• We're rebuilding our website and mobile apps from the ground up this year
• Two CHIRP marriages, many CHIRP babies, and an untold number of friendships

It's that last one that I want to talk about this time around. More than 1000 volunteers have come through CHIRP in the past fifteen years, and so many relationships have been built. I'm a true believer in radio's ability to help us feel connected via the airwaves, but radio can also create amazing in-person relationships.

People who've done college radio likely know what I'm talking about: there's just something about a radio station that often leads to forging the closest, longest-lasting relationships of your life, creating memories that you'll hold dear decades later. I know a lot of people assume that they won't experience anything like that again once they graduate, and I'm so happy that CHIRP is able to provide a much-needed slice of that radio magic to people in their adult lives.

CHIRP volunteers are amazing. They are passionate, committed, curious, and endlessly willing to help out. I started the station, but they are the force that keeps it going 24/7/365. I'm so grateful to them.

As we celebrate fifteen years of CHIRP, I'd be most appreciative if you could make a donation in support of live, local, independent, volunteer-driven radio. We need it right now, and it's your generous support that makes it all possible.

Help us celebrate fifteen years of CHIRP!

It's hard to believe that it's been a decade and a half since we launched the station! Some things have changed a lot, but what's stayed the same is our commitment to bringing you live, local, commercial-free music programming lovingly curated by our DJs every single day, plus dozens of events that showcase our city's diverse music, arts and cultural scenes.

In 2025 we're celebrating our history while looking to the future, including rebuilding our website and mobile app into a sleek integrated web app that we know you'll love.

We are a truly independent, listener-supported station. Your generosity has helped us thrive over the past fifteen years, and will keep us going for decades to come.

If you believe CHIRP contributes meaningfully to the musical and cultural life of Chicago and want to make sure the station stays strong, please make a donation to show your support today. 

IMPORTANT: 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 chirpradio.org/donatenow to make your contribution (and to give in support of the person making this post, be sure to type their full name in the "volunteer to credit" section so they can receive credit for your gift).

And if you're interested in joining CHIRP's major donor program, The Vinyl Circle, with a gift of $500 or above, please use this form.