The long wait is finally over, and after two and a half years of blood, sweat and tears, the Chicago Independent Radio Project will launch an online radio station this Sunday January 17th at noon! Chicago's only non-profit, volunteer-run, music-, arts-, and culture-focused radio station, CHIRPradio.org will broadcast live from studios in North Center from 6am to 3am seven days a week, 365 days a year - a remarkable feat for a group of music lovers, radio veterans and media activists who built the station step by step, literally and figuratively, all by themselves!
Emily, Elizabeth and I have all been involved with CHIRP since it's inception, and believe that community radio stations are a crucial part of a thriving democratic society. With a handful of large media conglomerates controlling nearly everything on the airwaves, few alternatives exist where alternative viewpoints and music can be heard. Access to the airwaves is a feminist issue - women comprise 51 percent of the country's population, but own just 6 percent of full power radio stations, according to a report from Free Press. In contrast, low power FM radio stations are run by community organizations, and tend to have far more diverse leadership and membership. (Fun fact: All of CHIRP's officers are women!) As CHIRP continues to advocate for the expansion of low power FM radio, they're going online to serve the community now with CHIRPradio.org.
Not only have the three ladies of WOW dedicated many hours of our life to CHIRP in the last few years, we're going to be on air as well! I'll be on every Sunday from 3pm to 6pm, and Emily will be on every Tuesday from 6pm to 9pm. Elizabeth won't be on air for now, but remains a CHIRP supporter too. We especially hope that those of you who listened to us on our previous radio station, WLUW, will follow us over to CHIRP and check out what we're up to these days!
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