CHIRP: Chicago Independent Radio Project

CHIRP is launching a new web station…and you can help!
Posted by Shawn C. on June 3, 2008 around 10pm

CHIRP has decided to move forward with its biggest project so far.

As we’ve continued with our efforts to make sure we’ll eventually be able to bring a brand new low power FM signal to Chicago, we’ve always assumed that the station’s webstream would be crucial. That’s why we’ve decided to go ahead and launch a web version of CHIRP radio. This station will be dedicated to great under-appreciated music across genres and eras, and will have a true commitment to Chicago’s diverse music and arts scenes. We hope to start it later this summer.

But we can’t start this new station without your help. We hope many of you will become founding members of CHIRP radio. You can do this in a couple of ways:
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What you can do to stop the Chicago Promoters Ordinance
Posted by Shawn C. on May 12, 2008 around 8am

The Chicago City Council has fast-tracked its new version of a measure first introduced last year to greatly impede independent promoters attempting to hold events in the city. Under the proposed law, independent promoters would have to acquire a promoter’s license at a cost of up to $2000 every two years, obtain liability insurance for every event thrown, even if the presenting venue already has liability insurance, be fingerprinted and background checked, and maintain extensive records of each event. The ordinance allegedly is intended to prevent disasters like the one that occurred in the E2 nightclub several years ago, but really would just put many small indies out of business.
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Nothing like the music biz…
Posted by Shawn C. on April 20, 2008 around 11pm

I just read Dan Kennedy’s book about working for Warner Music Group this weekend, and it’s simultaneously funny and depressing. The title ultimately ended up as ‘Rock On,’ but I’m more a fan of one of the names he listed in the appendix, ‘We Sit in Expensive Chairs, Guessing What Might Fascinate You.’

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Hey, hey, it’s record store day!
Posted by Shawn C. on April 19, 2008 around 12pm

Just a week after the CHIRP Record Fair and Other Delights, vinyl-loving folks across America are paying tribute to the local independent record store. It’s Record Store Day. Our good friends at Laurie’s Planet of Sound are celebrating with exclusive vinyl releases and Jon Langford bagging the goods behind the counter, while the cats and kittens at Permanent Records have live sets by Grand Ole Party and Purricane at 3, and the 2nd Annual Zaireeka Party later tonight at 7.

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Illinois comes through with FCC comments
Posted by Shawn C. on April 11, 2008 around 12am

Now that the FCC comment filing period has ended, I wanted to say thanks to all of you who filed in support of CHIRP and community radio. Illinois generated 758 comments on low power FM, many of them from CHIRP members and friends. Your comments will be taken into consideration as the FCC considers its next moves on LPFM. It’s great to know we can count on you guys to help us out.

Send the FCC your comments on prioritizing new LPFM translators
Posted by Shawn C. on April 4, 2008 around 9am

Monday, April 7th is the deadline for FCC comments on prioritizing new LPFMs over translators. If you haven’t already written one, please file a comment encouraging the FCC to support LPFM at this link or by clicking the banner on the left of the page.

Don’t forget to include a line or two about CHIRP (call it by its full name - The Chicago Independent Radio Project) and your involvement. It really does make it more effective if you fill in a personal sentence or two and mention our group, rather than just sending the Prometheus message as is.

Also, please forward links to friends and family and ask them to comment too.

Thanks!

Rahm Emanuel signs on to the Local Community Radio Act
Posted by Shawn C. on April 4, 2008 around 9am

Remember back when we told you about the trip we took to Washington DC back in February to lobby for low power FM? We met with staff members for both our Senators and three Representatives (one of whom - Jan Schakowsky - was already a sponsor of our bill, the Local Community Radio Act).

Well, since that time, both Senators Durbin and Obama have signed on as cosponsors of the bill in the Senate, and now Congressman Rahm Emanuel has signed on as a cosponsor on the House side!
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