CHIRP: Chicago Independent Radio Project

So…weren’t you starting a new radio station or something?
Posted by Shawn C. on September 27, 2008 around 10am

Perhaps you’ve been wondering about this new radio station you’ve been hearing so much about from CHIRP. Well, here’s the skinny. We’ll be moving into our new space at the amazing Dank-Haus in Lincoln Square in October. But it’s not just a matter of plugging in a few pieces of equipment and going live. Our next step will be building out studios inside our space, and we’re thrilled to have two masters in that art handling the job for us — Bob Weston and Lee Diamond.

We’ll spend the next few months building the studios, installing and testing the equipment, setting up our streaming arrangements, and getting our great corps of DJs trained and ready to go. Then we’ll go live on the web at CHIRPradio.org. We don’t have a solid launch date, but we anticipate it being sometime between November and January.
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Independent Journalism Under Attack: Democracy Now host Amy Goodman arrested
Posted by Jenny L. on September 2, 2008 around 4pm

Amy Goodman, legendary independent journalist and host of the “Democracy Now” radio program, was arrested in St. Paul Monday. Two of her producers, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, were covering a protest outside the convention center when they became entangled in a skirmish between police and protesters. Goodman was on the convention floor when she heard they were arrested, and rushed down to speak with police, when she was arrested.
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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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Chicago Promoter’s Ordinance Tabled…but for how long?
Posted by Dustin D. on May 13, 2008 around 2pm

The Chicago Promoter’s Ordinance has been tabled for now — but it will eventually make it to a vote in some form.

Thank you to everyone who contacted their alderman about this issue — but this is not the end of the effort. If you have not written to or called your alderman, you should still do so to make sure your opinions are heard. It’s especially important for aldermen to hear personal experiences from anyone who has thrown small shows in Chicago, or who has otherwise been involved in promoting (or even attending) smaller events.

Find your alderman here
Sign the petition here

Time Out Chicago reports that efforts from the Chicago music community made a big impact in stalling the law.
Chicagoist reports that the promoter’s ordinance has been tabled.
Also, here’s the latest from Jim DeRogatis
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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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CHIRP’s response to Chapter 4-157 Promoters Ordinance
Posted by Jenny L. on May 9, 2008 around 4pm

In response to Chapter 4-157, the “Promoters’ Ordinance”, which was recently presented by the Chicago City Council, the officers board of the Chicago Independent Radio Project drafter a letter of opposition.

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Why does the Chicago City Council Hate Music So Much?
Posted by Dustin D. on May 7, 2008 around 2pm

Back in 2000, the City of Chicago passed what has lovingly been referred to as the “anti rave ordinance”, which essentially made it possible for property owners, promoters and DJs to be fined up to $10,000 for being involved in an unlicensed dance party.

Promoters were outraged, but wide spread enforcement was never really seen.

Last year, the City Council tried to push through an all new “promoters ordinance” that was delayed once music activists caught wind of it. Like most things, of course this wasn’t the last we’d hear of it.
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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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