WRIR-LP

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[edit] History

WRIR Richmond Indie Radio is a non-commercial, low-powered radio station that broadcasts in Richmond, Virginia. The station went on the air on January 1, 2005. According to interviews that station creator Christopher Maxwell has given, it was a project that took twelve years to complete. After a visit with the program director of WCVE-FM, the local NPR affiliate in 1992, Maxwell attempted to convince management to continue broadcasting NPR's "Talk of the Nation" (which it had temporarily carried during the 1991 Gulf War) along with more community-oriented programming. The station, which primarily broadcast (and continues to broadcast) classical music, decided to continue with a music-oriented approach. According to Maxwell, the Program Director told him to start his own radio station to broadcast the programs WCVE wouldn't.

Maxwell began collecting donations and equipment, as well as support in the community all throughout the 1990s and early years of the 21st century. Maxwell also attempted in the mid 90's to get a full power station on the air, but the American Family Association won the license. He also worked with legislators such as Senator John McCain, as well as the Prometheus Radio Project to encourage the FCC to create Low Power FM licenses. In 2001, the FCC opened up frequencies all over the country to small community organizations so they might operate locally-oriented 100 watt radio stations. After the LPFM licenses were permitted, Maxwell made parterships with the existing non-profit organization, the Virginia Center for the Public Press, as well as Radio Free Richmond, an internet-based radio station.

By late 2004, WRIR, as the station was now called, had over 50 volunteers and an FCC construction permit, which allowed for test broadcasts. The permit would expire on December 31, however, if the station was not up and running. Former publisher of Punchline Magazine (a popular alternative weekly throughout the 1990s) Liz Scrobeszewski was also brought on board around this time to raise the much-needed financial donations and undewriting accounts.

On election day 2004, WRIR ran its first full-power test broadcast--a recorded debate between candidates for the office of the mayor. The broadcast was made with a very short antenna mast, but the signal reached throughout Richmond's Fan District and beyond.

Just before Christmas 2004, WRIR volunteers raised their first permanent full-sized antenna mast. The station immediately went on the air and began equipment tests and dry-run volunteer training. Many of the volunteers involved with the station had never been involved with radio before and had to learn the various equipment as they went along-on the air.

But by New Year's Eve, most of the kinks were worked out, and at midnight, with the crowd at a New Year's Eve Hotel X WRIR benefit show counting down the final seconds of 2004, Christopher Maxwell called into the station and was patched through on the air, officially signing on WRIR.

[edit] The Station Today

Presently, WRIR is well known for its continued involvement with and promotion of community events. WRIR is still all-volunteer (there are over a hundred volunteers now), and completely supported by community donations and local underwriting. WRIR broadcasts on the air at 97.3 MHz FM, as well as on the internet. Many programs are also available for podcast.

Programs heard on WRIR now range from all different genres of music to nationally syndicated programs--including NPR's "Talk of the Nation"--to WRIR's own Richmond Independent Radio News. In September 2005, WRIR was awarded the Theresa Pollack Award for Arts Innovator, and station founder Christopher Maxwell was named one of Style Weekly's "Top 40 Under Forty" most influential Richmonders.

On March 15, 2007, WRIR installed a new higher antenna atop on the roof of The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority's Fredrick A. Fay Towers at 1202 N. First Street. This expanded WRIR's coverage to the maximum FCC limit allowed, which covers the Richmond city limits.