Radio phoenix
Encyclopedia
Radio Phoenix is an independent, listener-supported, online community radio station serving the Phoenix, Arizona metro area. Launched on October 31, 2008, the station programs an eclectic format with a primary concentration on news and information content during the day while arts, cultural, and music content is the focus at night and on weekends. Unlike the majority of radio stations operating in the metro area, Radio Phoenix is unique because it is entirely managed by volunteers, including those serving as local on-air talent.
The primary goal of the station is to serve as a vehicle for facilitating increased engagement of marginalized and underrepresented populations within the larger community. Such groups include social and political progressives, persons of color, lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) persons, the poor, organized labor, and immigrants.
A secondary goal of the station is to expose listeners to viewpoints, cultures, and music not often available from commercial or mainstream public radio stations.
A select amount of the station's programming can be heard Sunday mornings from 6am to 8am on KVIT 90.7FM in Phoenix's southeast suburbs through a programming partnership with the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT).
In addition to its current online operations, the station is working towards expanding its coverage to include 24/7 broadcasts on FM radio pending approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It is owned by the Arizona Community Media Foundation (AzCMF), a 501(c)(3) public media organization.
In the summer of 2008, in an attempt to build upon the public interest in their proposed station and as a way to better engage existing volunteers, AzCMF launched a community podcasting project known as Radio Phoenix On Demand. As the project’s volunteer base grew, more and more participants desired to create long-form radio programs spotlighting and promoting independent music, most of which was copyrighted, and thus, expensive to obtain podcast licenses for. After researching affordable licensing options that would legally allow volunteers to create programs featuring copyrighted music, the AzCMF Board of Directors decided to create a new online radio station called Radio Phoenix, that would serve as a training ground for developing volunteers and talent for the organization’s long-term goal – operation of an FCC licensed FM station.
Radio Phoenix was launched at 6pm on Friday, October 31, 2008 with a broadcast of Pacifica Radio’s “Democracy Now!” program, followed by live, local talk and music programs hosted by volunteers.
On Sunday, September 4, 2011, Radio Phoenix began a programming partnership with KVIT 90.7FM, the radio station at the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) in Mesa, Arizona. Under the partnership, KVIT, which covers the southeast suburbs of metro Phoenix, airs a select amount of Radio Phoenix programming on weekends. Currently Radio Phoenix programming is heard at 90.7FM Sunday mornings from 6am to 8am.
named Radio Phoenix the "Best Online Music Station That Should Be a Radio Station"
The primary goal of the station is to serve as a vehicle for facilitating increased engagement of marginalized and underrepresented populations within the larger community. Such groups include social and political progressives, persons of color, lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) persons, the poor, organized labor, and immigrants.
A secondary goal of the station is to expose listeners to viewpoints, cultures, and music not often available from commercial or mainstream public radio stations.
A select amount of the station's programming can be heard Sunday mornings from 6am to 8am on KVIT 90.7FM in Phoenix's southeast suburbs through a programming partnership with the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT).
In addition to its current online operations, the station is working towards expanding its coverage to include 24/7 broadcasts on FM radio pending approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It is owned by the Arizona Community Media Foundation (AzCMF), a 501(c)(3) public media organization.
History
During the fall of 2007, the Arizona Community Media Foundation (AzCMF) applied for two of the last vacant full power FM frequencies available in Phoenix, Arizona – 88.7FM and 90.7FM. AzCMF applied for the frequencies with the intention of launching a new Phoenix-area community radio station similar to more established outlets in the Southwest region such as KGNU in Boulder/Denver, KRCL in Salt Lake City, and KXCI in Tucson. As time went on, the organization’s Board of Directors realized the FCC might take longer than expected to rule on the applications they filed and a long-term project was needed to keep the public and new volunteers engaged.In the summer of 2008, in an attempt to build upon the public interest in their proposed station and as a way to better engage existing volunteers, AzCMF launched a community podcasting project known as Radio Phoenix On Demand. As the project’s volunteer base grew, more and more participants desired to create long-form radio programs spotlighting and promoting independent music, most of which was copyrighted, and thus, expensive to obtain podcast licenses for. After researching affordable licensing options that would legally allow volunteers to create programs featuring copyrighted music, the AzCMF Board of Directors decided to create a new online radio station called Radio Phoenix, that would serve as a training ground for developing volunteers and talent for the organization’s long-term goal – operation of an FCC licensed FM station.
Radio Phoenix was launched at 6pm on Friday, October 31, 2008 with a broadcast of Pacifica Radio’s “Democracy Now!” program, followed by live, local talk and music programs hosted by volunteers.
On Sunday, September 4, 2011, Radio Phoenix began a programming partnership with KVIT 90.7FM, the radio station at the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) in Mesa, Arizona. Under the partnership, KVIT, which covers the southeast suburbs of metro Phoenix, airs a select amount of Radio Phoenix programming on weekends. Currently Radio Phoenix programming is heard at 90.7FM Sunday mornings from 6am to 8am.
Programming
Radio Phoenix offers free-format programming, broadcasting a wide variety of eclectic news, culture, and artistic programming.Awards
In 2009 the Phoenix New TimesPhoenix New Times
The Phoenix New Times is a free, weekly Phoenix, Arizona newspaper, put out every Thursday. It is the founding publication of the New Times Media , but The Village Voice is now the flagship publication of that company....
named Radio Phoenix the "Best Online Music Station That Should Be a Radio Station"