AshevilleFM launches community radio station today at 103.3 FM

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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asheville_fm_radio_station_2015Congratulations to the AshevilleFM crew! Awesome accomplishment. Press release here:

With great excitement, pride, and gratitude, we are thrilled to announce that103.3AshevilleFM, our newly licensed LPFM community radio station, will begin broadcasting across Buncombe County on Monday, May 18th, at 10:00 a.m.!  Hooray!

This is truly a momentous occasion, and a huge step forward for our all volunteer­-run, community radio station. Without our amazing volunteers, members, donors, underwriters, and the rest of the AshevilleFM community, this moment would not be possible. Thank you, and congratulations!

We’ve launched a new Indiegogo campaign for AshevilleFM to celebrate the inauguration of our on-air programming and to provide 103.3AshevilleFM with a boost as it begins broadcasting on Monday!

Can you make a tax-deductible donation right now to support AshevilleFM?

The 100­-watt signal, as permitted by FCC regulations, will transmit from our station’s antenna, which is located on top of the Hotel Indigo in downtown Asheville, resulting in a broadcast radius of approximately 10 miles.

The Asheville Citizen-Times published a front-page article in Saturday’s edition, announcing our exciting news, so be sure to pick up a copy! You can also read the article online here.

Thank you for your continued support, and remember to Tune In and Turn It Up! on 103.3AshevilleFM on Monday at 10:00 am.

In appreciation and celebration,

Board of Directors
Friends of Community Radio

Erik Mattox, President
Greg Lyon, Vice-President
Kim Roney, Treasurer
Bridget Elmer, Secretary
Will Sibbald

p.s. Chip in $25 or more to the station’s funding campaign and we’ll give you a shout-out on air!

Here’s another presser:

103.3AshevilleFM, a newly licensed community radio station, will begin broadcasting across Buncombe County on Monday, May 18th, at 10 a.m. The 100­-watt signal, as permitted by FCC regulations, will transmit from the station’s antenna, located on top of the Hotel Indigo in downtown Asheville. The transmission will result in a broadcast radius of approximately 10 miles. The station’s Low­-Power FM (LPFM) construction license was granted, an opportunity which had not been available since 2000.

103.3AshevilleFM is an all volunteer­-run, community radio station created by Friends of Community Radio, a 501(c)3 non­profit entity. The idea for AshevilleFM was hatched in early 2009, when radio lovers from Western North Carolina who wanted to hear community voices and programming reflective of the concerns and interests of their neighbors organized to start an online radio station with the hope of eventually obtaining a license to broadcast on the dial.

“Free­form radio isn’t being done anywhere else in Western North Carolina. It’s not Pandora. It’s not Spotify. It’s your neighbors choosing what to say and play on the airwaves – not a big corporation trying to sell you something,” says Kim Roney, station manager of AshevilleFM.

“The reason we can put Spanish-­language programming on the radio at 6 p.m. on a weekday, is because we’re not focused on target marketing for just one demographic, but on the needs and well­-being of our entire community. Free­form radio is a new concept for our community and that means jazz, hip-hop, or a local artist’s newest tape release can be heard in the same hour along with a news piece about immigration reform or a local perspective on world politics. AshevilleFM is a platform for our city to live, work, and play together.”

AshevilleFM has been broadcasting online since September 12th, 2009, and now receives an average of 1.7 million hits to the website each month with a global listenership. The station’s schedule currently broadcasts 52 locally-­produced weekly programs, curated and supported by more than 80 volunteers. The broadcast lineup includes:
The AFM News Hour, which includes­ city council reports, headlines from The Asheville Blade, non­profit information, candidate interviews, and policy news from a local, regional, and state level on Thursdays at 7 p.m.

Ultimate Twang, which ­spins the best in old-school country music, mostly on vinyl. Whether the year was 1993, 1973, or 1953, the memories return Thursdays from 4-7 p.m.

The Final Straw, an award-­winning, anarchist news program highlighting radical political, social, economic, and environmental issues with music from around the world on Sundays at 2 p.m.

Stank Free Radio, hosted by Cousin TL who puts together the “coolest playlist” each week, featuring today’s biggest names in Neo-Soul on Saturdays at 8 p.m.

YAY DJ is­ a team of DJs, all under the age of 18, on the air Saturdays at 11 a.m.

Democracy Now! is on AshevilleFM weekdays at 10 a.m.

The Wild Gardener, a segment with Peter Loewer, is a feature of the AFM News Hour and is a podcast on AshevilleFM.org.

“AshevilleFM hitting the airwaves will be an excellent addition to the music community that it wholeheartedly supports,” says Matt Schnable, co-owner of Harvest Records. “We were lucky to be part of (AshevilleFM’s) first simulcast at our five-year anniversary festival, Transfigurations, and I am very excited to watch and listen to the future endeavors of AshevilleFM as it blossoms!”

The station’s connection to supporters, non-profits, and local businesses are imperative to the success of 103.3AshevilleFM. “Over the last year we raised almost $30,000 from hundreds of folks – from business owners to community members across Western North Carolina– all to support a change in broadcast radio as well as our mission to provide everyone in the listening area a voice on the radio,” says Friends of Community Radio Board president, Erik Mattox. “We’re proud to now be able to share our gift of community radio with more people.”

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

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2 Comments

  1. Jessica May 26, 2015

    I’m so excited for my friend Michele Scheve and her Slumber Party show on Wednesdays! Now I can pick it up in my car. YAY!

    Reply
  2. burnsey May 19, 2015

    Congratulations Asheville FM!

    Reply

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