WRIR broadcasts more live music than any radio station in Richmond, and thanks to their new space — named “Studio C” — they’ll be able to showcase even more.
WRIR broadcasts more live music than any radio station in Richmond, and thanks to their new space — named “Studio C” — they’ll be able to showcase even more. However, WRIR FM 97.3 needs your help to raise $35,000 dollars to cover operating expenses in their latest fund drive.
“We’re ten years old, and we have a brand new ‘Studio C’ that several groups helped us raise money for, and we’re going to have 12 bands playing live in the new studio,” said coordinator and longtime volunteer Matt Zoller in the easiest breakdown imaginable for RVA’s 2015 Spring Fundrive.
Dedicated to broadcasting underrepresented music and news since its launch date on January 1, 2005, WRIR has been a leading platform for expression and diversity within the community of Richmond.
“We provide a platform for cultural diversity in Richmond. An awful lot of the programming decisions we make are based on what isn’t around in Richmond, and can we bring it to Richmond,” said Zoller. “Whether it’s Americana and Folk, or Hip-Hop and Jazz. Most radio stations will have one format; they’ll be classic rock or they’ll be country. We’re just all over, we play anything pretty much, except classical.”
Twice a year the station conducts an on-air fund drive in which they ask for listener contributions, which makes up the bulk of the money used to finance.
Starting on Friday, April 10th from 3 to 5 during the “Pop Goes the World” program, WRIR will kick off their latest fund drive, which lasts through the 21st. Over the course of that week and a half, over 12 bands will perform live during various programs, the times which can be in the below chart.
“The fund drives at WRIR, they’re just a lot of fun. There’s a lot of musicians and entertainers coming up to the station, there’s just a lot of excitement around fund drive time,” said Zoller, who has been volunteering since 2009. “At a lot of radio stations fund drives are these funereal things, but at WRIR it’s just a big ten day party.”
There’s never a shortage of opportunities for volunteers, and although WRIR has many they’re always looking for more.
“If somebody wants to get on the air as a DJ there’s a way they can do that, if someone wants to put on events and work with venues around town, like The Camel and Gallery 5, there’s opportunities there,” said Zoller. “The main thing is getting them in and finding something that matches their interests and desires.”
Unlike many stations, WRIR’s limited frequency makes it hyper-local, so it’s the perfect vehicle to be a major a part of the Richmond scene than.
“We’re not some radio conglomerate located of in Dallas or New York or something, we are very very local. Our focus is going to be on things that are going on in Richmond,” said Zoller. “We have programs like Activate with Mike Rust, he’s been doing that for years. His entire program is based on playing music from artists that are going to be playing in Richmond in the coming week. Whether they’re local bands or they’re national acts, he’ll have some focus on that. It’s very home-grown radio.”
To support WRIR 97.3 FM, listeners may donate online at wrir.org, call the station at 804-622-9747, or visit the studios at 1621-B West Broad Street – on the south side of Broad, just west of Lombardy Street, above the Camel.
