Hollow Earth Radio — the budding nonprofit, community radio station based in the Central District — has launched an Indiegogo fundraising campaign to raise money for the transition from online-only to a fully fledged, licensed, low power FM radio station, broadcasting underrepresented music and voices across much of Central and South Seattle.
So, why should you consider throwing your money into the $25,000 campaign? 61 people have so far, donating just over $3,800 and putting the nonprofit on pace for just barely making its goal.
Having obtained its low power FM license from the Federal Communications Commission back in 2014 (the official broadcast license is for 100.3 KHUH), Hollow Earth is now hoping to raise $25,000 or more by February to purchase equipment and pay permitting and licensing fees crucial to meeting their March deadline for getting on the air. Among the items needed are an antenna and transmitter (to be placed on a different roof somewhere in the Central District — other airwaves would interfere with an antenna located on the Hollow Earth Radio building), leasing the roof, city permit fees for the antenna, a studio-to-transmitter link, and music royalty fees.
Founded in 2007 by Garrett Kelly and Amber Kai Morgan, Hollow Earth Radio has strived to serve as an accessible, community driven, free-form forum for underrepresented voices and music in Seattle, particularly in the Central District, Seattle’s historically African American (and quickly gentrifying) neighborhood. Some of Hollow Earth’s shows include Black Living Room (which Amir Islam describes as “super unapologetically black” in a new Hollow Earth Radio fundraising campaign video) and Central Sounds, a show which focuses on the cultural and artistic legacy of the Central District. The station also prides itself on not requiring its volunteers or DJs to have past experience in radio to get involved.
Assuming everything goes as planned and the necessary money is raised, Hollow Earth Radio’s broadcasts will reach listeners across the Central District, Capitol Hill, and as far south as Georgetown and Seward Park.
“We’re very excited,” said Carly Dunn, a volunteer coordinator at Hollow Earth Radio who has been with the station for several years. “[But] we really need help right now.”
And that $25,000 is the barebones figure needed. “We’re hoping for a minimum of $25,000,” Dunn, adding that Hollow Earth Radio would like to be able to pay a few part time employees to manage the day-to-day operations (currently, the station is entirely volunteer run). “That [the $25,000] still doesn’t cover a lot of necessary things but it does cover an antenna, and a transmitter.”
Hollow Earth Radio risks losing its FM license if they can’t meet the March deadline. The station could apply for an extension with the FCC, but getting the extension approved isn’t guaranteed. The Indiegogo site will remain live past the March deadline, enabling people to continue donating. “ If worst came to worst we would just be completely out of the running,” said Dunn.
So far, the Indiegogo campaign has raised nearly $4,000 since its conception, which Dunn says is a “really good” response. “A lot of the people are people from the community, people who have played at the station, people who have been supporters of the station.”
Dunn says many of the contributions have been in the $250 range, which is encouraging. Hollow Earth Radio has also set up incentives to encourage larger donations, such as a personal DJ slot (and Hollow Earth merchandise) with a $250 donation, a Magma Festival pass for $75, and a “Swag Pack” (buttons, t-shirt, stickers) for $10. Hollow Earth Radio also plans to throw several fundraising events to help meet the $25,000 minimum, like the upcoming DIY Holiday Fair on December 13th at the Vera Project, where vendors, musicians, and crafters will rent out tables to showcase their work and a raffle. A fundraising DJ night and live music shows hosted at Hollow Earth Radio are also in the works as well, said Dunn.
Despite it being “crunch time” for Hollow Earth’s low power FM broadcasting ambitions, Dunn says she’s optimistic. “At first, it’s a pretty intimidating number … But hollow earth has been around since 2007 and we’ve hosted so many bands and i feel like a lot of people know about us, most people in the music community know who we are. and in [our] media programing there is more orientation towards media justice.”
“I feel like it is something people want so hopefully they’ll help us along,” she said.
Dunn says that for those who don’t have access to computers and live-streaming of Hollow Earth’s shows online, finally getting the station FM operational will be a “symbolic” victory in the life and times of alternative radio broadcasting.
“In radio, it’s almost like the fight has been given up. Mainstream radio, it is what it is,” said Dunn. “But for us be able to have an FM frequency where we can have a free form radio station, it’s really a rare thing, and it’s really a special thing.”
You can give here and tune in at hollowearthradio.org.
