Blugold Radio 99.9FM, home of local and national independent music in West Central Wisconsin, will kick off its first sustaining member drive on Tuesday, November 28th. The drive will run till Friday, December 8th or until the goal of 300 new sustaining members is reached.
While it is housed on the UW Eau Claire campus and hosted by students through high impact learning experiences, the station receives no direct operational support from the UW system. And, unlike public radio, Blugold Radio does not receive any state or federal support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Up to this point, Blugold Radio has been funded by startup grants, which will not be available for the young station in the 2018 fiscal year.
Listener support for Blugold Radio provides day-to-day operational support for their high-powered radio signal covering much of West Central Wisconsin, their web stream at BlugoldRadio.org, and their station management 365 days a year.
Since its inception in July of 2016, Blugold Radio 99.9FM has become a hub for the local music community. Not only have they provided the home for music created in the region, they have also worked to promote the concerts and venues which support the musical community.
Additionally, Blugold Radio 99.9 FM has become known for events such as Prex Claires, River Prairie Revelry, and Partyup – A Prince Tribute. These events not only showcased the works of some great artists, they also reached a diverse audience who oftentimes experienced various local artists for the first time.
Collaborations with the Chippewa Valley Museum, Chippewa Valley Writers Guild, Eaux Claires Music Festival and the Confluence Arts Center have also been core to Blugold Radio’s mission. They have also been key to producing radio dramas, field recordings, and public history podcasts on the history of the Chippewa Valley Music Community.
“We are proud to support so many great things in this region,” says Station Manager Scott Morfitt, “Blugold Radio is becoming a resource to so many aspects of this community. We are asking for community support so this resource can be sustainable into the future.”
To support Blugold Radio go to BlugoldRadio.org/give, the studio line715-836-5570 will also be open 10am to 5pm Monday through Friday. Or, if people prefer they may email scott@www.convergeradio.org for more information.