Denver’s independent alternative radio station, Indie 101.5 (now Indie 303), is trying its hand at exclusive online broadcasting.
This shift from FM to online broadcasting was the result of many factors, management says that include a weak radio signal, no solid record of the listening demographic and a corporate structure that clashed with the business model of the radio station.
“We were trying something new, but from a company’s standpoint, why should they take the risk?” said John Wilbur, also known as DJ Whip.
The radio station was taken off the air and moved to an online stream Aug. 6. The frequency was taken over by a talk station also owned by the parent organization Denver Radio Company.
The 101.5 radio tower is located in Strasburg, Colo., which is almost 40 miles east of Denver. The sheer distance of the tower from the Denver area weakened the signal. Listeners were forced to cope with static throughout the city.
“It was a good enough tower,” Wilbur said.
Wilbur said he believes the majority of the station’s younger listeners weren’t willing to put up with the choppy signal.
“I think that older people, the people who grew up with AM radio, are more tolerant of a little bit of static,” he said.
Another contributing factor for the station’s transition was the inaccurate demographic information of Denver Radio Company. The Diary System, an industry means of tracking listeners, compensates listeners for keeping track of their weekly listening habits. Young adults, the station’s main audience, go largely unrepresented in these surveys.
“I believe Indie has a much stronger basis than our numbers show,” said Chris Randour, also known as DJ Ralphie.
The station is recognized as unconventional because it has strayed from the pop charts and instead focused on both the underground and local music scenes.
“We were breaking new music that wasn’t getting played on the charts,” Wilbur said.
All the staff was kept on payroll despite the transition. Less than a month into the switch, the station has already launched a beta version of their Web site that offers a 24-hour stream of the broadcast.
Still, some students like freshman Rachel Miner miss being able to tune in while driving.
“I’m a little annoyed that I can’t listen to it in my car anymore,” said Miner, a freshman international affairs major.
The station has been having difficulty convincing advertisers to invest in online radio because it is typically not part of people’s daily routines.
“It’s cool our company gave us a chance- we’re off to a good start – but it’s all about making money,” Wilbur said.
Listen to Indie 303 at http://indie303.com/.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Chris Atkinson at Christopher.j.atkinson@colorado.edu.
