2008
BENEFIT
STATIONS

INDEPENDENT RADIO
STATIONS: THE PURPOSE
BEHIND FREE YR RADIO

Hooking up communities with heaps of great music generally ignored on commercial stations, independent radio celebrates all that’s innovative and daring. As independent stations operate as non-profits, listener and community support is vital. So, to help independent radio continue to thrive, Yaris and Urban Outfitters again join together to Free Yr Radio.

This year, Free Yr Radio is back with even bigger plans to help keep independent radio alive and kicking. We’re helping out some new stations in some new cities, as well as a few friends from last year, so browse around and get to know our 2008 benefit stations--these are the folks that keep your airwaves interesting!

IN THE BACKGROUND:
GOODmatters Photo Booth Yaris in the Philly Naval Yards
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Good Matters!!!

GOOD Magazine has teamed up with Free Yr Radio to help spread the word about the importance of independent radio. People from around the country jumped into our GOODmatters Yaris photo booth on wheels to show their face in support of great music.

Check out all the photo strips here.

IN THE BACKGROUND:
!!! FOR OHIO.FM
AT URBAN OUTFITTERS
COLUMBUS, OH 6.14.2008
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!!! for OHIO.FM in Columbus

The Free Yr Radio concert series continued with an amazing show by !!!, all to benefit internet station OHIO.FM in Columbus. More than 250 people showed up for the free show and we were joined by the fine folks at Ice Cream Man, who gave away 350 ice creams. We believe some lucky people took two...

IN THE BACKGROUND:
WHITE WILLIAMS
AT URBAN OUTFITTERS
BOSTON, MA 5.21.2008
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White Williams for WERS in Boston

White Williams kicked off the 2008 Free Yr Radio concert series with a free performance featuring tunes from his recent album Smoke for WERS in Boston. DJs and volunteers from WERS chatted with people waiting in line, discussing the importance of independent radio and talking about WERS as an integral part of the Boston community. They even had WERS lip balm to give out!

IN THE BACKGROUND:
YEASAYER
AT LA ZONA ROSA
AUSTIN, TX 03.12.2008
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Yeasayer for KVRX at SXSW Launch

Yeasayer took the middle spot at our SXSW party, giving us an incredible set featuring songs off their debut album, All Hour Cymbals. (If you have not yet purchased this album, what are you waiting for?!?!) They’ll be joining us again in the Twin Cities to benefit The Current.

IN THE BACKGROUND:
FREE YR RADIO BROADCAST CORNER HOSTED BY THE CURRENT
AUSTIN, TX 03.2008
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Free Yr Radio Broadcast Corner hosted by The Current

Our friends and Twin Cities partner station, The Current, played host to the Free Yr Radio Broadcast Corner. The three intense days of live broadcasts at SXSW included more than 20 bands from hyped new artists like White Williams to old favorites like Billy Bragg. We all braved the scorching heat, but seeing our favorite artists perform in such an intimate venue was well worth it!

IN THE BACKGROUND:
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO
AT LA ZONA ROSA
AUSTIN, TX 03.12.2008
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Simian Mobile Disco for KVRX at SXSW Launch March 12, 2008

For the late night set at our SXSW party, Simian Mobile Disco took over the stage, treating the crowd to one of the most crazy awesome light shows we’ve ever seen. As Simian Mobile Disco’s electronic beats hypnotized the crowd, the scene transformed into a frenetic dance party.

IN THE BACKGROUND:
TIMES NEW VIKING & DJ DAVE P
AT LA ZONA ROSA DURING SXSW
AUSTIN, TX 03.12.2008
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Times New Viking & DJ Dave P for KVRX at SXSW Launch, March 12, 2008

At SXSW, we celebrated the return of Free Yr Radio with an amazing party at La Zona Rosa. Co-hosted by our friends (and partner Austin station) KVRX, we were treated to some unforgettable performances. As the evening kicked into gear, DJ Dave P spun records before Times New Viking’s set of catchy lo-fi distortion wowed the crowd.

IN THE BACKGROUND:
ANNUALS
AT URBAN OUTFITTERS
DURHAM, NC 5.9.07
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Annuals for WKNC

One of the best parts of the 2007 concert series was getting bands to play a free show in their hometown. The Annuals\' homecoming show to support Raleigh\'s WKNC was especially memorable.

IN THE BACKGROUND:
SONIC YOUTH
AT URBAN OUTFITTERS
SANTA MONICA, CA 7.21.07
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Sonic Youth & Dntel
for KXLU
Santa Monica, CA
July 21, 2007

No doubt the most anticipated show of the 2007 Free Yr Radio concert series, Sonic Youth performed a benefit for Los Angeles\' KXLU. As an added bonus, we got KXLU alumnus Jimmy Tamborello from Dntel and The Postal Service to kick it all off with a sweet DJ set.

IN THE BACKGROUND:
MAN MAN
AT URBAN OUTFITTERS
BOULDER, CO 5.19.07
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Man Man for KGNU
Boulder, CO
May 19, 2007

Man Man is one of the more unique bands around today. After touring with Modest Mouse, Man Man drove out to Boulder to play a wild free show benefiting KGNU.

IN THE BACKGROUND:
ROGUE WAVE
AT URBAN OUTFITTERS
SANTA CRUZ, CA 5.25.07
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Rogue Wave for KZSC
Santa Cruz, CA
May 25, 2007

Performing in support of Santa Cruz's KZSC, Rogue Wave's intimate set concluded with a track that can be found on our 2007 benefit compilation. It's one of our favorites as Zach Rogue makes a plea for the audience to support independent radio!

IN THE BACKGROUND:
TAPES 'N TAPES
AT URBAN OUTFITTERS
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 6.5.07
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Tapes'N Tapes for
The Current
Minneapolis, MN
June 5, 2007

Tapes 'N Tapes are currently one of Minneapolis' most celebrated indie bands. The guys have played benefits for 89.3 The Current before, but they still jumped at the chance to do it all again for Free Yr Radio.

IN THE BACKGROUND:
THE LONG WINTERS
AT URBAN OUTFITTERS
SEATTLE, WA 5.1.07
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The Long Winters
for KEXP
Seattle, WA
May 1, 2007

KEXP has always championed local band The Long Winters. On the first day of May last year, The Long Winters gave back by playing an unforgettable set at the Capitol Hill Urban Outfitters in Seattle.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2008: Philly Photos and Recap Are Up!      FRIDAY, AUGUST 08, 2008: Twin Cities Photo Strip Images Up!      WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2008: Seattle Photo Strip Images Up!      TUESDAY, JULY 29, 2008: Free Yr Radio Announces Latest Concert Dates      TUESDAY, JUNE 03, 2008: Boston Photo Strip Images Up!      TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2008: Big Free Yr Radio Announcement!!!      WEDNESDAY, APRIL 09, 2008: You Could Win A Yaris! Visit FreeYrRadio.com/win-yaris.html to enter the sweepstakes and read the official rules.     

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KEXP is an influential, non-commercial radio station based in Seattle and supported through financial contributions from listeners and businesses worldwide. Over the last three decades, KEXP has built a reputation as a champion of new and emerging artists and musical forms.

Today, KEXP programs a rare mix of music spanning multiple genres. The station brings listeners more than 400 exclusive live performances each year from the KEXP studios, as well as remote broadcasts from cities across the country including New York, Chicago, Austin and Portland.

KEXP has a mission to enrich people’s lives by providing a wide array of music and by exploring, developing and applying relevant technology to deepen and extend musical experiences. Listeners enjoy KEXP at 90.3 FM in Seattle, now at 91.5 FM Radio New York and around the world at KEXP.org and BLOG.KEXP.org.

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KVRX 91.7 FM is the student radio station for the University of Texas at Austin, and Austin's only student-run station. KVRX's motto is "None of the Hits, All of the Time"; they strive to play music you won't hear anywhere else, which includes independent and local music from a variety of genres. KVRX also features community, news and sports programming with a student perspective.

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Wherever it's heard - on the radio, online or through an iPod - The Current brings listeners the best authentic new music alongside music that explores roots and influences. The Current began broadcasting in 2005 as a non-commercial, member-supported radio station based in Minneapolis / St. Paul. Since then, the station has grown into a far-reaching community with members and listeners joining in from around the world. Tune in today to hear why they say Great Music Lives Here.

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KUSF® broadcasts at 90.3 FM in San Francisco, CA and streams online at KUSF.org
- Initial broadcast: April 25, 1977
- Licensed to: The University of San Francisco
- Programming: Community Service, New Music, Fine Arts, Multicultural

A Few Awards KUSF has Received:
- Recipient of the National Association of College Broadcasters' 1994 National College Radio Award for "Best Creative Production"
- National Association of College Broadcasters' 1993-94 "College Station of the Year"
- Attache magazine names KUSF one of the 20 best U.S. radio stations, July 2000

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KUCI was conceived in 1968 by engineering student Craig Will and was later turned over to Earl Arbuckle, KUCI's first Chief Engineer. "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies was the first song played. On November 25, 1969 KUCI was granted its official broadcast license, transmitting 10 watts of power at 89.9 FM.

In 1972 KUCI offered its first news broadcast, while in 1974 the station began broadcasting 24 hours a day. In the spring of 1979, an article in Billboard Magazine mentioned that KUCI airs jazz programming. September 1991, the FCC granted approval for the station to increase its power to 200 watts stereo, allowing KUCI to broadcast to more of Orange County and securing its place on the dial for future generations.

KUCI takes pride in setting trends, and in 1996 the station became one of the first to broadcast its signal over the Internet, opening KUCI up to a worldwide potential listening audience. As KUCI enters a new decade and a new millennium, the focus of the staff will be to continue to discover innovative and underrepresented music and information and to bring it commercial-free to Orange County and the world.

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WPRB 103.3 FM is a community-supported, non-profit, student-run station that broadcasts 14,000 Watts of independent rock, jazz, and classical programming throughout New Jersey and the Philadelphia metro area. WPRB's online web stream attracts listeners from all around the globe. Founded in 1940 and located on the Princeton University campus, WPRB is the oldest college FM radio station in the country. Their underlying philosophy is best summed up in the title of their longest-running program, "Music You Can't Hear on the Radio."

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- WERS was founded in 1949 and became the First Non-Commercial Station in New England.
- The signal reaches all of the greater Boston area, including parts of Rhode Island and New Hampshire, and internationally, through iTunes and their website.
- The station has approximately 150,000 listeners each week.
- There are about 90 students who work at WERS each semester.
- Recent graduates include Kristen Kissenger heard now on Afternoon Drive at 92.9 KZZU in Spokane, Washington and Cindy Howes as the host of “Morning Mix” on WYEP 91.3 in Pittsburgh, PA.
- Past guests to the WERS Live Mix Studio include: Damian Marley, Regina Spektor, Willie Nelson, Tori Amos, members of Wu-Tang and more.
- There are only 5 full-time staff members – General Manager, Operations Manager, Chief Engineer, Membership Coordinator, and Underwriting Director.

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KRCL is a listener-supported, community radio station broadcasting at 90.9FM in Salt Lake City and Park City, 90.5 in Logan, UT and worldwide via web stream at krcl.org. KRCL presents everything from indie to world, reggae to bluegrass, and is spiced with some local public affairs and the award winning Democracy Now!

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In the early 1970's, WVKR Vassar College Radio was born. Starting as an AM current carrier station, WVKR broadcast up to twenty-one hours per day via a campus-only closed circuit. With the emergence of broad popularity for FM broadcasting, Vassar petitioned for and was granted an FCC license to switch to FM and broadcast on 91.3 MHz over an 18 mile radius via a 10 watt transmitter. Since 1994, WVKR has been broadcasting at 3400 watts and the transmitter sits on the west side of the Hudson River. In addition to Vassar students, DJs also come from the surrounding community. WVKR’s mission is "to promote music not heard elsewhere and to serve the community interest through eclectic radio programming". Via broadcast, WVKR has been heard in five states (NY, MA, CT, NJ, and PA). Via webcast from the WVKR home page, people in Japan, Sweden, Brazil, and outposts unknown have tuned in for WVKR’s great programming.

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Miami is known for it's rich diversity and infamous party culture. University of Miami's student radio station WVUM, broadcasting on 90.5 FM and the world on wvum.org, follows suit with an eclectic mix of music, thought provoking news and comprehensive coverage of campus sports. Current musical obsessions include underground disco, minimal techno, mind bending indierock and forward thinking hip-hop supplemented by specialty shows specializing in jazz, world music, dark wave, vintage retrospectives, progrock and psych. Always active and represented in the community, WVUM was The Miami New Time's pick for best radio station in 2007, and won the reader's choice the year before.

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OHIO.FM is an emerging broadcaster poised to ignite the Columbus music scene. Highlighting artists selected exclusively by a diverse group of student DJs, OHIO.FM is your source for the best new music from across the street — and across the pond.

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KIWR is a 100,000 watt non-commercial radio station owned by Iowa Western Community College. It is like no other college or commercial radio station; they are an Alternative radio station that leans Active Rock and spotlights the local/regional music scene.

KIWR has several specialty shows that put the emphasis need to Indie, AAA, Metal, Jam Band, Punk Rock, Electronic and Trance as well as Christian music, Blues, Jazz and Folk. One of the station's biggest highlights each summer is River Riot, KIWR's outdoor festival that is in its 5th year with over 18,000 in attendance in 2007.