North Center's CHIRP Radio Featured in Wired Magazine

The North Center-based online radio station Chicago Independent Radio Project—or CHIRP—is changing the face of local radio, and Wired Magazine has taken notice.

The publication recently featured CHIRP in a full-length article, showing the faces behind the radio station at 4045 N. Rockwell St. But with an upcoming change by the Federal Communications Commission slated for later this year, Wired’s article took a timely twist.

The FCC is expected to release FM radio licenses to nonprofit organizations, like CHIRP, that want to start broadcasting low-powered radio stations. In the end, cities like Chicago could be sprinkled with tons of 100-watt transmitters, Wired notes, in an attempt to bring back some local diversity to radio.

Shawn Campbell, the founder and manager of CHIRP, says the number one question she gets is when the station will broadcast both online and on the airwaves, Wired writes. With the FCC’s upcoming, and very competitive expansion, listeners might be in for a treat.

“The broadcast dial is finite, as opposed to the internet, which is almost infinite,” Campbell said. “People are more likely to stumble on you.” Besides, she said, “You can’t assume everyone who wants to listen to you online is able to.”

Read Wired Magazine’s full story here.