The Future of Community Radio in Chicago (SEND HELP!)

Hey kids,

As many of you know, John Duggan and I host the Friday night punk and hardcore show on WLUW 88.7 fm here in Chicago. For the last ten years, Underground Communique (formerly known as Government Music) has been the "Friday Night Tradition" for many many punk rock kids in Chicago and up until recently, we were hoping that we'd be around for at least another ten. Some of you may have heard that Loyola University is taking back control of WLUW from it's current management (WBEZ, Chicago's NPR station). You may have also heard that they're planning on turning the radio station into a "lab" for students in their new School of Communication. As it stands right now, I don't know what the future of the radio show is. All I know is that we'll be around until at least June of 2008 (and if there is a last show, I think Denis Buckley will be asked to come and guest DJ... figure we mind as well go out with a bang and rack up some FCC fines for the Loyola :p).

WLUW serves the punk community in a very unique way. There's THREE punk shows, covering different facets of the scene and although there is over lap sometimes, for the most part there has always been a strong presence of (as Darius Hurley calls it) "extreme rock n roll" on the air waves. Without this voice, the alternative will be a far more pedestrian version of punk rock elsewhere on the dial. Personally, I can't get excited about "All Ages Radio" or "Fast and Loud." Neither of those shows really connect to the real underground sound of diy punk.

Anyway, right now, all I ask of you is, if you listen to WLUW, whether or not to my show, contact the school and let them know how much a community radio station benefits Chicago and how much it means to you. Also, make sure you let them know that it's bullshit that they're letting Shawn Campbell and Craig Kois go. They're the program director and station manager (respectively) who built the station as we know it. I'm not into putting out rally cries or calls to action like this very often, but this is something I believe in and something I care about.

If you want to contact Loyola University about this, here's a link to the office of the President: http://www.luc.edu/president/index.shtml
There's a mailing address and a phone number.

please please take 5 seconds and sign this:
http://www.freepress.net/lpfm/

WLUW 88.7 Listener supported community radio is being taken over by loyola university so they can have a "lab" for thier students- consequently leaving over 200 passionate volunteers and dedicated community shows and independent music programming out in the cold.
The only way to save this kind of radio is if legislation is passed to license low power FM stations. Please sign this petition, contact your representatives and help save the last good radio left in this city.

Thanks,

Chris