Barnraisings

Barnraisings are our favorite way to build a radio station. In the spirit of the Amish barnraising tradition, in which an entire community gathers to support one family and build together, Prometheus holds radio barnraisings to build community along with stations. These events bring together local station volunteers with low power radio advocates from around the region and sometimes the world. Engineers, students, journalists, lawyers, musicians, activists and other folks gather to build a studio, raise an antenna mast, and put the station on air for the first time - all over the course of three days.




 

Meanwhile, volunteer facilitators lead workshops on a wide variety of topics relating to new radio stations. Subjects include FCC regulations, radio engineering, citizen lobbying and media reform advocacy, programming, fundraising, and movement-building.

We held our first full power radio station barnraising in Fall 2010 at WGXC in Hudson, NY! 

Prometheus Radio Project teamed up with WGXC 90.7-FM, a project of free103point9, to hold our 12th community radio barnraising and our first full power barnraising! Radio barnraisings are weekend-long radio-building and movement-building events. Individuals from the local community and participatory media folks from around the country come together to share ideas, experiences, and skills in the launching of a community radio station.

Click for more info on the WGXC Barnraising!

 Prometheus has held twelve community radio barnraisings to date:

Prometheus has also been active internationally, working with groups in Guatemala, Nepal, Colombia, Jordan, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Here's a video of Prometheus in Tanzania working with the UAACC to start a community radio station:

»