Host a Radio Summer event!

Ready to spread the word about starting a community radio station? Use the checklist below to plan and host a meeting in your town or on the road.  Before you start, make sure to sign up for Radio Summer so we can help you with your event!

Then download the Radio Summer Toolkit!

Download the Radio Summer postcard!

What’s involved:
• Organize with community partners to lead an outreach event/workshop in your city or town
• Mobilize people in your community to discuss ways to get involved in community media

Radio Summer Event Checklist

Find your partners. If you're not already working with others, find a local organization or a few friends to help host an event. (Working with others will boost turnout, help with logistics, and maybe even form the basis of your new community radio station). Decide who you want to reach with your event-- what voices are missing in the media landscape in your area? Immigrants? Youth? Progressives? People of color? Who are the leaders in these communities, and what organizations might have the resources to support a new station?  Knowing who you want to reach will help you target your outreach and plan your meeting.

When you create a list of partners then we will send you a sample email you can use to invite them to an event. If you are coordinating with multiple groups it may be easier to create a free Doodle account to invite folks. This gives the people you're contacting a few possible meeting dates and time slots so you can clearly see which dates/times work best for folks. To create a Doodle account click here.

Book a location. Public libraries, churches, schools, and community centers often have meeting rooms available to the public at no cost. Local non-profit organizations are often willing to donate space as well. (If you get stuck, contact Prometheus and we'll see who we know in your area.)

Advertise your event. The best way to reach a diverse crowd is to do diverse outreach-- not everyone is on facebook or checks it regularly. Definitely use facebook and other social networking tools to spread the word far (facebook and twitter make it easy for others to re-post your announcement). But be sure to also post your announcement to local listserves or on bulletin boards in popular spots. Call people and send text messages. Place an announcement in your local paper or alternative weekly. Ask local organizations to send the announcement to their members. Partnering with other organizations is an easy way to connect with folks you normally couldn't reach. And be sure to let us at Prometheus know, so we can send the announcement to our contacts in your area.

Create an agenda. We provide Sample Agendas in this toolkit that you can use or modify. Also check out our Popular Education Tools for activities to engage the group in thinking creatively about the possibiliites for community radio.

Gather and print copies of materials. Be sure to bring big paper and markers to take notes during your meeting, and post a big copy of your agenda for participants. Use our Contact Gathering Kit to collect attendees' contact info and share it with Prometheus so we can offer them additional support, resources, and technical assistance to start a station.

Send reminders and call key participants. This step is key. It's a busy world, and for most people, your event will be one of many on their calendar. If you know some of those who are planning to attend, a quick phone call reminder asking if they can still make it goes a long way. It's usually a good idea to call or email the day before, and then send a text message reminder an hour or two before the event.

Host your event!

Follow-up with Prometheus. Let us know how the meeting went, and feel free to send us any questions that came up that you couldn't answer. If you upload your contact list (see Contact Gathering Kit) we'll send you a free t-shirt!

Sign up for Radio Summer and we'll support you through the process with additional training, resources, and one-on-one assistance!

Read more: Get the Story, Join the Street Team or Go on Tour!