The Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP) is a non-profit organization that operates a community radio station, CHIRP Radio. CHIRP is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization funded primarily through individual donations, special event revenues, and grant support.[1]
From 2007-2010, CHIRP partnered with organizations across the country to get licenses from Federal Communications Commission for a low power FM radio in urban areas. In 2009, CHIRP's president and vice president, Shawn Campbell and Jenny Lizak, were invited to lead a White House meeting on the issue with President Obama's technology team.[2] The bill CHIRP worked on to expand low-power FM was the Local Community Radio Act, which was signed into law in early 2011.[3]
On January 17, 2010, CHIRP began as an online radio station.[4][5] The first song played was "Thank You Friends" by the band Big Star.
In June 2011, CHIRP Radio was named "Best Overall Radio Station" by the Chicago Reader in its annual Best of Chicago issue.[6]
In late 2014, CHIRP constructed a low-power FM broadcast outlet in Chicago's north side.[7][8] In October 2017, the organization launched its broadcast at 107.1 MHz with the call letters "WCXP-LP".[9]
The station began its CHIRP Factory Sessions series in January 2015. These recordings consist of live sets recorded by local and touring bands in CHIRP's recording space, a former factory building. Once a Factory Session airs on CHIRP, full videos of the sessions are posted on the station's website.[10]
Person of Interest is a first-person storytelling feature that airs monthly on CHIRP Radio. After airing on the station, they are hosted on the podcast section of the CHIRP website.[11]
CHIRP is well known for its two annual Record Fairs, a freestanding fair each April (known as The CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights[12]) and another fair as part of the Pitchfork Music Festival in July. The April fair draws many independent vinyl dealers from around the Midwest, while the Pitchfork fair features independent labels and distributors from around the country.
CHIRP produces and hosts The First Time,[13] a quarterly live storytelling and music series. Following each reading, the house band, called "The First Time Three" (made up of members of Chicago power pop band Frisbie) plays a song that the reader has chosen that relates in some way to the piece. The series began in 2009 and takes place at Martyrs' on Chicago's north side.
CHIRP organizes a monthly concert series featuring local Chicago artists and bands at The Whistler, a Chicago bar. In 2015, this event was named Best Ongoing Local Music Showcase by NewCity.[14]