We mentioned this little ditty along with our announcement for the benefit show that is happening at our space for Springfield Community Broadcasters (programming formerly on 88.3 WQNA fm) on Friday, December 13th. We felt it appropriate to make another post to make sure everyone out there knows. In the week leading up to our benefit show – from Sunday December 8th through Saturday December 14th – we will be donating 20% of our store sales to Springfield Community Broadcasters in their mission to obtain a radio license and get back on air! The license for 88.3 WQNA was sold to a Catholic Radio Group earlier last month, so that is no longer obtainable for SCB, but there are other routes being explored. The live stream can still be heard online at http://listen.wqnaradio.org/. The Dumb Records Radio Show is on hiatus at the moment until things further develop with SBC’s mission, but we are involved with a “True Freak” Radio Show that should be back on airing on Fridays at midnight on the live stream.

A GoFundMe page is still up and active online where you can donate directly right here. Dumb Records, Recycled Records, and The Elf Shelf are also all cash or check drop off points for donations at all times.

After the plug was officially pulled on WQNA 88.3 FM community radio as we know it one week ago, yesterday the station was successful in at least getting a live stream back up on the internet as it had been when the station was in full force. You can find that at listen.wqnaradio.org. The actual frequency of 88.3 fm was bought out by a Catholic Radio Group from the CACC which decided to sell the station and give up the school’s radio program earlier this year. We would imagine most of what is streaming right now is automated programing since it is hard for a lot of former shows on WQNA (including The Dumb Records Radio Show) to continue with programing without a studio in place. Maybe our other “True Freak Radio” show will still be put on the live stream at Fridays at midnight, and we will be looking into possibly starting The Dumb Records Radio Show back up into the live stream at it’s Friday 4:00 pm time-slot soon.

Fundraising efforts to get the station back on air (potentially on a different frequency) are still underway, and there is a benefit show set up at our space here at Dumb Records on Friday, December 13th. There is also an ongoing GoFundMe campaign set up online right here.

It is a sad day for us that have been part of community radio at 88.3 WQNA FM. Yesterday, the plug was pulled on the station which had ran on the air for over 40 years since 1979 after a bid was made by a Catholic radio group and accepted by CACC. However, fundraising efforts for community radio are continuing and not all hope is lost. Here is the official post yesterday from the WQNA 88.3 facebook page:

As of noon today, CACC finalized the sale of the WQNA 88.3 FM license to Covenant Network, a Network with two existing subsidiaries in Springfield radio, and shortly after, WQNA fell silent.

While we knew this was coming in some form or fashion, none of us have had a chance to do a final sign-off or say goodbye to WQNA and the loyal audience we all share.

We are back! With another exciting episode of The Dumb Records Radio Program today, and this time we actually have a guest for the first time in a few weeks. That is Benny DeWitt, owner of our new neighboring business here downtown on Monroe Street – Good Heart Tattoos. Good Heart Tattoos is holding a grand opening celebration all day tomorrow starting at noon, right next door to us at 414 E Monroe Street. We’ll be talking with Benny about his new shop, as well as maybe some music and show related things and memories from over the years. (Benny used to perform in bands Renae, Mother Leopard, and Hospital Job and currently performs with Layers).

The Dumb Records Radio Show airs today and every Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on 88.3 WQNA fm until things potentially change with the station. Stream it online as well at wqnaradio.org. There is an ongoing fundraising campaign to keep our show and other programing on WQNA and community radio alive. Consider donating to that right here. We also have been keeping a lis of recorded past episodes up on our mixcloud page.

The last few times we’ve reported in on the status of WQNA 88.3 FM, our community radio station that has housed our Dumb Records / Black Sheep Radio Show for nearly seven years, we let you know that the Capitol Area Career Center which houses the station was planning on selling it and the future of community radio in Springfield and our show is very uncertain. We interviewed our station programer Jim Pemberton a few weeks back about a few possible options we have as a group of DJ’s committed to continuing our programing in some way.

Today we are bringing you a massive fundraising campaign that was just recently launched by all of the DJ’s behind the scenes at WQNA 88.3 fm, under a new group we are calling “Springfield Community Broadcasters” which has been holding meetings at Dumb Records.

There has been a GoFundMe page launched which you can check out right here which you can donate to at any point. From the description on that:

A group of community deejays from WQNA are committed to establishing an independent broadcasting presence for community radio. We are currently forming a 501c3 group called the Springfield Community Broadcasters and are pursuing options to ensure the future of community radio in Springfield. Doing this will take money, and donations are needed and appreciated. As we work on our 501c3 filing, we are currently raising money under the umbrella of the Illinois Central Blues Club, which is a 501c3 organization. Donations made toward the future of community radio through the Illinois Central Blues Club are tax deductible.

Additionally, you may drop off donations at Dumb Records at 418 E. Monroe. Many thanks to both the Illinois Central Blues Club and Dumb Records for their assistance. More ways to donate and fundraising events will be coming soon. Stay tuned! Thank you for your investment in the future of Springfield community radio!

Funds are being raised to covering licensing costs, equipment, and other necessary expenses toward establishing a functional community radio non-profit organization in Springfield. You can help us save community radio!

Included in costs that money is being fundraised for is costs to re-locate where the station is housed which is currently out of CACC but will need to find a new home. We will be sure to update you all with progress on this campaign.

In addition to donating on line, you can donate at Dumb Records in person with a cash or check donation, or mail us to 418 E Monroe Street, Springfield IL 62701.

It’s Friday, so that means yet another episode of The Dumb Records Radio Show is going on air at 4:00 pm! Who do we have behind the magic door this time? Looks like it’s Josh Flanders, representing our neighboring business Buzz Bomb Brewing Company! Buzz Bomb has been throwing shows over at their location on Adams Street for the past couple of years and they are gearing up for a big “Oktoberfest” this weekend, which will be outdoors and feature heavy hitting punk band NIL8, and also rockabilly act Twistin’ Tarantulas from the Detroit area. We will be talking to Josh about the festival coming up as well as anything else that’s been going on over at Buzz Bomb!

The Dumb Records Radio Show airs today and every Friday from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on 88.3 WQNA FM. You can also listen online at the same time at wqnaradio.org. Also check out our Mixcloud page where we’ve got all recent episodes recorded and streaming for free online!

Wooooo!!! Happy car show weekend everybody. It’s that special time of year to get your cars out and play with them outside in the street. It’s also our special annual car show weekend episode of The Dumb Records Radio Show and we have a very special guest lined up. That is Mikey Erg formerly of punk rock group The Ergs!, also has performed with many other punk bands, and has released a couple of solo albums. Mikey is playing tonight at The Radon Lounge along with The Homeless Gospel Choir, Jon Snodgrass, and Looming. We might even be joined by the other touring acts on that show if we are lucky, and will be talking to all of them. Maybe we’ll be recording live from the streets of Springfield, maybe we will be recording in a studio with car noises playing in the background, it’s up to you to decide!!

The Dumb Records Radio Show airs this Friday and every Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on 88.3 WQNA fm (until we are kicked off the airwaves, or something happens). You can listen online at wqnaradio.org. Also stream a bunch of our past episodes on our newly created Mixcloud page??? And there’s a rumor going around that we might be involved with a different “true freak” radio program that might be airing tonight any time between midnight and 4:00 am??

It’s another Friday so that means it’s another episode of The Dumb Records Radio Show! We are on air all over Springfield today and every Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on 88.3 WQNA fm. Today’s special guests coming in are our touring band The Hussy from Madison, Wisconsin! They will be coming in to the studio on their way to tonight’s gig! We will be playing their music as well as plenty of other local bands and bands that are coming to town.

Again, our show airs today and every Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on WQNA 88.3 fm. You can also stream that live online at the same time at wqnaradio.org. Also check out our Mix Cloud page for streamable episodes of the past!

Today is Friday, which means another exciting episode of The Dumb Records Radio Show is on air (until we get taken off the air)! From 4:00 to 6:00 pm on 88.3 WQNA FM. Today’s magic guest we have… Pistol Pete, of the Detroit-based rockabilly band The Twistin’ Tarantulas! Pete recently moved here from Michigan and has been performing at Buzz Bomb Brewery not far from us – he’s actually performing there tonight. His full band will be playing here in Springfield for the first time on October 5th as part of Buzz Bomb’s Octoberfest. We will be talking to Pete about his experiences playing in Michigan bands throughout the years, playing his bands music, and also music from other local Springfield acts and bands that are coming to town.

Again, our show airs today and every Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on WQNA 88.3 fm. You can also stream that live online at the same time at wqnaradio.org. Also check out our Mix Cloud page for streamable episodes of the past!