Brixton Radio launches fundraiser to continue operating
The South London community radio station is in danger of closing due to the cost of living crisis and expense of keeping the studio running
Brixton Radio is "on the verge of closing" and has launched a fundraiser in an effort to stay open.
The South London community radio station said its uncertain future is down to "the cost of living crisis and how expensive it is to run a radio station" in an Instagram post last week. "We are trying everything we can to keep the dream alive and the community thriving, but it might all disappear", they wrote.
They've created a Just Giving campaign with a goal of £50,000, asking supporters to donate as little as £1 if they can and putting feelers out for potential future partners and investors.
"If anyone wants to donate to us, it will really go a long way, keeping the fire burning for us to recover", the Brixton Radio team said. "We hope to be around for years to come, supporting artists and this community we’ve built."
Brixton Radio was "born out of lockdown" in 2020 and broadcasts 24/7. It host shows from the likes of Pomelo, Hotel Blu, Continental Breakfast, Nishanti, Acid James and most, as well as events at local venues like Peckham Audio, Brixton Jamm, Brixton Brewery Taproom and at its own studio space.
Another Brixton-based community radio station, the youth-led Reprezent Radio, launched a similar fundraising appeal earlier this month, with its future at risk as "government delays have set back our charity registration application".
The two Brixton stations join a running list of UK independent broadcasters that have dwindled operations, if not shuttered entirely, in recent years as the post-pandemic cost of living and energy crises wreak havoc on already tight budgets. Revisit Harold Heath's 2022 in-depth feature on the tenuous state of UK community radio here.
Donate to Brixton Radio's fundraiser here, and read Brixton Radio's statement in full below.
