Great Barrington — Since 2004, the 100-watt, low-power community radio station WBCR-LP has been broadcasting its programs from town on 97.7 FM. The station broadcasts its programs from a studio located at 320 Main Street and is operated by a group of volunteers. Locally produced shows include the Your Happy Ears Show which includes world music and comedy hosted by Jeffrey van de Visse, the Latin music-based Mundo Latino hosted by Martha Escobar, Jazz Avenue hosted by Peter Kirchoff, and the political show Red Radio hosted by John Prusinski.
According to Michelle Kaplan, volunteer, and host of the eclectic music radio show Mishmash, the station has 33 volunteers.
The station accepts donations and also offers a sliding scale for memberships to residents who want to create programs. “We want more people to join our team and get involved,” Kaplan said. “It is a community radio station and we’re open to the endless possibilities of what can happen when more people join the team. None of us are getting paid to do this because we are all passionate about it, and we all have something to say. WBCR-LP is truly a labor of love.”
However, the labor of love comes at a cost, and Kaplan said that the station is on the verge of shutting down if it does not earn enough funds from donations. “We’re always sort of scraping by,” she said. “We need roughly $2,000 each month for a bare-bones budget. This includes paying for equipment, repairs to the equipment, and other extra expenses. Our monthly membership income is around $900, and we need it to be at least $2,000 every month.”
According to ProPublica, which lists several of the station’s Form 990 tax returns, for Fiscal 2020, the station’s total revenue was $12,936. Its total functional expenses for Fiscal 2020 were $21,988, with a net income of -$9,052. Its total assets are listed at $14,245, with total liabilities listed at $10,275, and net assets listed at $3,970. The only source of income listed for Fiscal 2020 is $12,936 in contributions.
To remain on the air, the station will be holding a fundraiser on Wednesday, December 7 at 6 p.m. at The Egremont Barn, located at 17 Main Street in South Egremont. Performers announced for the event include reggae band The Haughties and Andrew H. Smith. Tickets for the event are $20 and will be available at the event.
Kaplan said that more live bands will be added to the event over the next few weeks. “To me, there is definitely a need for WBCR-LP,” she said. “We hope that this fundraiser will bring more awareness about the station because there are still a lot of people that have no idea that we even have a studio on Main Street. We’re not that hard to find, and local media is more important than ever before.”
For more information about WBCR-LP, go to its website.
