Underwriting: What Community Radio Offers...

The consolidation of media in America has diminished local control; communities have lost a direct relationship to their broadcasters. Radio stations across the country play material presented by the same announcers, distributed via satellite from distant control centers. Because of this, radio stations have forfeited their most important attribute — their connection to the communities they serve. One of the attributes that made radio such an effective tool of mass communication was its localism.

The media we receive has conformed to a national template that is exclusive of local culture and interest. Low-power radio empowers us to take control of the information gathering and dissemination process. The Radiator is an unprecedented opportunity for the distinctly individual voices of Burlington to unite "on the air."

1. The Radiator provides Burlington with a truly community-supported and community-dedicated media outlet.

2. It fosters civic engagement, community awareness, and appreciation of cultural diversity — the foundations of positive social change.

3. It encourages economic development of the arts, providing a platform for exposure to the public; offering a tangible new medium to local artists (radio); and elevating the profile of Burlington's proud role as a city supportive of the arts.

4. The Radiator brings current information of local significance and calendars of cultural events to the community in an immediate and accessible format.

5. The Radiator is a multi-generational training ground for the creation of local news, radio theater, music, literature, arts, political commentary and educational programming, incorporating the technical and professional experiences of the broadcast industry.

Underwriting

Underwriting is a non-commercial means of demonstrating your support for low-power community radio by bringing your message into the broadcast in a manner that complies with our FCC license. The Radiator staff can work with you to produce an underwriting message of one or two sentences – about 20 seconds long – that may contain:

• Your company name, location, telephone number, and web address;

• Your established corporate slogan as long as it’s not promotional;

• A “value-neutral” description of your products or services;

• Trade names of the products you offer.

Here's what underwriting sounds like: