Vermont Public Radio and 105.9FM ’The Radiator’ Bring Local Music Performances to the Air: VPR’s ‘Live From The Fort’ Concert Series to Be Heard On Low-Power Community Radio Station

Press Release by Big Heavy World & VPR. Photo by James Lockridge.

Vermont Public Radio is teaming with 105.9FM The Radiator to bring full versions of the VPR-produced concert series ‘Live From The Fort’ to Chittenden County airwaves. The “Live From The Fort” music video series hosts Vermont-based bands in VPR’s Colchester studios. Performances are featured online at VPR.net and on VPR’s daily public affairs program Vermont Edition. VPR will provide full-length Live From The Fort performance recordings to 105.9FM The Radiator for broadcast to its Chittenden County audience.

“VPR has always been supported by listeners who care deeply about the world around them and the arts that make Vermont a vibrant home,” said Robin Turnau, VPR President and CEO. “Live From The Fort gives listeners the opportunity to see and hear the great musical talent that we have throughout the region.”

The Radiator began broadcasting in 2007 with the engineering and material assistance of VPR, a supporter of the ‘hyper-local’ programming mission of the comparatively tiny community radio station. The Radiator is an FCC-licensed LPFM, or low-powered FM radio station, with a broadcast range encompassing Burlington and regions of neighboring towns. It was co-founded by Big Heavy World, an independent, volunteer-run nonprofit with a mission of preserving and promoting original Vermont-made music. Big Heavy World was established in 1996 and is based on the campus of Burlington College, where it operates the The Radiator.

“It’s a powerful statement for VPR to work with the wider broadcast and music-loving community to gain an even bigger audience for live local music. It’s uplifting to Vermonters to recognize how talented our musician neighbors are, and Big Heavy World feels fortunate to play a role in the effort,” said James Lockridge, Executive Director of Big Heavy World.

Live From The Fort episodes will air on 105.9FM at approximately 7:40pm on Wednesdays beginning mid-January, concluding at the start of ‘Rocket Shop,’ Big Heavy World’s local music radio hour. A broadcast schedule can be found at bigheavyworld.com/rocketshop/. Rocket Shop is hosted by Brent Hallenbeck, an arts and features writer for The Burlington Free Press, which also helps direct audiences to the Radiator’s local music programming. Bands appearing in Live From The Fort episodes include The Snaz, Swale, Madaila, Waylon Speed, The Aerolites, Justin Levinson, Lowell Thompson, Kat Wright, Rough Francis, Francesca Blanchard, The DuPont Brothers, Maryse Smith, Brett Hughes, and more.

Soule Monde at VPR

Contact: For VPR: John Billingsley, VPR Production Engineer & LFTF Producer, jbillingsley@vpr.net, (802) 655-9451 For Big Heavy World: James Lockridge, Executive Director, jim@bigheavyworld.com, (802) 865-1140.