John LaConte/Vail Daily
The cost of running a nonprofit radio station in Eagle County has never been higher.
Expenses at 107.9 FM Radio Free Minturn have increased so much that the station has had to move to nearby EagleVail, where a government-owned building now provides a new home for the valley’s only community radio station.
But it also means that local businesses are stepping up like never before to help keep the station afloat with gift cards, giveaways and other freebies for donors. In many cases, the value of the gift you receive from a donation is greater than the donation itself.
And these donations are tax deductible. For businesses, supporting Radio Free Minturn is a way to promote their business in a way that allows them to write off the costs and still send a tailored message to potential customers. For individuals, supporting Radio Free Minturn is a way to support every nonprofit in the valley, as every nonprofit is eligible for free advertising on the station.
All of these factors make now the perfect time to support the station with a donation, said Elliot Hill, CEO of Radio Free Minturn.
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“As a nonprofit ourselves, we pride ourselves on being a microphone – pun intended – for all other nonprofits in the valley,” Hill said. “All a nonprofit has to do is send us the information they want to share and we’ll add it to our public service announcements, completely free of charge.”
In the seven years Hill has been on the board, he has seen expenses double, making it difficult but not impossible to operate the station, and local businesses have offered to help.
“Every year we hold a fundraiser in August and usually offer Radio Free Minturn T-shirts to donors,” Hill said. “But this year we were able to collect a lot of what we call ‘rewards,’ which are freebies like gift cards or coupons that can be redeemed at local businesses.”
These include things like free food coupons at Pazzo’s or Kirby Cosmo’s, free ski tune-ups from Buzz’s Boards and Vista Bahn Ski Rentals. There’s even a coupon for Vail Mountain’s “First Tracks” offer, which allows two people to get on the mountain one hour before opening on one day this season. The station is asking for a $300 donation for the opportunity, which includes brunch for two at Game Creek Club. A variety of other rewards are also available to donors.
The station’s DJs – an all-volunteer team that plays music and moderates on-air discussions – have been working overtime this week to promote the fundraiser. DJ Tom “T-Dub” Wanty hosted a 10-hour session on Monday that raised over $500. On Tuesday, DJ Jane Larie began her afternoon show as early as 8 a.m. and encouraged listeners to call in and claim one of the many prizes on offer. A $50 Bart and Yeti gift card was among the things she mentioned on air.
Larie is one of the longest-serving DJs at the station and says she loves the community radio station because it gives people like her the opportunity to pursue their dream of being a real live radio DJ.
Anyone is welcome as long as they fill out a waiver, attend a one-hour training class and pay a small fee for the training. They are then encouraged to help in any way they can. For some, that means raising money – for others, it might just mean coming by in their spare time to clean up the studio.
DJs can record their sets and publish the clips on SoundCloud or a platform of their choice.
DJ Krusher Jones, who plays Wednesday nights from 8 to 11 p.m., says he’ll use his time this week to blend rock, rap, R&B and country into one seamless production. He’ll pause to present a special segment of his show in which listeners will learn about the 120-year-old connection between the legend of the indigenous Ute tribe that set fire to what is now Vail Mountain’s Back Bowls, creating the treeless powder stashes so many enjoy today, and a story about a prospector who found gold in the Gore Range but couldn’t find the remote location again when he returned to claim his treasure.
“There’s a crazy connection between those two stories and I’m thrilled that people are hearing them,” he said. “It’ll probably take 20 or 30 minutes to tell it all – you couldn’t do it without interruption on a traditional radio station – but for the Krusher Show, it’s just a normal week. That’s the beauty of community radio, where else can you do that?”
The fundraiser runs through Saturday. To donate, call 970-827-9079 or visit radiofreeminturn.org/youcanhelp/.
