An unexpected figure has stepped in to fill the vacuum in local music broadcasting left after WNKU signed off the air after 32 years. The leaders of Northside’s Urban Artifact craft brewery and taproom, acting on Chief Operating Officer Scott Hand’s long-held hope, launched their very own radio frequency last month. Program director for the new Radio Artifact, Jeremy Moore, gives us the lowdown.
The Wavelength
“The Radio Artifact frequency is 1660 AM. It reaches Northside, Camp Washington, Clifton, some of College Hill, Norwood—and maybe parts of OTR at night. There’s 24-hour streaming available at radioartifact.com.”
The Jams
“All of the music is local. Eventually we do want to get the ASCAP/BMI certification so we can play more music—not mainstream—but maybe dive back into some funkadelic discography.”
The Digs
“The new radio studio is next door [to the brewery] on the third floor of the rectory. We want to do KEXP- and NPR Tiny Desk–style live performances with artists in addition to our regular radio programming.”
The Programming
“On any given night you can hear funk or punk or noise or soul or pop, but never back-to-back. You don’t want to be too eclectic but we do want as many different music blocks as possible.”
The Rationale
“When Scott first came up with the idea, it was just a part of the original business model. They wanted to do things that breweries weren’t doing. ”
The Team
“It’s me, Scott, Devin Brooks, and Andrew Tetrick. All it takes for a brewery to start a radio station is the same it would for anybody else: secure the licensure, get the equipment, and have the right people set it up.”
The Inspiration
“We are right in the middle of one of the most artistic communities in Cincinnati, and I think it’s important to be able to have an outlet for musicians, artists, writers. Our ultimate goal is to reach the entire area.”
Facebook Comments