Grassroots Radio Conference accepting public input on 2025 host bid: REC makes endorsement

Public comments are being accepted for this year's convention of community radio broadcasters from across the country.

Almost every year, there is a long standing tradition in community radio. The Grassroots Radio Conference (GRC), an informal, but planned gathering brings together community radio stations, both LPFM and full-service from across the nation to finally put faces on names, discuss the future of the political landscape and community radio’s role in those issues, provide training, especially to newer broadcasters and an opportunity to socialize and “talk shop”. The GRC is also an opportunity for community radio friendly vendors to show off their latest warez.

REC has been very supportive of the GRC movement through attendance when feasible, promotion of the event and other support.

Each year, the GRC is held in a different city by a different host station (or station group) that volunteers to take on this bold task. Over the past few months, the caretakers of the GRC have been meeting and have been soliciting proposals from stations wishing to host the 2025 show.

Three stations have stepped-up to host GRC 2025

For 2025, the field has been narrowed to three potential hosts:

KLEK-LP, an LPFM station in Jonesboro, Arkansas,

KYRS, a full-service FM station in Spokane, Washington, and

KOWN-LP, an LPFM station in Omaha, Nebraska.

The GRC caretakers (also known as “Virtual GRC”) have compiled a summary of each of these three candidates, which can be viewed here.

In addition, each of the candidates have made their own live presentations during the last Virtual GRC meeting:

The GRC caretakers are now asking for input from the public on which host they would prefer. You can take this survey, which will collect the information necessary to help make the final decision. Surveys are due at midnight on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

REC makes an endorsement on this year’s GRC host

In past years, those of us who have been the caretakers of the GRC have had difficulty finding a host station to step up, especially with all of the work that is needed to plan, prepare and conduct the conference. There is definitely a lot of work involved and not a lot of budget to do it with. This year, we have been blessed with three bona fide offers for hosting.

During the planning for each year’s GRC, we address our concerns regarding the entire GRC experience for attendees. REC wants to see a GRC that is accessible, welcoming, inclusive, and respective to all, regardless of their demographics, socioeconomic status and even political leanings. At the same time, we ask that all participants be respective of others.

When evaluating this year’s bids to host, we looked at several factors in our analysis:

• Accessibility - The GRC attracts attendees from around the country and sometimes from outside the USA. A favorable host will be in a location that can be easily accessed through public transportation methods such as airports and frequent rail service. Remote locations where car rentals, infrequent rail and bus service and long walks should be avoided. Accessibility also means the ability for participants with disabilities to be able to attend as much of the conference as possible with step free access. This has been an issue at previous conferences.

• Safety - Attendees coming in from far away places must be able to come to an environment that is safe and welcoming. This includes groups that have been historically marginalized through federal, state and local laws. This sense of “welcome” must not only be felt at the event venues but in the surrounding communities and the areas that attendees must travel through. Especially in these changing times, we do take into consideration the presence of state laws and local ordinances that address the civil rights of those marginalized groups in respect to public accommodations, especially those who have recently received increased targeting. We also look at general safety of participants in the area surrounding the venues.

• Station Compliance - During a conference, the host station becomes the nerve center for the show. They will also be the focus of attention. There is a general expectation that such facilities should be a “model station”. A host station with FCC rule compliance issues may rub off the wrong way and foster “bad habits”, especially among the newer stations that are just getting their feet wet. We look at various record cues as to a station’s compliance including past filing activity, enforcement actions and current station practices made public. The host station is acting as a mentor. We need to make sure that “good habits” are being exhibited.

• Host Station Diversity - Over the years, the GRC has been to many cities across the country and have been a mix of station types, especially with the growth of the LPFM service. However, in the past few years, hosting the GRC has been mainly the domain of LPFM stations that are located in the eastern United States. To assure that there is more national involvement in the GRC movement and to hold some traditions, REC will put more weight on bids that come from the western United States and come from full-service stations, that have not hosted a show in several years.

Taking all of these factors into consideration for each of the three bids for 2025, REC had announced last night, that we will be endorsing the host bid made by KYRS, Medical Lake (Spokane), Washington, operated by Thin Air Community Radio for the 2025 Grassroots Radio Conference.

The KYRS proposal calls for venues in Spokane, which is convenient to an airport (GEG) that provides mainline air service. KYRS is a full-service FM station, that started as a first-generation LPFM station and graduated during the 2007 NCE filing window. KYRS has a good compliance record and appears to be a well organized operation. The state of Washington has strong state laws that protect marginalized groups during their visit. And, for the first time since 2018, the GRC would come west and hosted by a full-service FM station. The last four conferences have been hosted by LPFM stations. It is only fair that a full-service station have an opportunity.

While you are free to make your preference in the survey, it is REC’s position that for 2025, Spokane is the strongest of the bids and we strongly suggest that you make your preference for Spokane.

REC’s attendance at this year’s GRC will be on decision based on the host station chosen and family priority issues.

We thank KLEK-LP, KOWN-LP and KYRS(FM) for stepping up to take on this herculean task and we wish them all the best of luck during the final bidding process.