Since our last post about the return of the radio carousel to Birmingham, AL for Live 100.5 FM, more than 11,000 more people have joined the group on Facebook set up to attempt to save the radio station from a pending format change (though as of this post less than 1,200 have signed an online petition asking for Citadel Broadcasting to change its mind). It’s been helped along by pleas on Twitter courtesy of artists like Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, and Pete Yorn .
The URL for the new station, an FM-simulcast of WAPI-AM, has already been secured (incidentally one day after parent company Citadel Broadcasting presented its reorganization plan to creditors due to its bankruptcy filing back in December). It also already established its own presence on Facebook via a regular personal profile.
Fans of the station’s current format will want to know that a concert has been organized for this Wednesday, February 17 beginning at 8 p.m. at WorkPlay on Birmingham’s Southside. The music venue has shared its thoughts about the situation on its website as of this afternoon. The lineup for the show includes Will Hoge, Matthew Mayfield, The Enemy Lovers and DJ CO CO with proceeds benefiting the Jimmie Hale Mission and the Greater Birmingham Humane Society.
There also appears to be a group organizing to be at the start line and then along the Mercedes Marathon route tomorrow (Sunday) morning holding up signs to inform more people about the situation at the radio station.
The word on the street is that Live 100.5 FM will cease original programming in its current format when tomorrow’s broadcast of Reg’s Coffee House is finished at 2 p.m. CT.
A range of emotions for City Stages
We’re still finding more conversations and blog posts to add to our list involving the demise of Birmingham’s 21-year old music festival, City Stages:
Dennis Pillion followed up his initial post on his blog about what the festival meant to him with what can best be described as an investigative piece about how the festival ended up where it did.
Secret History Productions shared this post on MySpace that seemed to bring out opinions as well both for and against the idea of music festivals in general.
Mary Jean Baker LaMay was a long time volunteer for the festival (and continues to be a friend to this website) who decided to share her thoughts about what the festival meant to her via yesterday’s editorial pages of The Birmingham News.
For some more nostalgia, why not check out BhamWiki’s gallery of City Stages posters (and submit photos of the others to them if you can).
1 Comment
Posted in music
Tagged AL, Alabama, B'ham, Birmingham, City Stages, closure, Commentary, Dennis Pillion, Festival, follow-up, information, opinion, update