History
Radio Volta, the West Philly station run by a small collective, was born from coverage of the 2000 Republican National Convention, which was held in Philadelphia. After getting some interested people together, Radio Volta started broadcasting exclusively on the web. With no available spots on the FM dial (thanks to FCC third adjacent rulings), Radio Volta could not get a permit on their own to broadcast as a low power FM station.
Meanwhile, WPEB (West Philadelphia Educational Broadcasting), one of the last community stations to obtain a permit under Class D licensing, had fallen on hard times. In danger of losing their studio and transmitter, WPEB seemed destined to go under after a twenty year run. Fortunately for Radio Volta and WPEB, both groups agreed on a deal that would aid both of them. Volta helped the folks at WPEB out, and in return were allocated 40 hours a week on the FM dial. Today, Radio Volta can be heard on the web at www.radiovolta.org and on 88.1 in West Philly.
Organization
The station is completely volunteer run. There are no staff or paid positions. Volta is not a non-profit, so there is no board of directors governing the members of the collective. Volta also has no advisory board, but the station and its members are accessible enough that communication between the community and the station are not difficult.
| Volta meets once a month to discuss issues and assess needs of the station. Each participant is a member of the collective and thus has a vital opinion to contribute. |
Although loosely organized, the station does have some amount of structure. The station is divided up into five committees: programming, news, technical, fundraising, and outreach. All members of Volta are required to devote at least four hours a month to whichever committee s/he joins.
The Programming Committee is in charge of organizing the station, schedule, and volunteer coordination. The News Committee produces (you guessed it) Radio Volta news. The Technical Committee keeps the station equipment functioning and running. All of Volta's money is taken care of by the Fundraising Committee, comprised of members from Philadelphia's Independent Media Center, who oversee all of Volta's money. Finally, the Outreach Committee does Volta's public relations, getting the word out, turning on potential listeners, and getting people interested in community radio.
All DJs must audition for a slot, which could be for the web or FM. After a one month probationary period, DJs will be kept on permanently or told to skedaddle. DJs also are required to contribute ten dollars a month to the Volta fund. Volta meets once a month to discuss issues and assess needs of the station. Each participant is a member of the collective and thus has a vital opinion to contribute.
Address
Radio Volta
4821 Baltimore Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Phone: 215-476-8068
Wrap Up
Radio Volta works collectively, not hierarchically. Everyone puts work into maintaining the station and contributing feedback. There are no boards. The station is small enough to be managed by a handful of people working together on a consensus basis. Funding and upkeep comes from outside volunteers, groups and benefits. The station has no particular format for structuring shows. As a relatively nascent group, Radio Volta's structure is evolving. They take on more structure as they grow, but they are not rigid.
