Radio station goes ‘on air'

February 28, 2006

JOEL DAVIDSON\Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - The flow of local information and opinions entered a new realm in Palmer this past month with the launching of Radio Free Palmer.

The brainchild of a small group of culturally minded Valley residents, Radio Free Palmer is an online Web site that aims to podcast (an online version of broadcasting) culturally relevant issues to local residents.

Those behind the site see it as a place to discuss and debate important issues, such as education, taxation, culture, development and other issues of concern.

Founding member Jim Sykes said he hopes Radio Free Palmer becomes a grass-roots forum for all kinds of discussions.

&#8220It's not going to be just a radio station,” he explained. &#8220As we come into this new world, we will be there with podcasts and community blogs. It's more than one-way communication. Technology is leading us into a new way of sharing our culture and our information.”

This month, Sykes has been recording local public meetings, which he then uploads to the new Web site for others to listen to at their leisure.

&#8220I recorded the assembly meeting a couple weeks ago when they were dealing with the school bonds,” he said. &#8220The purpose of the site now is just to let people know about the possibility of what we can do.”

Sykes said the group wants to expand soon to include more than school board, borough and city meetings. Later developments could include radio theater, local news features and live music recordings.

Fellow founder Mike Chmielewski has worked on the design and layout of the new Web site. Later this week he hopes to have an interactive blog operating, where people can debate local topics.

&#8220Our interest is to use technology to provide a media and information source that is not currently available,” Chmielewski said. &#8220This kind of blog will allow you to comment on others' observations.”

On the April 15, the group plans to hold a fund-raiser show at the Palmer Depot, where they will record live music and local features, which will later be podcast on the Web site. The event will also be a fund-raiser and membership drive for Radio Free Palmer.

Within a few years, the group plans to broadcast across the radio.

For more information about Radio Free Palmer, visit radiofree palmer.org/ Welcome.html.

Contact Joel Davidson at

352-2266 or joel.davidson@

frontiersman.com.