I'm guessing that a lot of our readers are familiar with WOXY.com, the independent radio station-turned-Internet radio pioneers. For those who aren't here's a brief primer: Remember in the movie Rain Man when Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise are listening to the radio and Hoffman gets fixated on one station's motto? "Bam! The Future Of Rock And Roll"? It's that one. It's also long been a fantastic place to discover independent and alternative (back when that term meant something) music. Anyway, it seems like it's in trouble.
WOXY stopped broadcasting as a radio station a while back. It was silent for a while then re-emerged on the web with much of the original staff and the same great music. Unfortunately, they seem not to have a lasting business model. When I went to their site today, as I often do, I was greeted with the announcement that they were become a "listener-supported operation." The message is filled with code suggesting it's kind of a desperate measure, unless I'm misreading phrases like "our goal is to keep the ship afloat" and "we need you to come on board."
It's not my place here to plug other businesses here, but WOXY has given so much to me over the years that I'd be remiss if I didn't give something back. I had the good fortune to grow up within its broadcasting range in the pre-Internet days and it's one of the main reasons I got exposed to good music instead of the usual Top 40 pap. They've always operated on a philosophy I've tried to bring to The A.V. Club: People want to find the good stuff. They just need a place to find it. If the station means something to you, or if you need good source for independent music, I invite you to check them out.