Beautiful Music Program 66

I would like to share my feelings about continuing turmoil going on behind the scenes here at XRAY, which has led to the recent departure of some excellent DJs. These are folks who’ve spent years being part of this huge volunteer effort we’ve all been sharing in, to try and build a viable non-commercial alternative that is dedicated to a diversity of thought and taste and focus rarely found on the FM radio dial. This station is also pledged to bring a voice to our community, but over these last seven years we were failing to properly look after the health of our own core community of employees and volunteers who make this organization possible. I admit I was a part of that failure, as I simply showed up for my show every week while neglecting to try and understand what goes on behind the scenes. Information was shared with me over the course of the last several months which opened my eyes to the necessity of greater involvement from the on-air volunteer DJ staff like myself, and I think there have been some steps in the right direction as a result of a subsequent increase in engagement from the on-air community.

I think this organization has a potential to move where it needs to, in order to become a safe and welcoming environment, which will reflect outward towards the surrounding community. But, we are still working towards that goal, and in the meantime we have lost some incredible folks, people I was honored to share space with in this organization. Folks like DJ Kittybot, Anjali & The Kid, DJ AnnieO. I completely understand anyone who has decided to move on… I have witnessed some awful sentiments leveled between fellow DJs, and in my opinion there is still a reluctance to center the experience of employees and volunteers who suffered and were wronged. As one of my colleagues pointed out, it is important that there are people in the organization who are pushing it in the right direction, and I currently hope to be one of those people.

I would like to say thanks to those DJs who are moving on, I am so grateful to have shared this stage with you. And thanks to all the folks who remain and continue to put in the time and effort to keep this thing moving in the right direction. And finally, thanks to all you listening right now, hopefully we can see XRAY keep on the right path together. 

-DNA