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The 'WHYS' Behind Eau Claire Community Radio
downtown E.C.’s eclectic, low-power station celebrates 20 years at upcoming festival
Tom Giffey, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
In spring 2005, with the help of a dedicated group of volunteers, some secondhand equipment, and a brand-new low-power license from the Federal Communications Commission, WHYS-LP (96.3 FM) went on the air from a small studio in downtown Eau Claire.
Spin the dial forward 20 years, and WHYS is still there in more ways than one: It’s got the same studio, the same FM frequency, and the same commitment to bringing a wide variety of community voices and musical flavors to the airwaves.
The station is poised to celebrate its anniversary with its second-annual WHYS Fest on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 4 Mile Restaurant & Bar south of Eau Claire. The festival will offer a chance for fans to enjoy a summer day full of eclectic music while raising funds for the nonprofit station.
"We've been living off surplus equipment for 20 years," explains Ben Johnson, the station's event coordinator and crew leader for WHYS Fest. "We've been buying it cheap and making it work."
Proceeds from last year's WHYS Fest allowed the station to purchase some much-needed gear, such as new computers, Johnson says.
WHYS has survived long into the era of streaming and podcasting, thanks to its community-first nature. Everything is done by volunteers on a shoestring budget, which is why periodic fundraisers are vital. For a dozen years, WHYS hosted an annual Bluegrass Festival at Lake Altoona County Park, but – like so many things – it never came back after the pandemic.
"Bring a good attitude and leave the current political scene behind. That's sort of the reason for dancing and celebrating – just to take a break from 24/7 news."
BEN JOHNSON
EVENT COORDINATOR, WHYS FEST
The station’s staff cast a wider musical net when it created WHYS Fest in 2024, and this year’s festival has a similarly diverse lineup. From 2-8pm on Aug. 16, partygoers will be serenaded by the likes of the Pistol Whippin’ Party Penguins (folk, rock, blues, bluegrass from Minneapolis), Uncommon Denominator (six-time winner of Best Cover Band in the Best of the Chippewa Valley Poll), Matt Caflisch (a folk rocker from Minneapolis and formerly of the legendary early-90s E.C. band Venison), and Pretend Friend (progressive bluegrass from Wichita, Kansas). Amid all the tunes there will be food and drink, a kubb tournament, contra dancing, kids activities, and unlimited good vibes.
“Bring a good attitude and leave the current political scene behind,” Johnson says. “That's sort of the reason for dancing and celebrating – just to take a break from 24/7 news.”
Making Waves For 20 Years
Among the committed lineup of volunteers who’ve driven WHYS for years are Johnson and Program Director Keevin Peuse, who chatted about the station’s history recently in the WHYS studio on the second floor of 405 S. Farwell St. There, you’ll find a suite of rooms containing the small studio, whose walls are covered in two decades worth of concert posters, bumper stickers, and other ephemera that speak to the station’s funky, DIY ethos.
Compared to its commercial – and even public radio – peers, WHYS is an anomaly, broadcasting at a modest 100 watts from the roof of the small office building. (For the sake of comparison, a little way up the local dial WAXX 104.5 broadcasts at 100 kilowatts – or 1,000 times the power of WHYS.) It also streams online at whysradio.org.
Even in an era where any kind of music you can imagine is just a Spotify stream away, having a local – and often live – station still draws listeners to WHYS. The appeal is particularly strong for Chippewa Valley musicians themselves, Johnson says.
Some DJs still do their shows live from the studio, while others create them at home and upload them remotely. While some of the technology has evolved, WHYS remains a smorgasbord of its volunteers' – and listeners' – tastes, from blues, bluegrass, and bepop to world music, gospel, and old-fashioned rock 'n' roll. There's also a smattering of syndicated programming, including news from "Democracy Now!"
“We've had a diverse amount of different programs over the years – still do,” Peuse notes. This attracts and keeps listeners who are looking for something other than “a run-of-the-mill radio station,” he says. Some of those listeners end up as hosts themselves.
Over the years, the station has featured anywhere from 10 to 20 locally produced shows at a time. Some come and go, but others have been around from the beginning: Consider DJ Sean Murphy’s “Insurgence,” which has been radicalizing the airwaves every Thursday for the past 20 years.
Even in an era when any kind of music you can imagine is just a Spotify stream away, having a local – and often live – station still draws listeners to WHYS. The appeal is particularly strong for Chippewa Valley musicians themselves, Johnson says.
“Those people are thrilled that you can actually hear their music on a radio station," Johnson says. "I know many people who have just come up to me and said, 'I just heard my song on your station!' ”
WHYS Fest is slated for Saturday, Aug. 16, from 2-8pm at 4 Mile Field (S5786 Highway 37, Eau Claire) • $20/person (children ages 12 and under free with an adult) • Twist the dial to 96.3 FM to listen or stream WHYS at whysradio.org.
