It did not occur to me to ask strangers for financial support for this project.

I'd planned on building my studio with my own bread, just like I did with the transmitter and server running the station since May.

A friend of mine convinced me to try a Kickstarter project. "What do you have to lose?", he said. It was his reasoning that it was a good enough idea that people might want to support it. Especially all the artists and labels trying to get their music out there.

So far $600 has been pledged. $600 more than I ever expected.

I've been streaming on the tubes for a couple months and in addition to some locals, listeners in Hawaii, Europe, Australia, and South Africa have all tuned in to hear Michigan music they wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to.

My station isn't going to be self-sufficient. I'm going to have to pay my electrical bill and my licensing fees every year. I'm going to have to buy vinyl. Maybe a couple of people will buy t-shirt and I'll make $20-$30, maybe they wont.

It's really no bother either way.

Gnome, so far, you and one other person have had a negative reaction to the project. The other guy sent me an email asking several questions about how it's legal, what equipment I'm using, and where I get music. I took several minutes and answered all his questions. I added him to my mailing list because he seemed genuinely interested.

Then after the first update to the list, I got a nasty email back about how he wasn't interested in the Station, wasn't interested in local music, and never to email him again.

No problem. Don't support it, don't listen. No big deal really.