Over 60 former KDHX volunteers, plus new broadcasters, will revive local music and arts services online
At noon Central time on Sunday, February 1, 2026, eclectic music and perspectives will once again beam into St. Louis and around the world from a new all-volunteer internet station, Community Radio St. Louis (CRSTL). Commercial-free webcasting from CRSTL.FM will revive the strong grassroots voice supporting regional culture that was silenced last year by the radio frequency sale and demise of KDHX-FM.
CRSTL’s 24-7 flow of music shows will reconnect listeners to many familiar community radio personalities and welcome new talent. Calendars, reviews, and commentaries will spotlight regional performing arts, history, ecology, and more, to support local enterprises of all kinds.
Community Radio St. Louis is led and programmed entirely by local volunteers, many of whom were longtime contributors to KDHX, which was founded in 1987 at 88.1 FM to cultivate community benefits.
KDHX was dissolved by the board of directors of its parent company, Double Helix, in the summer of 2025 amid highly publicized bankruptcy proceedings. The directors sold the terrestrial radio station, 88.1 FM, to the Christian broadcasting conglomerate Gateway Creative Broadcasting for $8.75 million.
The 501c3 nonprofit League of Volunteer Enthusiasts (LOVE) is dedicated to filling the hole left in the hearts of listeners. The organization operates Community Radio St. Louis.
LOVE has built accessible broadcast and live performance studios at Lindenwood Park Place, 3460 Jamieson Avenue in the City of St. Louis. CRSTL adds a unique use to this community event space created by private owners in a former church.
By launching CRSTL as an internet station, volunteers whose commitment and connections helped KDHX flourish – on-air and online – have tapped the advantages of current technology to quickly and affordably restore lost community resources.
Over 60 of the volunteers who powered the KDHX airwaves will be returning to Community Radio St. Louis. They will be joined by many new voices as well.
“Creating KDHX-FM was a monumental achievement for volunteers in the 1980s,” said LOVE co-chair Rich Reese. “We’re fortunate that today’s communication platforms – and our group’s collaboration and amazing range of skills – make it possible to serve our region again. We made the decision to start online. LOVE is committed to restoring conventional radio service by securing another FM frequency as soon as possible.” For Community Radio St. Louis, Reese will reboot his eclectic ‘60s rock show Pop! The Beat Bubble Burst on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to Noon Central time.
When KDHX was dissolved in 2025, dozens of longtime, beloved DJs were removed from the air. Now, many of those DJs will have a new home. Popular folk programs like No Time to Tarry Here with Pablo Meshuggi and Family Reunion with Judy Stein are returning, as are shows by hip-hop & R&B DJs BIKO fka Needles and DJ Whiz, with Vibes & Stuff and The Bridge respectively.
Classic country programs, Midday Jamboree with Fred Gumaer and The Back Country with Jeff Corbin, will once again broadcast on Saturday afternoons. And the legendary Art Dwyer, co-founder and bassist for the Soulard Blues Band, will return for his Friday drivetime show, Blues in the Night.
“Collectively, our group brings many decades of radio experience to this work,” said blues musician and historian Ron Edwards, whose original KDHX show Nothin’ But The Blues will resume its 37-year Sunday evening spot (8 p.m.-10 p.m. Central) on CRSTL.
“We’re professionals from many fields who know and love music and local culture. We’re volunteers committed to working through conflicts and delivering on shared passions, giving our best through radio.” Edwards is one of nine community radio contributors honored in the St. Louis Media Foundation’s Radio Hall of Fame.
The first sounds from CRSTL, noon to 2 p.m. on February 1, will revive another vital KDHX service: supporting musicians with live in-studio performances. Longtime bluegrass boosters Walter and Willa Volz will host local bluegrass band Barnum Jack as their new program, The Snappy Lunch.
View the full program schedule for Community Radio St. Louis below or online at CRSTL.FM. A mobile app is in development.
CRSTL updates are published Fridays in the LOVE of Community Radio St. Louis Substack. Subscribe here.
For more information, visit CRSTL.FM and radiostlouis.org. To request a studio tour, contact Roy Kasten (314) 647-0240.
Community Radio St. Louis Program Schedule (All times Central)
Sunday
1 am – Early Mix
3 am – Early Mix
5 am – Early Mix
7 am – Early Mix
8 am – Family Reunion (with Judy Stein) (folk)
10 am – Songwriter’s Showcase (with Steve St. Cyr) (Americana) 12 pm – The Snappy Lunch (with Walter & Willa) (bluegrass) 2 pm – No Time to Tarry Here (with Pablo Meshuggi) (folk) 4 pm – Folks of the World (with Harriet Shanas) (world)
6 pm – Chicken Shack (with Bruce B. & Tony C.) (blues, R&B) 8 pm – Nothin’ But the Blues (with Ron Edwards & Matt Heiple) (blues) 10 pm – R.S.V.P. (with Your Lady Edie B) (jazz)
Monday
12 am – 3 Minutes & a Cloud of Vinyl (with Matt Heiple) (blues, rock & roll) 1 am – In the Middle of the Night (with Kevin Lawrence) (jazz) 3 am – Early Mix
5 am – The Ballad and the Beat of Love (with DJ Niecy) (soul, R&B) 7 am – Fresh Start (with Atomic Ace) (indie)
10 am – Backroads (with Stacy) (Americana)
12 pm – Herencia Latina (with Lydia) (Latin)
2 pm – Music at Work (with Curt) (rock, Americana)
4 pm – Vibes & Stuff (with BIKO fka Needles) (hip-hop, R&B) 7 pm – Bittersweet Melody (with Allen) (indie)
9 pm – Mystery Train (with Tim Rakel) (rock, eclectic)
11 pm – Serious Journalism (with Bass Amp) (rock & roll)
Tuesday
1 am – Universal Default (with Brian Lock) (experimental)
3 am – Early Mix
5 am – Sound (N)Decisions (with Landy Dandy) (eclectic)
7 am – Hip City (with Chris Lawyer) (funk, soul)
10 am – Boogie on Down (with Hound Dog Brown) (R&B, blues)
12 pm – Latin Hemispheres (with Carlos) (Latin)
2 pm – The Bridge (with DJ Whiz) (hip-hop, R&B)
4 pm – Revolution Rockers (with DJ ‘Nit) (rock, reggae)
7 pm – Hindsight (with Matt Distelrath) (indie)
9 pm – Open the Door, Richard (with Rich Mueller) (rock)
11 pm – Train of Thought (with Nick Cowan) (rock)
Wednesday
1 am – The Crooked Spire (with Mark) (ambient, drone)
3 am – The Smoking Lounge (with Brother Dan) (rock)
5 am – Essence of the Tribe (with Kiowa Kat) (Native American)
7 am – Feel Like Going Home (with Roy Kasten) (Americana)
10 am – Shady Grove (with Keith Dudding) (bluegrass)
12 pm – Wednesday Afternoon Show (TBA)
2 pm – Uncontrollable Urge (with BobEE Sweet) (rock, eclectic)
4 pm – Howzit Bayou (with Sunnyboy Mason) (rock & roll, blues, New Orleans)
7 pm – Juxtaposition (with Rob Levy) (indie)
9 pm – The Space Parlour (with Nick Acquisto) (indie, eclectic)
11 pm – Roll Initiative (with DJ Spectre) (metal)
Thursday
1 am – The Rack (with Tom Franken) (indie, eclectic)
3 am – Early Mix
5 am – The Mix-Up (with Kristin) (jazz, soul, eclectic)
7 am – Memphis to Manchester (with John Wendland) (rock, soul, eclectic)
10 am – Pop! The Beat Bubble Burst (with Rich Reese) (rock & roll)
12 pm – Thursday Afternoon Show (with Darren Snow) (indie)
2 pm – Life of Surprises (with Doug Morgan) (eclectic)
4 pm – Confluence Blues (with East Side Slim) (blues)
7 pm – Local Harvest (with Jon Valley) (local music, eclectic)
9 pm – The Jazz Mix
11 pm – Get Around Sound (with Nick Avel) (soul)
Friday
1 am – Early Mix
3 am – Early Mix
5 am – Downtime (with Sean) (indie, eclectic)
7 am – Move On Up (with Jim Bruce) (soul, rock)
10 am – Sweet Inspiration (with Spencer) (soul, rock & roll)
12 pm – Beyon’ Cray (with Crim Dolla Cray) (eclectic)
2 pm – Dangerous Curves (with Sherri Danger) (eclectic)
4 pm – Blues in the Night (with Art Dwyer) (blues)
7 pm – Ital Rhythms (with Ital K) (reggae)
9 pm – Acid Stew (with Andy J) (indie, punk)
11 pm – Floored (with Michael James) (metal)
Saturday
1 am – Early Mix
3 am – Early Mix
5 am – Early Mix
7 am – Musical Merry-Go-Round (with Grandfather Stark) (family music)
8 am – Move the Needle (with Steve Leftridge) (eclectic)
10 am – Full Circle (with Jackie T) (eclectic)
12 pm – Midday Jamboree (with Fred Gumaer) (country)
2 pm – The Back Country (with Jeff Corbin) (country)
4 pm – Wax Lyrical (with Caron) (Americana, indie)
6 pm – Nomo Fomo (with Courtney) (spotlighting concerts in St. Louis)
7 pm – Crate Digger’s Mix (hip-hop)
9 pm – Positive Vibrations (with Professor Skank and Matty Dread) (reggae)
11 pm – Elevated Rhymestate (with Wil Wander) (hip-hop)
Short Features
Worm’s Eye View Environmental Calendar
Earthworm Castings with Green Jean Ponzi
Concert Calendar
Events Calendar
Performing Arts Reviews
with more to come!
