Mill Valley Cultural Arts Umbrella

UMBRELLA RADIO STARTS BETA TESTING  

Community Radio for the Mill Valley 

  

Umbrella Radio Launch March 1, 2008

One part of MVCAU’s mission consists of building a greater sense of community and interdependence among the independent communities and institutions it serves. And this is not being done by another organization or medium. Therefore there is an opportunity for an Internet, web-based radio station in the city and in Mill Valley that would focus on local reporting.

According to reports on the health of American newspapers, community news outlets are thriving and growing. Right now the MVCAU is working with other community groups to publish two monthly magazines with a total readership of about 12,000. MVCAU knows there is an interest in local news and arts information because there is more demand for the publications than is currently being met. And MVCAU recognizes that newspapers and terrestrial radio stations do not always report on local items of community interest.

The MVCAU is proposing to exploit this niche for community information by adding an Internet, web-based radio station to its current media operations. A 10-year revitalization within the Mill Valley communities has resulted in a demand for new types of community information. We believe the addition of a radio station provides another important outlet for local information. We also believe that the momentum for the Internet radio station is moved along by the youth population; as youth interests go, so do adult interests.