RFF is entering maintenance/sunset mode.
We've helped empower, amplify and motivate the music community within the Fediverse by celebrating artist consent and agency, direct support, and promoting quality sounds.
If you've participated along the way, you can be proud of the gauntlet we've thrown down for community and vibes and the discovery, collaboration and support fomented.
We'll accept music submissions until mid-Dec and the station will power down in Jan 2025.
1/
radio free fedi
•Even though some people might say that RFF is just a radio station, so much more went into our operation than simply running some media streams.
I've worked hard for RFF to be relentlessly pro-artist and positive, when offering artist support of all kinds and when framing critical analysis on struggles and dramas we as independent artsts were facing.
The sad fact of the matter is that RFF cannot sustainably stay in operation despite having put out calls for help throughout 2024.
2/
radio free fedi
•The response to my asking for help for over a year, the pivots I made to be accommodating have been all proven unviable structurally, temporally and now personally. All of this has been considered to N degrees and has been quite a weight.
Please do not add to the many weirdly demanding comms I've been hit with during these desperate attempts to salvage the project. Asking at this time why or how or "what can you do" even if you think your intentions are sincere is not helpful.
3/
radio free fedi
•This isn't just about finances. The community were fast to answer the call for annual infra drives so that at least was never a burden on the human.
I never wanted to ask, find, take staff funding on principle and was able to wear full-time volunteerism beyond what my health could afford. Sadly that debt has very much come due.
The project was always too big for a lone hamster, and informed friends and colleagues who respect my privacy will understand: we've overshot any handover options.
4/
radio free fedi
•Assuming I or you will cancel any existing recurring infrastructure donations, we should still be covered for the transmitter over the sunset period.
For those that have specifically supported me if you might delay cancelling to help through this end period, awesome, but no matter what thank you deeply for trying to include the human backstage in the equation of community service.
5/
radio free fedi
•Since inception, RFF has spoken in a resoundingly positive voice. It is something many of us need to hear and feel, yet often hard to sustain against web and life factors. It's one of most difficult and exhausting roles I've ever endured.
I hope you might help carry the reigns of music and art chief positivity officer(s) in the feed at least around celebrating independent art. I will need to be less available for this during sunset. This wasn't tech, this wasn't a platform, it was people.
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