WXNA DJs launch Kickstarter campaign for new station

A group of community DJs have launched a fundraising campaign to help get their new nonprofit Nashville radio station off the ground.

WXNA-FM received approval from the Federal Communications Commission in January for a new low-watt station to be located downtown.

WXNA was formed by a nonprofit group called Friends of WRVU, the Vanderbilt University-owned station that decided in 2012 to be streaming only and sold its broadcast rights to WPLN. That decision left community disc jockeys who produced an eclectic mix of programming on the outside.

The new station is seeking to raise $50,000 through a Kickstarter campaign. Already, they've received $8,501 in contributions as of 2 p.m. Tuesday. The deadline to reach their goal is Sept. 9.

"This project is a labor of love for me and the rest of the board — and for many others who also cherished WRVU-FM," said Heather Lose, a former WRVU DJ and co-founder of WXNA. "We've been chipping away at this giant elephant for years.

"And now that we are seeing the community rise up to help us build this station that is ultimately for them? Our hearts are full! And once we meet our fundraising goal and can start broadcasting, the fun will truly begin."

WXNA will broadcast on 101.5 FM with a 100-watt signal that will reach Germantown, downtown, East Nashville and the surrounding areas. Content is also expected to stream online.

On its Kickstarter page, WXNA promised the eclectic mix of programming one would expect from a community radio station. At WRVU community DJs hosted niche music programs ranging from jazz to local rock to classic country. They also had programs that looked at current events and local politics.

"Imagine you’re in your car, driving to work in the morning, listening to the radio," the station said on its Kickstarter page. "A Patsy Cline classic of country heartache wafts from the speakers, followed by a punch of powerful punk rock, and then a butt-shakin’ groove of deep Southern soul. It’s a mixmaster of styles and yet each song flows into the next in a way that makes sense — guided by a deejay with a plan and personality, rather than the cold order of 'random play.' ”

Reach Nate Rau at 615-259-8094 and on 'Twitter @tnnaterau.