News

<p>A St. Louis Judge allowed a lawsuit seeking to seat the board members elected by the associates of KDHX to proceed, despite KDHX&#8217;s motion to dismiss. The lawsuit hinges on whether the September 26th associates meeting, wherein the associates of the station voted to oust two board members, was held appropriately. Daniel Hill at the [&hellip;]</p>

<p>KDHX announced their slate of potential board members and it contained only one name despite numerous nominations. This year, the board unilaterally implemented a vetting process that allowed them to reject nominees, vetting the candidates down to just one name. Daniel Hill at the Riverfront Times has the details. Read the Article for yourself here.</p>

<p>As KDHX held their annual Associates Meeting, a crowd of about 60 people seeking meaningful change gathered outside the station. Daniel Hill from the RiverFront Times reports. Read the article for yourself here.</p>

<p>An open letter criticizing KDHX&#8217;s leadership and the mass firing of volunteers has amassed hundreds of signatures from local musicians. The letter provides a unique perspective on KDHX&#8217;s situation by centering the voices of the musicians KDHX exists to platform. Daniel Hill at the Riverfront Times has the details. Read the article for yourself here.</p>

<p>In an attempt to convey her side of the turmoil, KDHX&#8217;s Executive Director Kelly Wells took to the air on KDHX as part of Tangazo, a long-running KDHX podcast turned live talk show. The hour-long appearance was billed as a Q&amp;A, but ultimately offered few answers. Daniel Hill of the Riverfront Times documented the discussion [&hellip;]</p>

<p>KDHX has published a press release announcing it has lost more than a third of its donors (among other accomplishments). In the statement, executive director Kelly Wells gives credit to a &#8220;small group&#8221; for losing donors and volunteers, and creating a financial struggle. She goes on to characterize detractors as &#8220;primarily white and male&#8221; and [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Two more DJs joined the multitude of fired and striking staff in the last week of November, 2023. Jeffrey Hallazgo, (Dr Jeff) the host of the Big Bang program on KDHX for more than 22 years resigned citing the deteriorating atmosphere at the station. Andrea Rowe (Ace the, Girl From Space) the host of Sonic [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Following the mass firings and subsequent fallout, the assembled associates of KDHX filed a lawsuit to enforce the results of an associate vote to remove 2 board members and nominate 3 to replace them. The station disputed the legitimacy of these actions in a press release, a long with accusing the lawyer responsible of using [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Following the mass firing of DJ&#8217;s (and many others resigning or striking in protest) KDHX was a different, more sparse station. 25 timeslots and 70 hours a week sat empty, a radical change from the thriving lineup before the turmoil. Jeremy D. Goodwin of STLPR surveys the current state of KDHX and speaks to former [&hellip;]</p>

<p>The day finally arrived for the Save Our Station festival. Organized by members of the Save KDHX Facebook group, the event hosted a full day of live music and vendors with the goal of reaching out to the St Louis community and bring light to the situation at the station. Austin Woods with St Louis [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Following the unprecedented series of firings, mediation sessions, and DJ&#8217;s declaring a strike, Gary Pierson, KDHX&#8217;s board president released a statement addressing the turmoil created by his actions. In the statement, Pierson committed to no major action to address concerns and accused the striking volunteers or causing harm to the station. Joey Schneider of Fox [&hellip;]</p>

<p>A week after KDHX instituted a round of mass firings and mandatory mediations, Matthew Vianello, a member of KDHX&#8217;s already sparsely populated board resigned. Jessica Rogen of the RiverFront Times shares the details. Read the article for yourself here.</p>

<p>In this thorough examination of the situation following the mass firings and resignations and strikes at the station, Jeremy D. Goodwin gathers the facts and perspectives. Jeremy explains the history and speaks to DJ&#8217;s, listeners, and shares statements from Gary Pierson in an effort to bring a well rounded explainer to the turmoil at the [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Following Drea Stein&#8217;s firing, she filed a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order to compel KDHX to reinstate her as a DJ. In response, KDHX board president Gary Pierson announced KDHX had hired a lawyer of their own. The RiverFront Times&#8217; Jessica Rogen overviews Drea&#8217;s suit and the climate around the station Read the article [&hellip;]</p>

<p>In the weeks following Andy Coco and Drea Stein&#8217;s dismissal, KDHX continued to remove DJ&#8217;s from the air. In a letter signed by board president Gary Pierson and executive director Kelly Wells, 10 DJ&#8217;s were informed that their &#8220;conduct is not consistent with the vision for KDHX as we move forward&#8221;. Jessica Rogen with the [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Throughout the firings and mismanagement, KDHX&#8217;s fans were listening and organizing. In the midst of the turmoil listeners and passionate community members created the SAVE KDHX 88.1 Facebook group. Originally formed after Tom Ray&#8217;s firing, the group initially organized protests outside the station when his show would have aired. Over time, the group evolved their [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Following the publication of the letter of no confidence in the board and the firing of Tom &#8220;Papa&#8221; Ray KDHX&#8217;s executive director Kelly Wells made the extraordinary move to fire two of the station&#8217;s mainstays. The firings were explained in a statement issued by Kelly, accusing longtime hosts Andy Coco and Drea Stein of attempting [&hellip;]</p>

<p>A lot happened after Tom Ray&#8217;s abrupt firing in March of 2023: Protestors began assembling outside the station each week during the time when Ray&#8217;s Show would normally be broadcast. 29 current and 19 former KDHX DJ&#8217;s signed a letter of no confidence in Executive Director Kelly Wells. The station and lastly, the station sent [&hellip;]</p>

<p>For 35 years Tom &#8216;Papa&#8217; Ray was a mainstay on KDHX, hosting Soul Selector each Monday. That is until March of 2023 when he was fired by executive director Kelly Wells over Zoom. He believes his firing stemmed from his outspoken criticism of the station&#8217;s silence following the death of John McHenry, another DJ with [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Following the anonymous letters alleging a pattern of financial mismanagement and a string of questionable staffing and communication decisions KDHX scheduled a pair of public listening sessions. These sessions never materialized and were cancelled before they materialized. This article by Daniel Hill catalogs the fallout &#8211; volunteers bearing the brunt of negative backlash while the [&hellip;]</p>