KDHX
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KDHX (88.1 FM) is a non-commercial radio station in St. Louis. Owned by Double Helix Corporation, the station primarily airs adult album alternative music. It broadcasts from studios on 3524 Washington Blvd. in the Grand Center Arts District, while its transmitter is located on Fairfax Avenue in Arnold, Missouri.
The station previously aired an array of community radio shows, including specialty music, cultural and public affairs programming. KDHX's operations began to decline in the 2020s, following accusations of mismanagement by current and former volunteers of the station, and a resulting decline in revenue from donations. Amid these issues, the station laid off all its volunteer staff in January 2025 and filed for bankruptcy in March, with the station having since been broadcasting on an automated basis with no live programming. After a bidding war between two Christian radio broadcasters, Gateway Creative Broadcasting was awarded the right to purchase the station in an auction conducted by the bankruptcy court.
ProgrammingEdit
The music heard on KDHX is primarily a roots-based AAA format. Other musical genres include blues, bluegrass, soul, folk, Americana, Latin, indie rock, world music, electronica and hip hop. Also heard are public affairs programs one evening a week and short-form features throughout the broadcast schedule. The on-air DJs were all volunteers chosen by an elected program committee and trained by station staff.
In addition to its on-air activities, KDHX Community Media previously produced a variety of music-oriented events such as Midwest Mayhem and Art Attack as well as collaborations with other community organizations. They included Harvest Sessions at the Tower Grove Farmers Market; Thursdays at the Intersection in Grand Center; the Sheldon Sessions with the Sheldon Concert Hall and SoundWaves with the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. Most of these events halted around 2015, largely due to the resignation of station management.
HistoryEdit
The station signed on the air on Template:Start date and age.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At the time of KDHX's founding, the frequency 88.1 MHz was occupied by 10-watt, Class D station KHRU-FM, operated by Clayton High School in Clayton, Missouri. It began broadcasting in 1968. KHRU-FM was on the air from 5 to 8 o'clock only on weeknights and only during the school year. The frequency was silent the rest of the week and all summer.
A public corporation, the Double Helix Foundation, was looking for a spot on the St. Louis FM dial to start a community radio station. Double Helix tried to work out a cooperative arrangement with the Clayton School District to share 88.1 FM, but the school district was unwilling to accept a frequency-sharing proposal. Eventually, Double Helix sued in federal court, resulting in a decision that broadcast stations had to "use it or lose it" with regard to frequencies. Stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission are required to broadcast a minimum number of hours each week. After that decision, the FCC revoked KHRU's license and awarded the frequency to the Double Helix Corporation.
From that point, KDHX began broadcasting most hours of the day with non-commercial programs. A variety of musical genres and talk shows aired. Most of the staff were volunteers.
In 2013, KDHX relocated from its original studios on Magnolia Avenue to a renovated building in the Grand Center Arts District, which would house a coffee shop and 125-seat concert venue on its ground floor. It was christened the Larry J. Weir Center for Independent Media in honor of the station's former operations manager, who had died in 2010.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Decline, bankruptcyEdit
In 2018, the station had amassed at least $2.3 million in debt, some of which stemming from construction and upkeep of its studios.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In July 2019, the station's executive director Kelly Wells faced allegations of sexual harassment, and of the mistreatment of African-American employees.<ref name=":1" />
Station veterans had also criticized its "top-down" management, and a lack of input in its operations. Former DJ Tom "Papa" Ray described KDHX as having been "180 degrees opposite of the intentions, desires and profile that the founders of this radio station wanted".<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2023, 10 volunteer DJs were controversially dismissed by the station, while two more stepped down in solidarity. Wells publicly stated that most of the dismissals were of DJs who had objected to moves by KDHX to adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in response to the prior harassment allegations. Some of the dismissed DJs accused KDHX of having actually removed them for raising concerns regarding the station's management. This decision resulted in protests by other volunteers, associate members, and listeners, with many longtime donors withdrawing their financial support to the station.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":2" />
In February 2024, over 450 local and national musicians signed a letter demanding the resignation of station leadership, citing that KDHX had "divorc[ed] itself from the St. Louis community" with its "poor management decisions".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At that time, KDHX had lost nearly a third of its donors.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The 990 tax filing for the 2023 tax year stated that donations were $808,378, which was down from the $1,314,351 brought in before the allegations against Wells began.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Following the legal agreement that seated two new board members, both were suspended during their first board meeting. After this, and an analysis of financial records, a lawsuit was filed against the remaining members of the board for "gross abuses of authority".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Amidst the ongoing issues with the current board, in December 2024 Double Helix reached an agreement to sell KDHX to Gateway Creative Broadcasting—owner of contemporary Christian music station KLJY—for $5.2 million.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On January 31, 2025, Double Helix Corporation laid off all volunteer staff and ceased live programming on KDHX.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Double Helix filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 10, 2025, revealing that KDHX only had about $7,000 in cash remaining.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Due to expired insurance, employees could not enter KDHX's studios.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Double Helix requested the naming of K-Love Inc.—a subsidiary of the Educational Media Foundation (EMF)—as a debtor in possession creditor, and negotiated a $400,000 loan.<ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":3" />
On March 25, 2025, despite the previous Gateway deal,<ref name=":3" /> the board of directors approved an agreement to sell KDHX's broadcast facilities to EMF for $4.35 million, which would result in the station most likely joining its K-Love Christian radio network. KDHX planned to continue operations as an internet radio station afterward. St. Louis is one of the few markets where the EMF does not currently have a station, with Radio Insight noting that the organization no longer avoided entering markets that already had established Christian music stations (in this case, KLJY). Double Helix stated that the sale would also result in a cost savings of $500,000 in maintenance expenses. Double Helix declined an offer by the supporter group League of Volunteer Enthusiasts of KDHX (LOVE of KDHX)—which consists of DJs and other staff who had been laid off by Double Helix<ref name=":3" />—to contribute $100,000 in funding to the station.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On April 5, 2025, the station briefly carried K-Love programming.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On April 15, 2025, it was reported that Gateway had made a $5.5 million counter-offer, and requested that the bankruptcy court launch a bidding process for the station.<ref name=":4" /> On May 15, 2025, the bankruptcy court authorized an auction of the station and its assets, scheduled for May 30.<ref name=":3" /> The auction would be won by Gateway with a bid of $8.75 million. LOVE of KDHX announced its intent to file an opposition to the sale.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Double Helix CorporationEdit
Double Helix Corporation is a community media organization governed by a 15-member Board of Directors. It is a 501(c)3 non-profit arts and educational organization with a mission to create community through media. The Double Helix Corporation was formed after the demise of KDNA, a countercultural community-radio station that operated in St. Louis's Gaslight Square district in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The KDHX offices and studios are located at 3524 Washington Avenue in Grand Center.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> its tower is located in the northern part of Jefferson County. The corporation is independent of any governmental entity, and is not affiliated with any religious or educational organization.
Prior to December 31, 2011, when statewide video franchise legislation sunsetted the city's cable franchise ordinance, Double Helix Corporation managed the public and community access television stations for the City of St. Louis.
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- KDHX - Myspace.com page.
- STLradio.com, Contains many articles on the history of St. Louis radio broadcasting including one on the history of KDNA under "Call Letter History". Originally from St. Louis Journalism Review.
- KDNA and KDHX archival materials and addendum at the Western Historical Manuscripts Collection.
- KDNA and KDHX archival materials at the Saint Louis Public Library.