Rural Radio 88.1 was a low power broadcast station that served the Guerneville area for well over a year. It played an eclectic variety of music including new wave, disco, funk, electronica, industrial, hip hop, novelty, party tunes, surf music, and satire. Christmas time brought the music for the season from artists as diverse as Bing Crosby, Michael Jackson, Ian Drury, and Weird Al Yankovic.
Rural Radio 88.1 only played music, never a commercial. On occasion a voice was heard; the result of either a special request, or a test to ensure that the station could function properly on battery power in the event of a local emergency. The station also allowed, among other guests, a former receptionist of a commercial radio station to finally live out her fantasy of being a DJ for an hour.
Rural Radio 88.1 was enjoyed by a wide variety of townfolk. It was heard coming from people's car radios, from the speakers of the local stores, and from the headphones of joggers and other music enthusiasts. It was known to grace the walls of the local music shop, and even played in the cars of the employees of the local top-40 station during their commutes.
Rural Radio 88.1 is undergoing a metamorphosis and shall rise again!
May 1997 update: Rural Radio 88.1 has been re-incarnated, and lives a low-key (FCC Part 15) but full-time existence at an undisclosed location.
March 1998 update: Rural Radio 88.1 which only played CDs, now plays tapes as well.
June 1998 update: Rural Radio 88.1 has again moved, and now serves a few blocks within a small, suburban neighborhood.
March 1999 update: Rural Radio 88.1 now plays vinyl records, including Grandma's 78s, and is looking for a new and more appropriate name.
April 1999 update: Rural Radio 88.1 has a new name: Silicon Radio! SILICON, Silicon, silicon... RADIO, Radio, radio...
June 1999 update: Silicon Radio 88.1 has a new antenna. The homemade vertical dipole antenna served without fault for many years, but its replacement with a Comet SL-95 five-eights wave vertical antenna means a few more listeners.
December 1999 update: Silicon Radio 88.1 has again moved, this time to a high level location. Some audio processing has been added, and it has been connected to a PC. Stay tuned...
December 2001 update: Silicon Radio 88.1 has again moved, and guess what? It is again known as Rural Radio 88.1, and is actively serving a small part of a suburban community.
September 2003 update: Silicon Radio 88.1 has moved, and is presently undergoing an overhaul. Stay tuned...
April 2007 update: Silicon Radio 88.1 has moved to an insulated shack, and is ready to spring back into action should the need arise.
July 2012 update: Silicon Radio 88.1 has left the shack, is mothballed, but is ready to spring back into action should the need arise.