Radio Survivor

What Radio Survivor does

Radio Survivor is an independent online media publication founded in 2009 and based in San Francisco, focused exclusively on covering college radio, community radio, internet radio, LPFM (Low Power FM), podcasting, and U.S. radio regulatory policy. The publication is co-founded by Jennifer Waits (College Radio and Culture Editor) and Paul Riismandel (Operations Director), with additional contributions from co-host/producer Eric Klein and author Matthew Lasar. The core product is the WordPress-based radiosurvivor.com website, which hosts 377+ archived articles covering station tours, equipment reviews, FCC policy analysis, and international radio coverage. This is complemented by the weekly Radio Survivor Podcast (345+ episodes), distributed across all major podcast platforms (iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Mixcloud, Google Podcasts, Radio Public) and broadcast terrestrially on 40+ affiliate stations across North America and Ireland, with XRAY.fm in Portland serving as a primary broadcast outlet. A free weekly email newsletter, the Radio Survivor Bulletin, and a classical-radio sub-brand called Hybrid Highbrow round out the product portfolio.

The business operates as a for-profit independent media outlet with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or external funding. Revenue is generated through two streams: recurring Patreon membership from listener/reader supporters and advertising/underwriting opportunities offered to radio stations and related organizations, with no publicly disclosed pricing. The publication has no formal office locations beyond its San Francisco base, operates with 1-10 employees, and relies heavily on the co-founders' combined 50+ years of non-commercial radio experience and Jennifer Waits' 200+ station visits across the U.S., Canada, and Ireland for content production. Waits additionally holds institutional roles including Co-chair of the Library of Congress Radio Preservation Task Force's College, Community and Educational Radio Caucus and curator of the college radio collection at the Internet Archive's Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications, lending the publication significant credibility within its niche.

Name

Radio Survivor

Legal name

Radio Survivor

Website

https://radiosurvivor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Radio Survivor is an independent online media publication covering college radio, community radio, internet radio, LPFM, and podcasting. Founded in 2009 in San Francisco, it publishes articles, a weekly podcast distributed on 40+ affiliate stations, and a newsletter, supported by Patreon and advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Radio Media & Publishing

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Radio Network Distribution & Programming Services (Syndicators, Format Providers) (MPAIAEAH)

Keywords

• College radio news
• Community radio coverage
• Radio industry journalism
• Podcasting news
• LPFM licensing resources

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Patreon Membership: Listener-supported crowdfunding through Patreon, providing recurring revenue from community members who support the publication
2. Advertising/Underwriting: The site offers advertising and underwriting opportunities for radio stations and related organizations

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Radio Survivor is an independent digital media publication that produces editorial articles, a weekly podcast, and an email newsletter focused on college radio, community radio, internet radio, LPFM broadcasting, podcasting, and radio industry policy. The content is distributed through its website, major podcast platforms, and a network of 40+ terrestrial affiliate radio stations across North America and Ireland. The publication also offers advertising/underwriting opportunities for radio stations and related organizations.

Product overview

Radio Survivor operates as a unified media publication focused on radio and podcasting culture, combining a news website, podcast show, and email newsletter under a single brand. The core platform is the Radio Survivor website (https://www.radiosurvivor.com/) which publishes articles, station tours, and commentary on college radio, internet radio, community radio, LPFM, FM/AM/shortwave bands, digital radio, and FCC policy. The Radio Survivor Podcast complements the website content with audio interviews and discussions distributed across major podcast platforms. The Radio Survivor Bulletin serves as an email newsletter companion, delivering weekly curated content. The Hybrid Highbrow sub-brand extends coverage specifically to classical radio topics. The site also facilitates affiliate station partnerships for broadcasting the podcast on terrestrial radio stations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hybrid Highbrow: A sub-brand covering news about classical radio around the world.

Products and services

• Radio Survivor Website The main website serving as a news and information portal covering college radio, internet radio, podcasting, community radio, LPFM, and radio policy. Features articles, station tours, and multimedia content for radio practitioners and enthusiasts.
• Radio Survivor Podcast A weekly podcast providing news, interviews, and commentary about radio and podcasting. Distributed across multiple platforms including RSS, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Mixcloud, Radio Public, and Spotify, and broadcast on 40+ terrestrial affiliate radio stations across North America and Ireland.
• Radio Survivor Bulletin A free weekly email newsletter providing curated radio news and updates to subscribers, serving as a companion to the website and podcast.
• Hybrid Highbrow A classical radio news program and blog covering classical radio around the world, published as a sub-brand under the Radio Survivor umbrella.
• Advertising/Underwriting Opportunities Advertising and underwriting placements available for radio stations and related organizations to reach the Radio Survivor audience through the website, podcast, and newsletter.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AllAccess.com: Radio and music industry news and job board serving programming, on-air talent, and station management. Comparable as a radio-industry editorial and community resource; differs in being more music-format and commercial radio focused than non-commercial/community radio.
• Current.org (formerly Current): Public media trade publication covering public radio and television news, policy, and station operations. Directly comparable to Radio Survivor in covering non-commercial broadcasting, with overlapping audience of station operators, journalists, and policy wonks, though with a broader TV/radio remit and institutional backing.
• RAIN News (Radio and Internet News): Online publication covering the intersection of radio broadcasting and internet/digital audio. Direct comparable covering internet radio, streaming, and broadcast radio — closely aligned with Radio Survivor's coverage of digital radio transitions.
• Inside Radio: Daily radio industry news service covering programming, advertising, FCC actions, and station transactions. Closely comparable as a radio-industry news outlet; skews toward commercial radio business and M&A rather than non-commercial station culture.
• Radio World: Long-running trade publication covering radio broadcasting technology, regulation, and business, published by Future plc. Directly comparable as a radio-industry editorial outlet, though it skews toward commercial broadcast engineering and technology rather than non-commercial/community radio culture.
• Radio Ink: Radio industry trade magazine covering management, programming, sales, and digital strategy for radio broadcasters. Comparable as a radio-focused media brand targeting industry professionals; differs in serving commercial operators rather than the non-commercial/college community.

Others

• Nieman Lab: Harvard Nieman Foundation publication covering the future of journalism and media industry transformation. Adjacent comparable as a niche journalism-focused media outlet with similar mission-driven, nonprofit-supported editorial model and deep specialization, though covering all of media rather than just radio.
• FCC Report / CommLawBlog: Practitioner blog covering FCC regulation, broadcast law, and spectrum policy. Comparable as a specialist editorial outlet covering FCC actions that affect radio operators — an adjacent reference point for Radio Survivor's policy coverage rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• KCRW (and similar community/college stations): Major Santa Monica-based community radio station that itself produces editorial/blog content about radio culture and industry. Not a trade publication but operates a blog that overlaps with Radio Survivor's editorial niche; comparable in spirit as a community-radio content producer rather than a direct editorial competitor.

Emerging players

• Podnews: Daily podcast industry news site founded by James Cridland covering the business, technology, and platforms of podcasting. Comparable as a podcast-adjacent trade media outlet covering radio/podcast crossover topics; differs in being focused on podcasting as an industry rather than on radio broadcasting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/radiosurvivor
• Facebookfacebook.com/radiosurvivor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/radio-survivor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Radio Survivor