You may recall that XCSB — the new incarnation of former Cleveland State University college radio station WCSB 89.3FM, which was abruptly shut down by the university last October on the eve of its 50th anniversary — announced in March that it was creating a new studio for its online broadcasting (which is now live) on Waterloo Road, next door to the Beachland Ballroom. At that time they reported that they were expecting the space to be up and running by early May.
It isn’t yet but they’ve shared an update.
“Our original goal of opening by May 10th was extremely ambitious, and as you can see, we missed that deadline — but not for any nefarious reasons!” they say. “On the contrary: We’re learning in real time just how long things like ironing out lease agreements, securing contractors and most importantly, raising money really takes. We are facing significant costs in our build-out (for example, to install soundproof glass in the studio is going to set us back nearly five figures, but it is essential to make sure our broadcasts aren’t interrupted by a honking horn or folks chatting on the sidewalk). However, we are still laser-focused on establishing our physical studio space next to the Beachland Ballroom as soon as possible — and every dollar we are raising through our fundraising events across town is going toward these types of expenses, along with our current costs such as paying for web hosting and music licensing fees.”
They are appealing for help, both financial or in-kind donations. Go here to learn what you can do to help get this treasured local music scene asset up to full speed again.