It feels like a lifetime ago we were asked to be a part of programming for a not-yet-realized, new radio station called XRAY.FM. For years, we and so many of our friends wondered, "Why don't we have a bunch of killer radio stations in Portland?" The music scene in our city had felt so rich for so long that it seemed counterintuitive and kind of bizarre not to have a radio station that reflected and represented who we were. When that first little station was built and Strange Babes surfed through the Portland airwaves for the first time, it was hard to know how long the station would last and what it would or could grow into. It's been a joy to contribute to how XRAY has grown, and it remains a gift to be able to share our point of view and the music we love week after week with our XRAY and Strange community. 

To be able to stay connected and uplifted through music at a time when so many people are going through so much is a privilege that is not lost on us. We've volunteered our time for over 6 years because it means something to us to be able to connect with you. It means something to share who we are and what we love. It's hard to depend on much of anything right now, but every week we mean to create a place you can really depend on. A place you can go to find good company when you need to. A place where you can go underground and be in your own mind for a few hours. A place where you can listen and feel however it is you feel. And certainly, a place where you can go to out-strange the weirds of the day. It's our space to create and it's your space to share in however you wish. Every Tuesday from 4 to 6 pm without fail. That's what we mean when we say radio is yours. It's for you. It belongs to you and to us all. And we do need your help in keeping it Strange. This time we're living in is telling us to fight for what we love and give to it however we can. If that includes Strange Babes radio and XRAY.FM then please consider donating here. We thank you very much. 

Stay Strange,
DJs Jen O, KM Fizzy & Magic Beans

The mass consolidation of media has a profound effect on what we see and hear on a local level. It leads to a decline in support for local artists and local venues, promotion of community advocacy, in the ability to engage civically with our government and those who seek to be elected to it. 

XRAY changes that. And this year has made that more important than ever before. 

This year, while the world has been in turmoil, we've been busy

• giving back to local artists who've lost gigs due to COVID-19

• lifting up hundreds of nonprofits and Black-owned businesses with free spots on air

• educating our community about the privileges they have and how to support their neighbors with our Annual Juneteenth & International Women's Day Teach-Ins

• launching Portland's only daily local news podcast to keep our community in-the-know while apart

• supporting the ongoing civic advocacy, education, and functioning of City Club of Portland when no other radio station would

• interviewing 100+ local candidates (more than any other media outlet) to ensure democracy doesn't die in the distance. 

• and bringing joy and connectedness to the people of Portland.

We are proud to be independent and driven by the purpose of amplifying the best and most distinctive of Portland. Our resources are directed toward supporting the people who support us, and that includes you. By becoming a supporting member of XRAY, you are adding to the resources that help amplify Portland, and Portland’s own artists, venues, activists, innovators, educators, and the community members who make this city run. As a listener named John recently said, "I'm really grateful to live in a city with XRAY." And we're really grateful to live in a city with you.