In 2024, people from other cities look on with suspicion when Austinites claim to listen to FM radio. We're lucky that our local airwaves offer us something our streaming accounts cannot, and one independent radio station that really breaks the mold is getting its flowers: September 17, 2024, is now KOOP Day.

The news comes from the City of Austin itself, following an official proclamation. This year is also the 30th anniversary of KOOP (pronounced co-op) 91.7, a volunteer-run, non-commercial station that plays music and other cultural programming.

It'll celebrate that "birthday" February 1, 2025 at Antone’s Nightclub with live acts, a silent auction, and more. Throughout the 2024-2025 season, folks tuning in look forward to special broadcasts with interviews and archival content, plus some community engagement initiatives including an annual membership drive.

KOOP Radio officially started after 11 years of planning and bureaucratic battles, as detailed by the Austin-American Statesman, with the first words on air in 1994 being spoken by the station's (later ousted) founder, Jim Ellinger, quoting cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

The station has seen plenty of turmoil over the years, but has become a haven for many of Austin's weird ideas — plus less weird ones people just don't come into contact with otherwise. Marginalized voices and social justice are constant drivers of KOOP's programming, which has earned it 30 awards in the Austin Chronicle's Best of Austin awards, including "Most Radio-Unfriendly Radio" (2013), "Best Sound of Cinema" (2018), and even "Biggest Waste Of A Radio Frequency" (1992).

On this station, Austinites hear instruments from cultures around the world; experimental sound art; ambient tunes; playful and challenging interviews; and thoughtful educational programming day-to-day, or on history-heavy holidays like Juneteenth and the Fourth of July. It also gets community members together by hosting and attending events around town.

Here's an excerpted selection of regular programming for a Tuesday (when this KOOP Day falls) on the station:

• 9-11 am: Under the X in Texas, a review of influential musicians in Texas' history, especially where underexposed.
• 11 am to noon: The Dark End of the Street, a celebration of Black music from the 60s and early 70s.
• 1-2 pm: Austin Artists Show, an interview series with local creatives of all stripes.
• 3-4:30 pm: Mood Ring, a "queer utopia" designed to pump up the living room.
• 4:30-6 pm: Le Chateau Daddy-O, a psychedelic jaunt for "sensitive listeners and the really up-tight."
• 6-7 pm: HeartbeatZ Indigenous Hour, a Native American show that's mostly music, with some educational segments.
• 9 pm and overnight: Local music online.

"Celebrating 30 years of KOOP Radio is a celebration of Austin's diversity, culture, and commitment to community," said the station's general manager, Federico Pacheco, in a news release. "We are deeply honored that the City of Austin has declared September 17, 2024, as KOOP Day. This recognition reflects the hard work, passion, and dedication of everyone who has contributed to KOOP's success over the past three decades."

More information about KOOP Radio is available at koop.org.