​Vandelay Radio to pause broadcasting amidst “financial pressures”

UK radio station Vandelay Radio has announced that it will stop broadcasting for the foreseeable future amidst financial troubles.

The station announced the news on Instagram earlier this week, telling fans that it will temporarily press pause on the project to “regroup and figure out how to keep the lights on”.

“We’ve never been about chasing profits,” they said. “But reality has a way of sneaking up on you. Despite our best efforts, the costs of keeping Vandelay running have become a burden that we can no longer carry without compromise.”

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Speaking to Mixmag, station head Dare explained that funds toward some of those operation costs have “dried up”, which would usually go toward server costs, licensing, equipment, and staffing.

“As a non-profit station, we don’t operate like the majority of radio stations in London where residents pay subscription costs to generate revenue,” he said.

“Our operating costs are covered by our own personal income, ticket sales and donations, all of which has dried up. As we face the financial pressures that come with staying true to our independent roots, we’re at a point where we need to step back and reassess.”

The station told fans that this isn’t the end for Vandelay, just a “moment to reflect on how we can continue to nurture this community and keep the station alive in a way that honours what we’ve built together.”

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“Vandelay Radio has always been more than just a station—it’s been a community, a space for those who crave the eclectic, the unconventional, and the deeply personal,” says Dare.

Vandelay has operated as a not-for-profit station since its launch as a bedroom project in Swansea, Wales, in 2018. In a recent interview with Mixmag looking at the impact of the cost of living crisis on radio, Dare explained that the station has felt the pressures of rising costs.

“We don’t have any income streams other than the live shows that we do, and they’re a lot harder when you don’t actually have any money to do them,” he said.

Keep up to date on Vandelay Radio’s next movements here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter