Story of a Istanbulite Independent Radio
In its 30 years of broadcasting from Istanbul, Turkey, Açık Radyo (now Apaçık Radyo) has been an independent radio station and more. As Oda Projesi—an artist collective consisting of Özge Açıkkol, Güneş Savaş, and Seçil Yersel—, we have experienced Açık Radyo as listeners, supporters, and programmers. In October 2024, the closure of its terrestrial broadcast significantly hit the media landscape of the city. It showed the importance of broadcasting as an independent radio, this time on the internet.
Good, good, good, good vibrations (oom bop bop)
She's giving me the excitations (excitations, oom bop bop)
I'm pickin' up good vibrations
Na na na na na, na na na
Na na na na na, na na na (bop bop-bop-bop-bop, bop)
Do do do do do, do do do (bop bop-bop-bop-bop, bop)
It was October 16th, 2024, when we, as long-term listeners, supporters, and programmers of Açık Radyo, waited for the radio to stop broadcasting. It was a very unusual day, we were listening to 95.0 FM and we knew that we wouldn’t be able to listen to it for an unknown period of time. "So we are now coming to the end... We thank all the listeners and all the people who have supported us. Açık Radyo will remain open to all the voices, all the colours, and all the stirrings of the universe," said Ömer Madra, founder and editor-in-chief of Açık Radyo, in front of a huge crowd outside the studio in Beyoğlu. After 30 years of live broadcasting, it was time for a deep silence at 13:00. The space of 95.0 FM will be an empty space of silence for a while. The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations,” which we were used to hearing as the opening teaser of the morning show, was played as a farewell song.
What Is Açık Radyo?
It is easy to say that Açık Radyo is a big family of programmers, listeners, participants, collaborators, supporters; people of different ages and backgrounds connected through radio waves under the roof of the radio station that is based in İstanbul. Açık Radyo (Open Radio) is an independent radio station that started broadcasting on November 13th, 1995. It is a “regional” radio station that broadcasts to the metropolitan area of Istanbul and the surrounding region.
In its early years, Açık Radyo’s founders considered their radio channel as "a forum for discussion, interaction, and organising for the future". And even today, it is a place where the unspoken is spoken openly.
After its terrestrial broadcast was shut down in October 2024, it was relaunched a month later this time on the internet with a new name: Apaçık Radyo. Apaçık Radyo keeps on Açık’s heritage and identity and defines itself as “not dependent on any interest group or any corporation. Needless to say, it is completely independent from the state, too.”
Açık / Apaçık Radyo is a community radio; which means that all the programmers are volunteers who make and produce their programmes for the radio, with the radio. Although each programme has its own agenda and content, it also creates a collective spirit that acts together.
Regarding material support, Açık Radyo is able to cover 40% of its annual expenses thanks to the Listener Support Project (Dinleyici Destek Projesi), which has been running for almost twenty years.[1] In other words, listeners personally sponsor (support) radio programmes, which continues to strengthen the community and collective spirit behind the station. More than ten thousand Açık Radyo listeners have contributed to the radio programmes through individual sponsorships. When the selected programme is broadcast, the name of the supporter is mentioned at the beginning and end of the programme. Independence is also interdependence, which means solidarity.
