One Puerto Rico radio station is getting help from a diverse group of media outlets and artists to help rebuild its hurricane-battered facility.
A diverse group — one that includes Radio Vieques, Artists for Media Diversity (A4MD), Latino Public Radio Consortium (LPRC) and Media Alliance — announced the reissue of a 20-song compilation album called “Artists for Vieques” in an effort to rebuild the damaged facilities of public radio station WVQR(FM).
WVQR’s broadcast facilities were damaged by Hurricane Maria when the storm swept across Puerto Rico in October, and the news talk/music station has not begun full rebroadcasting in the two months since.
According to Media Alliance, WVQR provides communication and community organizing services for Puerto Rico’s two island municipalities — Culebra and Vieques — as well as the eastern half of the main island. The station, which broadcasts at 90.1 FM, is known in the community as Radio Vieques.
“Solidarity from organizations like A4MD, Media Alliance and the Latino Public Radio Consortium is crucial to get Radio Vieques back on the air to help our community rebuild and recover,” said WVQR Director Roberto Rabin.
The reissue of “Artists for Vieques” will be distributed on a revenue-sharing basis, the groups said. Each purchase of the 20-song album, which will sell for $20, will send 50% of the proceeds directly to Puerto Rico, with 25% remaining with the U.S. partner organizations and 25% covering production, administration, sales and distribution costs. This album features musicians like Willie Nelson, Los Lonely Boys and Los Bandidos Cósmicos.
“We have been working on many fronts to get public media stations in Puerto Rico back up and running,” explained LPRC Executive Director Magaly Rivera. “It is great to see how this project, which played a crucial role in making Radio Vieques a reality, is now also part of the station’s and Puerto Rico’s recovery.”
Organizations and stations can register as a partner organization to promote “Artists for Vieques” by clicking here or visiting A4MD at www.a4md.org.
