KDHX



KDHX (88.1 FM) is an independent, non-commercial, listener-supported community radio station in St. Louis, Missouri, United States offering a full spectrum of music along with cultural and public affairs programming since 1987. KDHX broadcasts 24 hours a day online and with 42 kW of effective radiated power in stereo with RBDS data.

Station background
KDHX is licensed to the Double Helix Corporation, a 501(c)3 non-profit arts and educational organization with a mission to create community through media. The Double Helix Corporation was formed after the demise of KDNA, a countercultural community-radio station that operated in St. Louis's Gaslight Square district in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The corporation is independent of any governmental entity and is not affiliated with any religious or educational organization. The KDHX offices and studios are located at 3524 Washington Avenue in Grand Center; its tower is located in the northern part of Jefferson County.

Double Helix Corporation, operating under the name KDHX Community Media, is the licensee for 88.1 KDHX, which presents a primarily roots-based AAA (Adult Album Alternative) format interspersed with long-form public affairs programming one evening a week and short-form features throughout the broadcast schedule. The on-air DJs are all volunteers chosen by an elected program committee and trained by station staff.

In addition to its on-air activities, KDHX Community Media also previously produced a variety of music-oriented events such as Midwest Mayhem and Art Attack as well as collaborations with other community organizations. These collaborations included Harvest Sessions at the Tower Grove Farmers Market; Thursdays at the Intersection in Grand Center; the Sheldon Sessions with the Sheldon Concert Hall and SoundWaves with the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. Most of these events halted around 2015, largely due to the resignation of station director Beverly Hacker.

At the time of KDHX's founding, the frequency 88.1 MHz in the greater St. Louis area was occupied by 10-watt, Class D station KHRU-FM, operated by Clayton High School in Clayton, Missouri only from 5-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri. during the school year. It was the only station in St. Louis operating on that frequency. Double Helix tried to work out a cooperative arrangement with the Clayton School District to share the frequency, but the school district was unwilling to accept any frequency-sharing proposal. Eventually Double Helix sued in federal court, resulting in a decision that stations had to "use it or lose it" with regard to frequencies. After that decision, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revoked KHRU’s license and awarded the frequency to Double Helix Corporation.

In 2023, over a dozen volunteer DJs were controversially dismissed by executive director Kelly Wells, citing various and often evolving reasons. This decision resulted in protests by other volunteers, associate members, and listeners, with many longtime donors withdrawing their financial support to the station. 

In February 2024, over 450 local and national musicians signed a letter demanding the resignation of station leadership, saying "We, the musicians of St. Louis (and beyond), say enough is enough . . ." At that time, KDHX had lost nearly a third of their donors. The 990 tax filing for the 2023 tax year stated that the donations was $808,378, which is down from the $1,314,351 brought in before the allegations against Wells began.

Double Helix Corporation
Double Helix Corporation is a non-profit community media organization governed by a 15-member Board of Directors of which 9 spots are currently open after recent board resignations from the ongoing dispute with volunteers relieved of their duties. The inactive Community Advisory Board has no scheduled meetings and the last public board meeting specifically avoid all public comments as demonstrated by the publicly available recording of the last board meeting.

The corporation is independent of any governmental entity, and is not affiliated with any religious or educational organization. Double Helix Corporation is the licensee of 88.1 KDHX, the community radio station in St. Louis, Missouri.

Prior to December 31, 2011, when statewide video franchise legislation sunsetted the city's cable franchise ordinance, Double Helix Corporation managed the public and community access television stations for the City of St. Louis.