KDHX, a St. Louis community radio station (88.1 FM), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week, amid financial struggles and leadership disputes.
The station, run by Double Helix Corporation, faced declining donations (from $977,000 in 2022 to $808,000 in 2023) and had just $7,000 in reserves by January 2025.
Internal conflicts escalated after the 2023 dismissal of veteran DJs, including co-founder Tom “Papa” Ray, sparking protests and a 2025 termination of nearly all 120 volunteer DJs. Critics accuse the board, led by Gary Pierson and Kelly Wells, of mismanagement and retaliation, while a pending lawsuit claims volunteers were illegally stripped of voting rights.
The filing aims to restructure debts, but bankruptcy filing has raised fears among supporters that KDHX might sell its valuable broadcast license, potentially transitioning to an online-only model—a prospect leadership has neither confirmed nor denied.
Pierson has framed the Chapter 11 process as a chance to "honor our financial obligations, protect our long-standing relationships, and explore ways to redesign community media," but many in the community see it as a grim milestone in the station’s decline. Former DJs and listeners, including Roy Kasten and Steve St. Cyr, have called the situation "heartbreaking" and vowed to resist any license sale, emphasizing KDHX’s cultural significance to St. Louis.
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