After eight and a half years of broadcasting bluegrass 24/7 online, WorldWideBluegrass.com has ceased operation. General Manager Jeff DeFord tells us that they shut down effective November 1, and that most of their regular hosts are moving their shows over to The Bluegrass Mix, another streaming station.
From their start in 2006, WWB has been a volunteer, self-funded organization, playing a randomized bluegrass stream when hosts were not broadcasting from their own homes or studios. DeFord says that they never had trouble attracting listeners, but that online donations simply didn’t cover the fees to keep the station on the air.
They held successful fundraisers each year, but the server costs and airplay royalties were just more than they could handle going forward, based on monthly income.
WWB was founded in February ’06 by Gracie Muldoon, with Jeff coming on board a few months later. Les Sears had been instrumental in the development of the online channel as well as serving as an on-air host, and Gary Reese has served as webmaster. The station was a labor of love for these and probably another dozen or more hosts who donated their time.
Farewell WorldWideBluegrass.com.
