Burning Man Information Radio
As Burning Man's official radio station, Burning Man Information Radio
(BMIR) made significant strides in 2001, its second year of existence.
Amidst the dozens of
pirate radio voices sailing through the ether of Black Rock City (BRC),
BMIR is the place for BRC citizens to get all the rumor-free info they
want and need. Wondering when the winds are coming to smash the shade
structure you spent what seems like your entire life building? BMIR can
tell you. Trying to make sure everyone knows about the late-breaking,
fun-loving, Derrida-reading hijinks going on at Camp Deconstruction? BMIR
can help you out.
The concept of BMIR came from the Burning Man organizers' desire to
have a broadcast radio frequency in case of emergencies. It evolved
out of
Playa
Information because its purpose was to deliver vital information
to the community at large. Consequently, BMIR began broadcasting reliable
emergency community messages and public service announcements (PSAs)
to Black Rock City during Burning Man 2000. Despite a slew of technical
difficulties, 2000's BMIR featured enough PSAs and playa information
to guide you through the white-outs. Through its success as a rumor-free
source of information, a valuable lesson emerged: make it interesting,
clever, and/or amusing and people will stay tuned.
This year's overhauled BMIR still featured all the info you ever needed,
but it also boasted a few changes. Our current technical arsenal consists
of the basics, including a transmitter and an antenna. While this was
enough to survive 2000's inaugural run (albeit arduously), improvements
were necessary. Technical advancements were thus the order of the day
for 2001, with a variety of equipment and expertise coming in from all
fronts. Meetings and phone calls began in March. We had team members in
both Seattle and LA. Generous loans of high-end mixers, mics, and headphones
- along with professional, virtually dummy-proof Enco playlist software-contributed
to a more consistent broadcast throughout the event.
Radio Free Burning Man, Black Rock City's most established living
radio station met with us and graciously allowed BMIR to use its tower
and provided general technical support and insight. Put all this together
and what do you get? When you tuned in to 105.7 this year, you may have
heard something that surprised you...a mix of amusing, illuminating
information and a variety of music in a continuous broadcast, free of
the glitches and off-air time you may have come to know in 2000.
Through the magic of automation, BMIR was able to remain on-air twenty-four
hours a day while still accommodating BRC's dynamic nature; from 3-5PM
every afternoon, Burners could visit the station and record PSAs about
their activities and services, PSAs that could be thrown instantly into
the mix. With the ability to record and broadcast live on-the-street interviews,
BMIR brought a touch of the insanity of the city to the airwaves.
Many feel that this year's event was one of the best ever, and while
we'll let the weather take a little credit, at least part of this success
can be attributed to the presence of a well-informed, enlightened citizenry.
Through a network of community communication fostered by BMIR, Playa Information,
and the Greeters,
information flowed freely and potential crises could be curtailed before
they struck. When porta-potty facilities first saw signs of being bombarded
with unwanted garbage and detritus as early as Monday, the viability of
the event came into question. BMIR responded immediately with a barrage
of announcements for arriving Burners; coupled with the Greeters‚ and
citizens' efforts, the information blitz was sufficient to stabilize the
situation within 24 hours. There was no further cause for concern for
remainder of the event.
So what does the Playa Almanac predict for BMIR next year? More of the
heartwarming cautionary tales of star-crossed watermelons and porta-potties
you couldn't live without....a deeper music library so you can keep your
tuner set to BMIR without having to hear the same song 354 times during
the course of the week...and even more participant involvement in the
station's programming. As always, BMIR will be a key component in getting
the word out, whatever the word may be.
BMIR: Remember, it's not just a radio station...it's a radio station
owned and operated by YOU - a bunch of radical, celebratory self-expressionists
living in the middle of the desert for seven days, creating the single
greatest event ever known to humankind. 