03/09/2026
Presenting our Spring Fund Drive T-Shirt Design!
In the mid-1940s, folk troubadour Woody Guthrie scrawled a simple, defiant message on his guitar:
“This machine kills fascists.”
He wasn’t talking about violence. He was talking about truth. About songs that told the stories of working people. About shining light where others preferred darkness. About using the tools you have to stand up to fear, division, and authoritarianism.
At KYRS Thin Air Community Radio, we’ve been thinking about that message as we head into our Spring Fund Drive, March 8–13.
Because this machine kills fascists, too.
Our “machine” isn’t a guitar. It’s a transmitter. It’s a studio microphone. It’s a mixing board. It’s the signal that travels across Spokane and streams around the world. And most of all, it’s the collective voice of a community that believes in free expression, local storytelling, cultural celebration, and access to information.
Fascism thrives on silence. On misinformation. On fear of “the other.” On the narrowing of who gets to speak and who gets heard.
Community radio does the opposite.
Every day on KYRS, you hear voices that corporate media overlooks. You hear independent music that algorithms don’t push. You hear conversations rooted in equity, justice, creativity, and accountability. You hear programming that reflects the full, complicated, beautiful reality of our region.
We don’t answer to shareholders.
We answer to you.
That independence is not an accident. It’s powered by listeners who believe that local media matters and who understand that democracy depends on diverse, accessible platforms for speech.
When you support KYRS, you are:
Protecting independent journalism and commentary
Amplifying marginalized and local voices
Strengthening cultural programming that builds empathy
Investing in a media space that refuses to bow to fear or intimidation
You are keeping the signal alive.
From March 8–13, we’re asking you to stand with us. If KYRS has informed you, inspired you, introduced you to new music, or made you feel less alone, now is the moment to act.
Call 509.747.3807 to donate. Or give online at KYRS.org. Our Spring Fund Drive t-shirt is yours for a donation on $120.00.
Woody Guthrie understood that culture shapes politics. That songs shape hearts. That storytelling shapes societies. His guitar was his tool. This station is ours.
With your support, this machine, powered by community, will keep broadcasting truth, creativity, and courage across the Inland Northwest.
This is how we push back.
This is how we hold the line.
This is how we keep the airwaves free.
Join us March 8–13. Keep the signal strong.
