As the number of computer-run radio stations such as JACK-FM increases and layoffs continue at major Chicago radio stations like WBEZ, the Chicago Independent Radio Project aims to launch a brand new Chicago-focused community station this fall.

The Chicago Independent Radio Project, or CHIRP, formed in the summer of 2007 when the Loyola University-based Chicago independent radio station WLUW began phasing out non-students participants. Loyola instead wanted to use the station as a student-focused learning lab, and Shawn Campbell, former WLUW program director and current CHIRP president, thought a new community station was needed to use the nearly 100 non-student volunteers who were now shut out of WLUW.

“What I decided to do at that point was to start a completely new station that would be a true community station where anyone who had an interest in radio could come in and be involved,” Campbell said. “It wouldn’t be an organization that would be attached to any other institution, it would be truly independent.”

Campbell formed the group, applied for a name and invited nearly all of the former non-student WLUW volunteers to work on the new project. Initially, CHIRP focused on raising community radio awareness, fundraising and figuring out what form the station would take.

“Initially we really were concentrating on a broadcast signal on low power FM,” Campbell said. “What we found pretty quickly is the fact that low power FM is almost completely shut out of large markets like Chicago. In fact, it’s shut out of the top 50 markets, because of the way the law was written. So, we saw pretty soon that getting a low power broadcast signal could be one of our goals, but it wasn’t going to be something that would happen quickly.”

Instead, CHRIP focused their efforts in looking of patterns of online listenership and studying successful radio stations in Chicago with no broadcast component such as Seattle’s KEXP or Santa Monica’s KCRW. While these stations did have broadcast signals in their hometowns, but also have very large audiences in Chicago. Additionally, the group looked into the statistics of how online listenership has grown over the past three or four years, and CHIRP determined that it wasn’t a weakness to launching the station in an online form.

Now more than two years after the project’s formation, CHIRP President Campbell with the help of 12 dedicated project board members plan to finally launch the station this fall. The station’s programming won’t differ too much from your basic college radio station, but listeners can expect knowledgeable DJs and Chicago-focused content.

“What we want do is play a really eclectic mix of independent and underground music that you won’t really find elsewhere on the radio,” Campbell said. “Certainly having a true commitment to Chicago to playing local music and to cover the local arts and culture scenes. We think that Chicago is such a vibrant and creative community and we want to play an array of music that encompasses the city and beyond.”

In addition to their station launch, CHRIP is currently holding a pledge drive to cover web streaming costs on fundraising Web site Kickstarter.org, and with 28 days left, the drive has already surpassed its goal of $4,800. Also, a brand new studio is being constructed at 4045 N. Rockwell St. on Chicago’s northwest side.

“The whole idea is that CHIRP radio is in everyway a real radio station that operates live 24-7, 365 and has a central location,” Campbell said. “So having studios was always part of that plan. So what we’ve built is an on-air studio, a production studio that also doubles as a live studio and the space outside will actually be a place bands can come and play live.”

But as the Internet is saturated with free online radio stations at Web sites such as Live365.com and Shoutcast.com, can CHIRP radio separate itself from the bunch?

DePaul University’s radio station, Radio DePaul, has been streaming online exclusively for the past six years and has become an integral part of campus life. Joe Anderson, DePaul University junior and Radio DePaul general manager, thinks that Internet radio is actually more beneficial when trying to find an audience.

“I think what it comes to is every Internet radio station has different fields,” Anderson said. “I wouldn’t call it a saturated market, as long as they can offer something that really hasn’t been done before, I wouldn’t worry too much. It’s all about making you a unique thing to listen to.”

The station’s Web site, Chirpradio.org, still lists that station as launching in fall of 2009. And while the studio construction has pushed back the station’s online date, Campbell is confident CHIRP radio will launch sooner rather than later.

“We’re going to have to take some time to train people and test everything out, so we’re going to run in BETA for at least a month before we’re ready to launch,” Campbell said. “Right now, our guess is that the actual launch will happen sometime in mid-November, optimistically. It will definitely happen before the end 2009.”