Radio Station Launches to Explore Important Community Issues
Sarah Livings-Walsh (left) and Analisa Venolia (right) record an episode of Revolution Report.
Seeking to foster a sense of hope in the face of the uncertainty and upheaval that seem to mark today’s society, Sarah Livings-Walsh and Analisa Venolia are launching Handball Court Radio with the goal of providing community-focused shows that transform discussions of important issues into accessible and solution-driven dialogues.
The online station launches with its flagship show Revolution Report’s premiere at the top of every hour on Friday, Oct. 11. Listeners can find Handball Court Radio on Live365.com and can enjoy episodes one week after their initial airing on their favorite podcast platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
“Instead of discussing topics like the climate crisis from a negative perspective, we wanted to help our listeners feel hope for the future and present them with actions they could take in their own lives to address these problems” said Livings-Walsh. “And we wanted to have these discussions in a way that everyone could engage with, regardless of their age or educational background. So, we try to explain all our terms and present the information in a friendly, casual way that makes talking about these subjects less intimidating.”
Revolution Report does just that. It highlights voices from the community, whether they are experts in their fields or people with lived experience sharing their perspectives. The show aims to challenge dominant oppressive social structures and encourage listeners to take action to better their communities. Appropriately, punk legend Richie Ramone lent his song “Live to Tell” to the show, contributing to the rebellious spirit of the show through music and complementing the conversations.
The first episode of Revolution Report will feature a conversation with Carmen Ramos Chandler, daughter of United Farm Workers and civil rights activists Bill and Irene Chandler, discussing her experiences growing up around union activism and the lessons she learned from her upbringing in the Chicano Movement. Future episodes will discuss topics including intersectional feminism, sustainability and sex trafficking. Guests will include academics and community activists who are knowledgeable about these topics.
“We’re so proud of what we’ve created and we’re really excited to finally share it with listeners,” Venolia said. “As we grow the station, we hope to always empower our audience to exercise their voices and we look forward to them joining us in finding ways we can enact positive change in our communities.”
Revolution Report airs at the top of every hour every other week on Handball Court Radio on Live365.com, with each episode uploaded on audio streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts the week following airing. For more information, visit hanbdallcourtradio.com or the station’s Instagram @handballcourtradio.
