By Naomi Granek Brown
XRAY FM (XRAY), a community radio station in Portland, was formed in 2014 and has been growing ever since—and is in the process of moving to a new, larger headquarters, where they will continue to do so.
Echoing their website, Chase Spross, XRAY’s station director—a role he defines as a combination of station manager and executive director—describes the station’s mission as “[putting] a microphone to the best and most distinctive of Portland, and [building] a culturally relevant hub for creativity, ideas and music in the city. [The] genesis of the station was…[wanting] to offer a platform that allowed people in the community to share their voice.”
XRAY is a community radio station, meaning that they are owned by the community rather than a large corporation, and “exist for greater reasons than just trying to sell ad space so we can continue to exist.” XRAY exercises very little control over what volunteers do with their radio time, Spross says, instead allowing broadcasters to choose what their programming will look like. When you tune into XRAY, “you’re going on a radio adventure, a musical adventure,” says Spross.
XRAY’s programming is diverse, consisting of talks and civics programs on weekday mornings and music programming on weekday afternoons and weekends. All programming is produced by volunteers in Portland, with two exceptions: Democracy Now and the Thom Hartmann program (which is based in Portland), both of which are broadcasted nationwide
Since its founding, XRAY has grown immensely, which Spross credits to significant community support of the station. Their latest expansion effort is moving XRAY headquarters to a new, larger space on SE Hawthorne Blvd. and 10th Ave.
Until recently, XRAY was headquartered in the basement of the Falcon Arts building in NE Portland. While Spross notes XRAY is very grateful for the space, as they have expanded, the organization has outgrown the building. Accessibility is a large priority for XRAY, and the old studio required the use of stairs, making it inaccessible to those with mobility issues. It was also very small, with no gathering spaces. XRAY wants to be more public facing and remove barriers to entry. Spross says another main reason for the move is the desire to have people, “associate our work with an actual tangible place in the city, not just an invisible place on the air.” The new location will be an opportunity for XRAY to build a physical space to allow people to gather, Spross says.
XRAY has been searching for new headquarters since 2023, and first toured the building on SE Hawthorne Blvd. in early 2025. The lease was signed at the beginning of 2026, and the organization has been working on renovations since. This move is in collaboration with Kickstand Comedy, another local organization and existing partner of XRAY, who is already located in the new building.
XRAY’s primary source of funding is through a membership base of supporters who give small monthly donations. The new building will allow for unique member-only opportunities and programming. The funding for the new location—buying the space and the renovation—also came primarily through small individual donations. XRAY hopes to raise $55,000 for renovations of the new space and, as of August 19, they are nearly halfway to this goal. Spross says around 80 percent of donations have come from individuals giving between $20 and $250, which he believes “speaks volumes to [XRAY’s] mission…and how it’s resonating with people.”
Instead of the small recording booths of the old studio, XRAY’s new studio will have large video and film studios, as well as a gathering space that can hold a plethora of events—full bands, civic panels with city leaders, community meetings—which XRAY has not previously had space for. The new space also has a large garage door that can be opened on warm days and a large outdoor space.
DJ Klyph, a local DJ who has had programming with XRAY for 12 years, notes that the station has been an invaluable part of “both the music and civic community, providing educational opportunities, supporting artists and events and [providing] platforms and information that listeners could rely on.” He sees the new space as a way to expand on such community contributions, allowing greater access and creating increased event opportunities and listener participation.
DJ Action Slacks—a DJ of multiple decades who has had programming with XRAY for three years—feels similarly. The new building “is more centrally located, a lot more visible and allows for increased community access,” she says. As someone who has devoted her life to encouraging “greater appreciation for underappreciated musicians,” she sees the ability of XRAY to broadcast local musicians live in the new location as “an immeasurable contribution to our local music scene.”
Spross says that “watching people get so excited about that opportunity being available has been…the most gratifying [thing] so far.” He is looking forward to opening the space to the volunteers and community, and “watching it blossom into a reflection of what the community wants it to be.” As Slacks says, the move will allow XRAY to “become an even more effective hub for Portland’s social consciousness, music and creative community. This is a game changer in so many ways!”
Renovations are currently being completed, and XRAY hopes to open by Saturday, September 19, when they will be hosting a block party and opening event.
The floor plan diagram of the XRAY FM’s new studio, provided by XRAY FM.
