OKC Man Launches 'Radio Station' From His Garage

By Darren Brown, News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City's newest radio station is rather unique.  You can't get it on AM or FM, and it's broadcast out of a garage with a laptop computer. 

RadioOKC.com is the brainchild of Chris Torrick, a longtime radio veteran who's worked in on-air production and programming in multiple markets.  

But Torrick's radio career took a twist recently, when he realized he needed to spend more time with his family, and less time doing live remotes.  The job market also influenced his decision. 

"Radio jobs dried up and I still had the creativity and the drive to do something," said Torrick. .

He found the perfect outlet in RadioOKC.com.  Although he admits it wasn't easy getting all the pieces into place. 

"I had done traditional radio, and I wasn't gonna put something on that wasn't just as good as something that you could turn onto FM," Torrick said.

The station's been broadcasting for a full year now, and Torrick is finding new listeners every day.  He even did some live broadcasts from the Festival of the Arts back in April.

The playlist is from Torrick's personal collection, mainly the music that he grew up listening to in southern California. 

"The Pretenders, the Clash, and the Cure, U2, UB40," said Torrick, rattling off a few of his favorites.  "Call it college rock, or alternative, it was alternative at the time."    

Oklahoma artists also get played on RadioOKC.com. 

"Probably about 10 to 15 percent of the music, we're playing somebody local from the Oklahoma City area that also fits in with what we're playing," Torrick said. 

Not surprisingly though, the same thing that makes RadioOKC.com unique, is also its biggest hurdle.

"That's one thing that's kind of a challenge, Torrick laughed.  "Getting the awareness out there that we're here, and that we're doing something a little different."