_{By Mike Romero
Header Image By Claire Snarr}

3hive owner Sam Cannon and his team are working to bring their human-centric, community-focused mission to the FM dial. 3hive has been helping people discover music outside the mainstream for over 20 years through a variety of initiatives. Most visibly, 3hive Record Lounge has become an integral part of Provo music culture, serving as a record store, listening space, and the setting for the Provo Music Town Hall. Adding broadcast capability will allow their influence to grow far beyond Center Street.

Through a Kickstarter campaign, 3hive is raising money to launch Radio3hive FM, a terrestrial station intended to reach listeners throughout Provo, Utah Valley and the surrounding areas. The station has found a frequency available for lease and is in the final stages of preparing for broadcast.

“Radio3hive will always be freeform genre-wise, with a heavy slant toward local, independent, and emerging artists,” Cannon says.

That freeform identity is already central to 3hive’s online programming at Radio3hive.com and on the Radio3hive app. “Our specialty shows cover everything including ambient, country, world, funk, soul, hardcore, hip-hop, hyper-pop and everything in between,” he says. “Our FM programming will continue in this tradition and continue to add new perspectives and programming over time.”

For Cannon, that range is part of the station’s purpose. Radio3hive is designed for curious listeners who want more than familiar commercial formats or algorithmically selected playlists. The station’s programming will be guided by people with distinct tastes, perspectives, and connections to the local music community.

An FM signal would make the station available in cars, homes, workplaces, and other everyday spaces across Utah Valley. Larger audiences would suddenly have access to music chosen by local humans rather than corporate programming departments or recommendation algorithms.

Cannon hopes that expanded reach will have an effect beyond simply giving listeners more music to hear.

“We hope Radio3hive FM unites our community and specifically gives Provo and Utah Valley something to be proud of,” he says. “We hope it raises the profile of our deep and talented local music scene. We hope it attracts smaller, emerging artists who might not have previously stopped in Utah on their tour routing.”

With an indie radio station at Provo’s disposal, Sound Town could make Utah a more attractive stop for artists who are still building their audiences.

The Kickstarter’s initial $15,000 goal will help cover the station’s launch and lease costs, broadcast equipment, technical setup, FCC expenses and legal fees. An additional $15,000 would help 3hive build a community recording and broadcast studio above its downtown Provo store. That space could be used for artist interviews, live sessions, volunteer DJs, and hosted programs.

Launching the station is only the beginning. Radio3hive has operated online for four years with the help of more than 20 volunteers, but FM broadcasting will bring additional lease payments, royalty fees and engineering costs. To help sustain the station, 3hive is developing relationships with potential sponsors and applying for nonprofit status.

“The best support listeners can provide is sharing their love for Radio3hive with friends, family, and brands and businesses who might be good underwriters/sponsors,” Cannon says.

Once nonprofit status is approved, donations will be tax-deductible. “We plan on making that a simple process online before the end of 2026,” he adds.

For now, Cannon is asking listeners to help build the station’s foundation. Radio3hive FM is ultimately an invitation to rediscover the possibility that radio can still surprise people, connect communities and give local music a powerful new platform.

The station is 70% funded with 11 days left to go. To support Radio3hive, follow 3hive on Instagram and back them on Kickstarter here.