On October 10th at midnight, John Alan Reese will flip the switch on Drammen Unlimited Radio, becoming the founder and Editor-in-Chief of his own independent station. It’s the culmination of a plan years in the making.
Reese, who describes himself as an enthusiastic social commentator, podcaster, and music lover, first tested radio waters in 2021 with his own self-produced FM show on another station. That experiment lasted several months before ending over what he calls “creative and business differences with the station owners.”
The experience confirmed what he already knew. “It was always my intention to get to this point where I own and run my own radio station,” he says.
From Podcasting to Radio Broadcasting
The move to radio stems from Reese’s podcasting experience. “I enjoy the independence of thought that I experienced with my podcast,” he says. “I wanted to share that experience with other program leaders, and I figured that I could do that in a radio format.”
His vision for the station draws heavily on childhood memories of Ohio radio in the 1970s and 80s. “I grew up in rural Ohio in the USA,” he explains. “The radio stations out of Cleveland and Akron reached us, and those are the stations I grew to love. They were quite varied, and there was a lot to keep me listening—everything from rock to soul to R&B to jazz.”
His most cherished memories involve Saturday evenings listening to 93.1 FM WZAK out of Cleveland with his mother. “The music I heard and loved was from 70s Black American soul and R&B artists like Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Rufus and Chaka Khan, and Luther Vandross, as well as contemporary jazz from David Sanborn, Spyro Gyra, George Duke, and The Crusaders,” he recalls. “My mother and I would sing in harmony, play the piano together, and simply enjoy the radio experience. This was the beginning of my love of music and radio.”
Drammen Unlimited Radio will blend talk radio and music, covering local social and political issues, national and international affairs, art, music, and comedy. Reese has recruited five program leaders to help develop content.
Funding the Radio Dream
The station receives partial funding from Strømsø Unlimited, a local project involving social
entrepreneurs working on neighbourhood issues in Drammen. Reese covers the rest
personally, though he’s clear about future needs: “Going forward, advertising and
sponsorship are needed and will be welcomed by me.”
To prepare for launch, Reese joined Lokalradioforbundet, Norway’s local radio union. “They
have been instrumental during my gathering of information in preparation for my station’s
kickoff,” he says.
With community funding, professional preparation, and a clear vision of what he wants to
achieve, Reese is betting that Drammen has room for an independent voice in its media
landscape. The midnight launch will be the first test of whether his American radio
memories can find new life in Norwegian radio broadcasting.
Drammen Unlimited Radio goes live on 10th October 2025 at midnight. Listeners can access
the station online at https://drammenunlimitedradio.com/ or through a mobile app
designed for use across devices, including Bluetooth-enabled cars.
