An electronic flyer for WITT's (91.9) upcoming fundraiser at Radio Radio.

I hate Q95.

My soul dies a little bit every time I see one of its mustard yellow billboards emblazoned with that outdated, tacky logo and those ridiculous Bob and Tom illustrations. Everything about Q95 -- its advertising campaigns, its personalities and the please-make-it-stop music programming -- is emblematic of everything I don't like about this otherwise fine city, and for that matter, nation.

It cynically caters to nostalgia and sentimentality. It is proudly pedestrian. It makes the status quo look like Marilyn Manson. Q95 is the radio equivalent of President Bush: While everyone else is starving for change -- when change is clearly not only a good idea but downright necessary -- Q95 stays the course. If by some miracle Q95 is still around 50 years from now, you know that Seger, ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin and the Coug will all be in heavy rotation.

The good news is there may yet be light at the end of the dank, malodorous tunnel known as local radio. Jim Walsh and Stuart Lowry, a couple of old friends with a long history in the business, are working on launching WITT (91.9), the city's first community radio station.

Armed with an FCC construction permit and a 6,000-watt radio transmitter situated in Boone County, the duo hopes to get WITT on the air before the end of the year.

The first public fundraiser for the community-funded station will be held at -- where else? -- Radio Radio on Feb. 29. Featuring the Mudkids, Blueprintmusic, Sarah Grain, the Philosophy and more, the eclectic lineup mirrors the type of music WITT hopes to bring to the airwaves.

According to Jim Walsh, listeners can expect to hear programming that pairs the likes of Pavarotti, the Mamas and the Papas and Brian Eno back to back. He also plans to play lots of local music.

"I want to have a grand opening week where we play live music by local artists all day and night," he said. "Local music will definitely be a forte." Walsh said the station also plans to air liberal commentary to counterbalance the glut of conservative voices on local radio.

"We aren't taking any kind of political stance," he said. "We just looked at the market and saw that we could use a little more liberal commentary. If it doesn't get any support, we'll move on."

Walsh also hopes to launch a kids' music show, a quiz show about Indianapolis and more. Much of the rest of the content, he said, will be dictated by volunteers. "And until we get on the air, we need volunteers to help us launch it," he said.

For more information, visit the station's Web site at www.919witt.org.

(Read more about the state of local radio Feb. 17 here at Indy.com.)