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From the start, the mission of The Current was to expose its listeners to a variety of contemporary music as well as playing the music that inspired today’s artists. When 89.3 FM changed formats in 2005 to the newly formed station, MPR created a lot of buzz in the Twin Cities' local music scene.

“The Twin Cities isn’t that big of a place,” said Christina Schmitt, communications specialist for MPR. “It doesn’t take long for word to get out to the music scene.” The Current shipped hosts to shows, sponsored concerts and presented events to spread the word.

“We try to be involved with as many community events that share a similar mission as The Current,” Schmitt said.

Twenty employees are assigned to the operation of The Current in addition to more than 90 others who work under the broader umbrella of MPR. Funding for The Current comes from member contributions, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, underwriting and foundation donations. The bulk of the budget comes from member contributions.

Mark Wheat, a host on The Current, said that the format of The Current is something that radio hasn’t quite seen before, at least not in the Twin Cities. “It’s kind of a synopsis of the history of popular music in America over the last 40 years if you want a really grand philosophical way of putting it,” he said.

Wheat says it is impossible to predict who will be a Current listener. When the format was being determined, MPR had in mind people in their 30s who wanted to hear new music and go see shows while still being able to listen to their favorites. Listeners come from middle teens through those in their 50s or 60s.

“One of the great things for us has been to hear how many families can share the station,” Wheat said. Although listeners like many musical eras and have many musical tastes, many of The Current’s programmers come from the same places.

Many of The Current’s staff are former employees of KUOM 770 AM Radio K, the college station of the University of Minnesota, and Zone and Drive 105, a now defunct alternative rock station controlled by ABC Radio. The Radio K and Zone/Drive 105 alumni include Wheat, Program Director Steve Nelson and a couple of other hosts.

In May 2007, Drive 105 underwent a format change that left The Current the only major alternative rock station in the Twin Cities. “People who used to listen to Zone 105 haven’t got anywhere to go now so if they can listen to us that’s great,” Wheat said. “If they care about listening to the radio, that audience has at least tried us and [Drive 105 has] been gone less than a year, maybe a year down the road that will start to be reflected in our audience.”

The Current’s independence and local focus are two points that make it appealing to listeners. “It’s community based and local and they don’t make a crapload of money like Clear Channel,” said Current listener Mallory Dixon, 22. “Their local listeners support it and pay to listen to it, which I think is really cool.”

Aside from the music, The Current brings great bands and crowds to cool venues throughout the Twin Cities, Dixon said. Wheat said that the great venues, record stores and music scene in the Twin Cities are part of the reason for The Current’s success.

“I don’t think there’s a better city to live in if you enjoy going to see a lot of live music,” Wheat said. Acts such as Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Cloud Cult and Mason Jennings are local with international appeal. All bigger than The Replacements, who thrived during the Twin Cities’ “Golden Days,” Wheat said.

One of the biggest pieces of the success of The Current has been its live, streaming-broadcasts on the web, allowing listeners all over the world to listen to The Current. Although this feature has created much success for The Current, it could potentially be disastrous.

Record labels still have not determined how much non-commercial radio stations should pay to play music online, something that Wheat thinks should have been sorted out some time ago. Potentially, record labels could make playing music online too expensive for The Current to continue broadcasting online. Until then, Wheat and the other hosts continue to follow the rules and play what they are given. Most labels are happy to give The Current music because it is an outlet to be heard, Wheat said.

The live, streaming-broadcasts on the web that have been a major cause of success for The Current are generating much positive feedback from the UK and Ireland, Wheat said.

Keeping with that global appeal, The Current traveled to the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, in March, joined by a dozen other stations. Doing things like this give The Current a good reputation and keep labels happy and makes them more likely to bring bands in-studio, Wheat said.

The names that have been played on The Current within the past three years have gone on to become mainstream; they’re the ones on the late night talk shows now. The demand for more of what The Current plays is coming in higher volumes from more places around the world.

“The possibilities for that are pretty scary,” Wheat said. “But in a good way.”