KDHX

Community radio station KDHX and a group of station volunteers settled a lawsuit Friday ahead of a trial that was set for Tuesday in St. Louis Circuit Court.

A lawsuit filed Friday asks a judge to force the community radio station to release many of its records, including financial documents and board communication.

"It is time for new leadership, leadership that is truly connected to the community, that listens to the community, and that inspires the trust of the community," the musicians wrote in their open letter. "It is time to return the exiled DJs to the air."

More than 90 business owners — including owners of STL Style, Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., The Gramophone and Crown Candy — are calling for the station to return dismissed former DJs to their positions and give volunteers more of a say in how the station runs.

St. Louis arts saw a lot of change in 2023, with new music venues and festivals, attendance struggles for theaters and an embattled community radio station seeing a DJ revolt. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jeremy D. Goodwin and Chad Davis recap trends from the year in the arts.

A group of unhappy KDHX listeners and former DJs asked a court to recognize the results of a vote by volunteers to add three new members to the station’s board and remove two of its current members.

As critics of KDHX leaders seek a resolution to long-running disputes, listeners miss many once-familiar on-air voices.

About 50 KDHX DJs and other volunteers voted Tuesday to remove two board members and install three new people to the board. Station leaders said the votes have no legal standing.

Station leaders dismissed 10 volunteer DJs on Friday and told another 12 they must complete a mediation process to stay on the air. The leaders say they are parting ways with volunteers who have resisted KDHX's enhanced focus on diversity.

Updated at 3:30 p.m., July 9 with a comment from former KDHX employee Jennifer Dunn Stewart — KDHX leadership is under fire.Within the past few weeks, an…