The Mayor of the Pittsburgh music scene, Jeff Betten, owner of Hellbender Vinyl, joins Style in an exclusive interview to discuss the story behind Hellbender, Jeff’s journey in running record labels and pressing vinyl, growth, and the local music scene! Check out the full interview below, be sure to check out Hellbender Vinyl for your next project, and tune in to WSRR Radio!
Interview from (06/06/26)
WSRR Radio was started in January of 2024 with the intention in mind of reviving true, local radio and giving local and independent artists a platform to get their music on the air without having to deal with corporate mainstream radio monopolies. None of us could have ever imagined how much WSRR would grow in such a short period, and all of it is thanks to our loyal listeners, supporters, and sponsors who keep us and all these incredible local artists on the air.
I’d like to take a moment to address and thank our incredible sponsors. WSRR Radio is not a business, a non-profit, 501c3, or anything of that nature, and thus, none od us make any money from what we do here. Because of the support and generosity of our sponsors, WSRR Radio has been able to stay on the air and keep local artists’ music playing in homes and cars nationwide. Synergy Music Studio has not only been an incredible sponsor but a pipeline between Cleveland and Chicago that has connected us with countless talented artists that can be heard daily on air. In addition, their services are truly second to none as each track we get from Synergy is always perfectly mixed, mastered, produced, and ready for air. Hellbender Vinyl is another one of our incredible sponsors who takes time out of their schedule to give local artists a voice. Their vinyl pressings are the absolute industry standard, and they are extremely active in the PA scene, promoting local artists, businesses, and events. It’s always a pleasure to be able to show artists here in Cleveland the impeccable work Hellbender can do for them on their next album. Of course, I’d be remiss not to mention GenericClothes.com, a sponsor that fits the WSRR brand and mindset like a glove. From our first interaction with Generic Clothes, it was clear we both shared the same mindset about how monopolization is not only killing the radio and music world, but the fashion industry as well as the majority of local businesses in America. We couldn’t be more proud to work with a local business that strives to promote small-owned shops and creators and does so by having a laugh at the industry overlords.
With all that being said, you may have noticed WSRR Radio also plays 4 minutes of “network advertisement” every hour. These are ads that we do not get paid for, do not get to choose, and do not even hear. They are selected and marketed by LIVE365 and play based on location and demo to each person differently. While we do our best to limit these ads, contractually, we have to play a minimum of 4 minutes in order to keep our licensing. This is a stipulation we have been uneasy about since launch, but have not had a possible way around…Until now.
Because of the support and love that’s been shown by our amazing listeners, supporters, and sponsors, I, Style, have personally invested $3,000 of my own money into WSRR Radio for a new broadcasting contract and license that no longer requires us to play ANY network or unapproved adverts. With this, we can assure our artists that they will get more time each hour to maximize their music streams, we can assure our listeners they will not receive targeted ads from ANY corporation, and we can assure our sponsors that they are the only ones who will be promoted for the incredible work they do.
With this, we are proud to announce there will also be a WSRR Radio Mobile App rolling out in the coming months, both on IOS and Android. The app is currently paid for and in development and will allow listeners to not only be able to quickly and easily access WSRR Radio at the touch of a button but also purchase songs to support the artists, as well as quickly share the tracks to social media.
With all this said, in an effort to offset these costs of the new license and app, WSRR Radio will be hosting a 12-hour LIVE telethon on July 26th 2025! The WSRR Rebelthon will be 12 straight hours of live radio shows, Artist interviews, guests, giveaways, and special programming! We will be collecting donations via Venmo @WSRRRadio and giving shout-outs (and stickers) to anyone who donates live on air! In addition, we will also be selling an exclusive WSRR Rebelthon shirt for 24 hours only on July 26th, with all money made going towards the new station contract! For any artists who would like to participate either live in studio or via giveaways, please reach out at StylesRebelRadio@gmail.com. More information on the WSRR Rebelthon will be coming soon so stay tuned and we hope you’ll join us on July 26th!
Thank you all, Style