Sex and Broadcasting is a loving homage to oddball New Jersey radio station WFMU. In a world of corporatized Top 40 radio, WFMU is a refuge for the weird and unexpected, where listeners might find anything from songs played on drinking glasses, to poet Kenneth Goldsmith in his debauched “DJ Kenny G” persona. All of the DJs work for free, for nothing other than the pleasure of sharing their unique interests with anyone who might be listening. Sex and Broadcasting highlights both the camaraderie and continual pleasures of bringing together outcasts and eccentrics and also the difficulty of keeping such a place open with no outside support.

The key figure is station manager Ken Freedman, who has dedicated most of his life to keeping WFMU functioning, shepherding it from a small college station at a now-defunct college to a totally independent, if eternally cash-strapped, station struggling to find a place on the New York City airwaves. Some past DJs criticize Freedman’s authority over the station, but it’s impossible to doubt his commitment to keeping the doors open, and a strong leader is probably necessary to keep such a madhouse operating. Several DJs have produced popular shows on WFMU, but while working for nothing, some of the observers note that it’s only natural for shows that do become popular to outgrow WFMU.

Sex and Broadcasting stretches its source material about as far as possible; there’s only so long you can stay interested watching a pledge drive. But WFMU is a worthy subject, a beacon of free expression and outsider viewpoints in an in increasingly homogenous media landscape. WFMU is still going, if still broke, and one hopes that a larger online audience can help keep this bastion of weirdness open.