WBEW

Public radio station in Chesterton, Indiana

Chesterton, Indiana

Broadcast areaNorthwest IndianaFrequency89.5 MHz (HD Radio)
91.1 MHz (HD Radio)BrandingVocalo RadioProgrammingFormatUrbanOwnershipOwner

Chicago Public Media
(Chicago Public Media, Inc.)

Sister stations

WBEQ, WBEZHistory

First air date

2001 (as WAJW)

Former call signs

WAJW (2001–2002)Technical information^[1]

Licensing authority

Federal Communications CommissionFacility ID3248ClassB1 NCEERP4,000 wattsHAAT181.9 meters (597 ft)

Transmitter coordinates

41°38′6.1″N 87°2′59.1″W / 41.635028°N 87.049750°W / 41.635028; -87.049750Links

Public license information

Public file
LMS

Websitewww.vocalo.org

WBEW (89.5 FM) is a non-commercial educational (NCE), Class B1 public radio station at Chesterton in Northwest Indiana. Since June 2007, the station has been branded Vocalo, initially airing listener submitted content and later airing an urban format. It is owned by Chicago Public Media and is a sister station to WBEZ in Chicago. WBEW broadcasts in the HD Radio format.^[2]

History

The station began broadcasting in early 2001, holding the call letters WAJW.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] It was owned by Auricle Communications.^[4]^[7] WAJW aired a Freeform radio format, largely simulcasting WFMU 91.1 in East Orange, New Jersey.^[4]^[6]

In November 2002, the station was purchased by Chicago Public Media for $550,000 and its call letters were changed to WBEW.^[8]^[7]^[3] Chicago Public Media simulcast 91.5 WBEZ on the station from November 2002 until June 2007.^[9]^[10]

Vocalo

The station split from its simulcast with WBEZ in June 2007 and was branded "Vocalo".^[10] Initially, Vocalo hosts played content that listeners had uploaded to the Vocalo.org website.^[10] It was launched with the desire to reach a more racially diverse and younger audience than NPR.^[11]

By August 2010, Vocalo had begun to base their playlist on hip-hop, dance, and R&B, and in 2014 adopted the slogan "Chicago's Urban Alternative".^[12] In January 2016, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) gave Chicago Public Radio $450,000 to refine Vocalo's format, so that the format's viability in other markets could be researched.^[13]

On April 3, 2024 Chicago Public Media announced it would discontinue the Vocalo radio broadcast. The cut drew criticism as it coincided with a $6.4 million, studio upgrade at WBEZ’s Navy Pier office and a 19% pay increase for Chicago Public Media’s CEO, Matt Moog.^[14] The cuts came only 2 years after CPM acquired the Chicago Sun-Times for $61Million.^[15] Locals were left to wonder what the decision signals about the organization's commitment to diversity.^[16] The announcement included 14 layoffs in total with additional cuts to the WBEZ podcast team and non-newsroom Sun-Times employees.^[17]

References

^ "Facility Technical Data for WBEW". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
^ http://www.hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=4 HD Radio Guide for Chicago
^ ^a ^b Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c "North East RadioWatch", BostonRadio.com. July 15, 2002. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2003-2004, Broadcasting & Cable, 2003. p. D-158. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 18, No. 06. February 7, 2001. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Radio Business", Radio & Records. July 12, 2002. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
^ Application Search Details: BALED-20020708AAE, fcc.gov. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
^ Feder, Robert. "WLS Radio hanging up on callers who 'sound old'" Chicago Sun Times. November 21, 2002.
^ ^a ^b ^c Careless, James (2007-12-05). "Vocalo.org: From Web to Broadcast". Radio World. New York City: NewBay Media. Archived from the original on 2009-02-01. Retrieved 2010-11-01.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ Janssen, Mike (May 14, 2007). "Fresh startup keeps old ideals". Current.org. Archived from the original on May 17, 2007. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
^ Janssen, Mike. "Music format highlighting hip-hop, other genres seeks home on public radio", Current.org. August 17, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
^ Falk, Tyler. " Chicago's Vocalo reins in eclectic approach but keeps focus on younger audience", Current.org. July 21, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
^ "Chicago Public Media announces 14 layoffs, end of Vocalo radio broadcast". Chicago Sun-Times. 2024-04-03. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
^ "Chicago Public Media Announces Its Acquisition of the Chicago Sun-Times". WBEZ Chicago. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
^ Rosales, South Side Weekly Admin, Jocelyn Martinez (2024-04-11). "The Cannabis Issue, farewell Vocalo, and fatal traffic stop in Humbolt Park". South Side Weekly. Retrieved 2024-04-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Kaufmann, Justin (April 3, 2024). "Chicago Public Media kills Vocalo, lays off 14 employees".