Broadcast area | Chicago area |
---|---|
Frequency | 88.3 MHz |
Branding | The Wizard |
Programming | |
Format | Freeform |
Affiliations | Pacifica Radio Network |
Ownership | |
Owner | Northeastern Illinois University |
History | |
First air date | 1974 [1] |
Call sign meaning | WiZaRD |
Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 49444 |
Class | A |
ERP | 100 watts |
HAAT | 22 meters (72 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°58′56″N87°43′07″W / 41.98222°N 87.71861°W Coordinates: 41°58′56″N87°43′07″W / 41.98222°N 87.71861°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast | Listen live |
Website | wzrdchicago.org |
WZRD (88.3 MHz) is the student-run FM radio station at Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, Illinois, US, founded in 1974. The station serves the Chicago area. The station is licensed by the FCC to Northeastern Illinois University. [2] WZRD broadcasts on a freeform radio format and is a Pacifica Radio affiliate. [3]
WZRD has hosted live in-studio performances over the years and many artists that played and continue to play in-studio during WZRD's "Thursday Night Live" program—a long running weekly live performance show featuring local, national, and international acts. [4]
WZRD was a hotbed for local and touring punk, hardcore, and post-punk groups in the 1980s. Steve Bjorklund, an early figure in Chicago's punk scene writes in the liner notes of The Effigies album "Remains Nonviewable":
It was the early spring of 1980, and the occasion was a free show by a shitty band called A Minimal Graphic in the auditorium at Northeastern Illinois University on the northwest side. Northeastern Illinois University was significant because it housed the only radio station in Chicago that wasn't afraid to play punk rock. [5]
Prominent figure in Chicago music, Steve Albini, states in Naked Raygun's Basement Screams reissue's liner notes that "Sunday Morning Nightmare" on WZRD was the "one radio program" for Chicago punk in the early 1980s. WZRD's role in the Chicago Punk scene was discussed in You Weren't There , a 2007 film that documents the Chicago Punk scene from 1977 through 1984.
On June 29, 2012, Northeastern Illinois University temporarily closed down operations of WZRD due to issues of mismanagement. For instance, WZRD's broadcast license had expired, resulting in NEIU itself paying a $7,000 fine for failure to apply for renewal and for operating while no longer having a broadcast license, and having to ask for special temporary authority from the FCC to keep the station on the air. [6] Northeastern Illinois University Director of Student Leadership Development declared that the future of the radio club—and possibly the re-purposing of the radio station—would be decided following a search for a different programming format. In the meantime, WZRD would continue broadcasting using a "skeleton team", under the strict control of the university. The on-air programming was mostly provided by an automated DJ system.
On Tuesday, November 13, 2012, NEIU's newspaper the Independent headline story was "WZRD 88.3 Back in Business." Based on what the administration handed down to the collective, it did not reflect the Exiler's intentions. "The Participants will be expected to abide by standards of conduct compatible with Northeastern Illinois University standards...Wizard will be overseen by the Office of Student Leadership" and furthermore it said that although the students would retain their autonomy "the organization's bylaws, constitution, and powers of the program manager require revision and the addition of a 'statement of civility and decorum on how the actions of Djs will be treated'"
WNUR-FM is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Evanston, Illinois and serving the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the student radio station of Northwestern University and has a college radio format, mixing different styles of music with news and commentary.
WPGU is a fully commercial, student-run college radio station on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, Illinois. It broadcasts an alternative rock radio format and other programming throughout Champaign-Urbana and surrounding communities. It is owned independently from the university by the Illini Media Company.
WXPN is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that broadcasts an adult album alternative (AAA) radio format, along with many other format shows. WXPN produces World Cafe, a music program distributed by NPR to many non-commercial stations in the United States. The station's call sign, which is often abbreviated to XPN, stands for "Experimental Pennsylvania Network". The broadcast tower used by WXPN is located at, in the antenna farm complex in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.
High school radio are radio stations located at high schools and usually operated by its students with faculty supervision. The oldest extant high school AM radio station is AM 1450 KBPS in Portland, Oregon. Portland radio station KBPS, first licensed in 1923, is the second oldest radio station overall in the city of Portland. The student body of Benson Polytechnic High School purchased the transmitter and other equipment from Stubbs Electric in Portland for $1,800. Money for the purchase of the station came from student body funds. On March 23, 1923, the student body of Benson was licensed by the federal government to operate a radio station using 200 watts of power at 834 kilocycles. The first call letters of the station were KFIF. The station made its formal debut on the air and was officially dedicated in early May of 1923, between the hours of 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., on the opening night of the 5th annual Benson Tech Show. In spring of 1930, the call letters changed from KFIF to KBPS, for Benson Polytechnic High School. In 1941 KBPS stopped sharing its frequency with other stations and moved to 1450 AM on the dial where it remains today. In 1971 the FCC gave the station permission to increase daytime transmitting power to 1000 watts. Nighttime power was 250 watts. KBPS is now licensed for 1000 watts 24-hours a day. The KBPS studios, transmitter and 200 foot self-supporting steel tower are located at the rear of the Benson campus. AM 1450 still broadcasts 24/7/365 and the KBPS Radio Broadcasting program at Benson High School still teaches today's students about radio broadcasting and audio content creation.
WRFL, Lexington is a 7900-watt college radio station that broadcasts live, 24 hours a day, from the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, Kentucky. The station has broadcast continuously at 88.1 MHz on the FM radio band since 1988, and prior to COVID-19, without automation.
KTEQ-FM is the campus radio station of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T) in Rapid City, South Dakota. The station broadcasts a variety of music formats according to the tastes of the volunteer DJs doing the shows. The only restriction that KTEQ places on the formats of the shows is that the music cannot be Top 40 music. The station was off the air for nearly 13 1/2 years following the loss of its Non-commercial educational broadcast license but returned to air on March 8, 2014. Besides broadcasting over-the-air, the station's programming is also transmitted over channel 6 of the cable television system on the SDSM&T campus and through Internet streaming.
WLNX is a radio station licensed to Lincoln, Illinois, United States.
WONU is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Kankakee, Illinois, United States, and serving the region south of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is a non-profit, listener-supported station owned and operated by Olivet Nazarene University, which is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It airs a Christian Contemporary Music radio format.
WRTE is an American radio station broadcasting a public radio / jazz format. It is licensed to Chicago, Illinois, United States, and serves the city of Chicago. The station is owned by Chicago Public Media. WRTE broadcasts in the HD Radio format.
KCWU, also known as 88.1 The 'Burg, is the college radio station for Central Washington University based out of Ellensburg, Washington. The history of The 'Burg starts back in 1958 when small broadcast facility, KCAT, started broadcasting on 880 AM. The 'Burg, now KCWU, has expanded its broadcast facility. It now broadcasts 430 watts effective radiated power at a frequency of 88.1 MHz.
WFSU is the callsign for public radio stations operated by Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.
WHFH 88.5 FM is an American FM non-profit non-commercial educational high school radio station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to serve the community of and areas surrounding Flossmoor, Illinois. The station is owned and operated by Homewood-Flossmoor High School.
KANW is a non-commercial public radio station in Albuquerque, New Mexico. KANW is owned and operated by the Albuquerque Public Schools. On weekdays it airs New Mexico music and local public radio programming afternoons and nights, with NPR news programming in the morning, including Morning Edition, Fresh Air, On Point and 1A. Weekends feature New Mexico music, classical music and classic country music, as well as some NPR weekend shows such as The New Yorker Radio Hour, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and The Moth Radio Hour.
WCRX is a radio station based in Chicago, Illinois. WCRX is a non-commercial campus radio station owned and operated by Columbia College Chicago. The station is located at 33 East Congress in Chicago and operated by students in the school's radio department. WCRX provides music, news, sports, and community affairs programming.
KTGG is a radio station broadcasting from Okemos, Michigan, with a Christian radio format of talk and classical music. It is owned by West Central Michigan Media Ministries and airs programming from Strong Tower Radio, a network heard on about a dozen radio stations around Michigan and one in Illinois.
WKPX 88.5 FM is the non-commercial, educational radio station owned and operated by the Broward County Public Schools (BCPS), broadcasting at 3000 watts and reaching all of Broward County. In mid-2020, production studios were relocated from Piper High School, where the station had operated for many years, to BECON's production facility in Davie. This move is a first step in a plan to create internship opportunities for students throughout BCPS to get training and practical experience in radio as well as television and video production.
WXAV is the college radio station of Saint Xavier University in Chicago. WXAV serves the south and southwest side of Chicago, Illinois and its surrounding suburbs. WXAV has its studios located inside the radio station building. The building is nearby the Mercy Meeting Place.
WLRA or sometimes called WLRA Radio, or WLRA-FM, is a college radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Licensed to Lockport, Illinois, USA, the station serves the Chicago/greater Joliet region. The station is licensed to and owned by Lewis University. Lewis University is a private Roman Catholic and Lasallian university with an enrollment of around 6,800 students. The station is a member of the National Association of Broadcasters, Illinois Broadcasters Association, and Broadcast Education Association.
Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a public university in Chicago, Illinois. NEIU serves approximately 9,000 students in the region and is a Hispanic-serving institution. The main campus is located in the community area of North Park with three additional campuses in the metropolitan area. NEIU has one of the longest running free-form community radio stations, WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM.
WEPS is a radio station licensed to serve Elgin, Illinois, United States. The station is owned by the Elgin Area School District U46 and licensed to Board of Education School District U-46. Founded in 1950, WEPS is the oldest non-commercial educational radio station in the state of Illinois.