Chicago Public Media
Encyclopedia
Chicago Public Media is a not-for-profit media company that operates as the primary National Public Radio member organization for Chicago
. It owns 3 non-commercial educational
FM broadcast stations and 1 FM translator, and produces the programs Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
for NPR stations, This American Life
for PRI
, and Sound Opinions
for PRX
. CPM is based at Navy Pier
in Chicago.
The organization was started to take over the operation of 91.5 WBEZ from the Chicago Board of Education
in 1990. Until April 2010, the company's legal name was The WBEZ Alliance, Inc. and it used the name Chicago Public Radio for its primary radio station and corporate identity.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It owns 3 non-commercial educational
Non-commercial educational
The term non-commercial educational applies to a radio station or TV station that does not accept on air advertisements , as defined in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission . NCE stations do not pay broadcast license fees for their non-profit uses of the radio spectrum...
FM broadcast stations and 1 FM translator, and produces the programs Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
for NPR stations, This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
for PRI
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
, and Sound Opinions
Sound Opinions
Sound Opinions is a radio talk show focusing on rock music. It airs Friday night at 8 PM CST and Saturday morning at 11 AM CST on Chicago Public Radio. The show is hosted by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot and features interviews with musicians and industry figures as well as featuring current music...
for PRX
Public Radio Exchange
The Public Radio Exchange is a nonprofit web-based platform for digital distribution, review, and licensing of radio programs. The organization claims to be the largest on-demand catalog of public radio programs available for broadcast and Internet use.-Mission:According to PRX's site, its mission...
. CPM is based at Navy Pier
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $ today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and...
in Chicago.
The organization was started to take over the operation of 91.5 WBEZ from the Chicago Board of Education
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
in 1990. Until April 2010, the company's legal name was The WBEZ Alliance, Inc. and it used the name Chicago Public Radio for its primary radio station and corporate identity.
Radio stations
- 91.5 WBEZ is Chicago's main public radio station. CPM and WBEZ were both known as "Chicago Public Radio" in the past. It is rebroadcast by 90.7 WBEQ at Morris, IllinoisMorris, IllinoisMorris is a city in Grundy County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,636 at the 2010 census.Morris is home to the Dresden Nuclear Power Plant, which provides a substantial portion of the electricity supply for the Chicago metropolitan area...
and 91.3 W217BM at Elgin, IllinoisElgin, IllinoisElgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
. - 89.5 WBEW at Chesterton, IndianaChesterton, IndianaChesterton is a town in Westchester, Jackson and Liberty townships, Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 13,068 at the 2010 census. The three towns of Chesterton, Burns Harbor, and Porter are known as the tri-towns or the Duneland area....
is the radio station of "Vocalo", a user-created content project in which people send in their own content to be played on 89.5 or across Internet streaming. From 2002 to 2007 it was a rebroadcaster of WBEZ as well.
Productions
- Chicago Amplified — a web-based audio archive of educational events in Chicago
- Off-Air Series — non-broadcast events held around the Chicago area
- OdysseyOdyssey (WBEZ)Odyssey was a daily talk show of ideas produced by WBEZ Chicago Public Radio. Hosted by Gretchen Helfrich, Odyssey explored topics ranging from religion in the public sphere to reasoning about risk; pacifism to post-national identity; memory to Microsoft; societal views on mental health to the...
— a daily talk show from 2001 to 2005 - Sound OpinionsSound OpinionsSound Opinions is a radio talk show focusing on rock music. It airs Friday night at 8 PM CST and Saturday morning at 11 AM CST on Chicago Public Radio. The show is hosted by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot and features interviews with musicians and industry figures as well as featuring current music...
— a rock music talk show with news, interviews, commentary, and performances; distributed by Public Radio ExchangePublic Radio ExchangeThe Public Radio Exchange is a nonprofit web-based platform for digital distribution, review, and licensing of radio programs. The organization claims to be the largest on-demand catalog of public radio programs available for broadcast and Internet use.-Mission:According to PRX's site, its mission...
; previously on 93.1 WXRTWXRTWXRT, also known as WXRT 93.1, XRT, and 93-XRT is a AAA radio station in Chicago, Illinois. For many years their slogan has been "Chicago's Finest Rock". WXRT is a primary sponsor of the Chicago nonprofit Rock For Kids.-History:... - This American LifeThis American LifeThis American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
— a radio magazine based around a theme in each episode, and distributed through Public Radio InternationalPublic Radio InternationalPublic Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
; the related TV show with the same nameThis American Life (TV series)This American Life is an American television series based on the radio program of the same name. Like the radio program, the series is hosted by Ira Glass. The series premiered on March 22, 2007. Two seasons of the show have aired on Showtime...
for 2 seasons from 2007 to 2009 - Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
— a comedy quiz show co-produced with National Public Radio and distributed through NPR - WorldviewWorldview (radio show)Worldview is Chicago Public Media's daily international-affairs radio show, hosted by Jerome McDonnell. It features conversations about international issues as well as their local connections...
— a daily international-affairs program
See also
- Third Coast International Audio FestivalThird Coast International Audio FestivalThe Third Coast International Audio Festival is a festival based in Chicago showcasing feature and documentary audio work...
— formerly part of CPR; its program Re:sound still airs on WBEZ
External links
- Chicago Public Media — official website