Vocalo.org
Encyclopedia
WBEW is a non-commercial educational
(NCE) public radio station on 89.5 MHz at Chesterton
in Northwest Indiana
. Since June 2007, the station has been the broadcast element of Vocalo, broadcasting primarily uploaded or e-mailed user-generated content
; other Vocalo content is on the web but not broadcast over the FM station. It is owned by Chicago Public Media
and is a sister station to WBEZ in Chicago.
Vocalo.org hosts play content that listeners upload to the Vocalo.org website (which includes: personal stories, news items, music, interviews, commentary, fiction, poetry, comedy, etc.), by encouraging submissions through community training programs, providing access to equipment, and by teaching people how to use their telephones to record and submit pieces to the station.
. The station went on the airwaves on June 4, 2007. While created by Chicago Public Media, Vocalo.org is not marketed as a public radio station, does not broadcast nationally-produced public radio programs and also does not openly use on-air pledge drive
s as a funding source.
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...
(NCE) public radio station on 89.5 MHz at Chesterton
Chesterton, Indiana
Chesterton 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....
in Northwest Indiana
Northwest Indiana
Northwest Indiana, also known as the South Shore and The Calumet Region or simply The Region, comprises Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana. This region neighbors Lake Michigan and is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
. Since June 2007, the station has been the broadcast element of Vocalo, broadcasting primarily uploaded or e-mailed user-generated content
User-generated content
User generated content covers a range of media content available in a range of modern communications technologies. It entered mainstream usage during 2005 having arisen in web publishing and new media content production circles...
; other Vocalo content is on the web but not broadcast over the FM station. It is owned by Chicago Public Media
Chicago Public Media
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...
and is a sister station to WBEZ in Chicago.
Vocalo.org hosts play content that listeners upload to the Vocalo.org website (which includes: personal stories, news items, music, interviews, commentary, fiction, poetry, comedy, etc.), by encouraging submissions through community training programs, providing access to equipment, and by teaching people how to use their telephones to record and submit pieces to the station.
Vocalo
Originally titled The Secret Radio Project, the website was created by Chicago Public Media in an attempt to create "radically public radio" that reached a more racially diverse and younger audience than NPRNPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
. The station went on the airwaves on June 4, 2007. While created by Chicago Public Media, Vocalo.org is not marketed as a public radio station, does not broadcast nationally-produced public radio programs and also does not openly use on-air pledge drive
Pledge drive
A pledge drive is an extended period of fundraising activities, generally used by public broadcasting stations to increase contributions. The term "pledge" originates from the promise a contributor makes to send in funding at regular intervals for a certain amount of time...
s as a funding source.