Chicago Public Media

Chicago Public Media (CPM) is a nonprofit organization that operates WBEZ (Chicago’s public radio station) and Vocalo, an urban alternative radio station that has been at the forefront of crafting new formats to engage younger and more diverse audiences and serves as a model across public radio in the United States. The Race, Class, and Communities desk focuses on issues that have a disproportionate impact on Chicago’s communities of color and the implications of systemic racism. Vocalo focuses on community engagement through the lens of music and culture and serves a growing audience. WBEZ and Vocalo increasingly cross-pollinate their content and collaborate on events in order to reach wider and more diverse audiences across the Chicago area. This grant supports the continuation of this increased collaboration and activities in service of CPM’s overarching goals to create a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive organization. The intended outcomes of these activities are greater public access to inclusive news and culture coverage for all Chicagoans.

Chicago Public Media is a nonprofit public media organization dedicated to serving the Chicago region across audio, digital, and live event platforms. Through its two broadcast and digital services, WBEZ 91.5 and Vocalo 91.1, Chicago Public Media works to nourish the public conversation by telling stories that provoke thought, entertain, capture emotion, and inspire action. This award provides general operating support to Chicago Public Media as part of the Foundation’s Culture, Equity, and the Arts program.

Chicago Public Media (CPM) is a nonprofit that operates WBEZ (Chicago’s public radio station) and Vocalo, an alternative radio station that has been at the forefront of crafting a new format to engage younger audiences. Recently, CPM has declared a renewed commitment to journalism that serves and represents the diverse communities of the Chicago region. WBEZ is launching a news desk dedicated to race, class and communities. Vocalo, which attracts a growing base of young listeners of color,  is increasingly using its broadcast and online platform to bring attention to social and policy topics from the perspective of affected people and communities. This grant supports increased crossover activities between WBEZ and Vocalo and with additional community-based news organizations.

Chicago Public Media, established by the Chicago Board of Education in 1943, is a community-supported, public service broadcasting institution. Its primary function is to operate the public radio station WBEZ. WBEZ produces its own original content, such as the popular show Wait, Wait...Don’t Tell Me!, a weekly news quiz, and Curious City, which investigates listeners’ questions about the city of Chicago. It also serves as the NPR provider in Chicago. In addition to radio programs, Chicago Public Media uses a broad range of media platforms to serve and connect audiences, including websites, social media, podcasts, and mobile applications for on-demand streaming. Via radio, Chicago Public Media reaches 600,000 people each day within a 100-mile radius of downtown Chicago, including northern Illinois, northwest Indiana, southeast Wisconsin and southwest Michigan. It reaches additional audiences online (45,000 per month) and through its mobile apps (1,100 per month). This award recommends renewed general operating support to Chicago Public Media.

This grant will support the purchase of the license of WRTE Radio Arte (90.5 FM) by Chicago Public Media. Radio Arte was established in 1997 to provide non-commercial news and music for the growing Latino population of Chicago. It was developed and has been operated since that time by the National Museum of Mexican Art. Radio Arte will be incorporated into Chicago Public Media and renamed Vocalo 90.5 FM. Chicago Public Media will preserve the community and youth-focused programming that has become Radio Arte’s signature, and ensure that the station remains a non-commercial, participatory media resource for Chicago’s Latino community.

In support of general operations (over five years).

To support Vocalo, a new radio station and web project (over three years).

In support of general operations (over five years).

In support of general operations (over three years).

To support capital expenditures, including facility and technology improvements (over two years).

For "This American Life," a national radio program (over two years).

In support of general operations (over four years).

To support the production of a new weekly radio program that combines high-quality radio journalism with the performing arts.

To support three pilot episodes of a series of radio programs featuring Chicago and national artists documenting people's lives through stories.

In support of general operations (over three years).

To support a search for a vice president of programming.

In support of general operations (over two years).

To support a capital campaign to upgrade facilities and establish an endowment.

To support coverage of local news and issues (over three years).

To support "All Things Chicago" (over two years).

To support "All Things Chicago" (over two years).

To support "All Things Chicago."

To preserve broadcasts of "About Books and Writers," with Robert Cromie, a weekly National Public Radio program.