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On April 3, 2024 Chicago Public Media announced it would discontinue the Vocalo radio broadcast, claiming that the operation had lost money for several years and had an average weekly audience of only 11,000 listeners. The cut drew criticism from the station's union,
446:, 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. The cuts also came only 2 years after CPM acquired the
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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". In January 2016, the
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played content that listeners had uploaded to the Vocalo.org website. It was launched with the desire to reach a more racially diverse and younger audience than
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The station began broadcasting in early 2001, holding the call letters WAJW. It was owned by
Auricle Communications. WAJW aired a
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for $ 61 million. The announcement included 14 layoffs in total with additional cuts to the WBEZ podcast team and non-newsroom
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The station split from its simulcast with WBEZ in June 2007 and was branded "Vocalo". Initially, Vocalo
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for $ 550,000 and its call letters were changed to WBEW. Chicago Public Media simulcast 91.5
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Chicago's Vocalo reins in eclectic approach but keeps focus on younger audience
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760:"Chicago Public Media announces 14 layoffs, end of Vocalo radio broadcast"
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Music format highlighting hip-hop, other genres seeks home on public radio
785:"Chicago Public Media Announces Its Acquisition of the Chicago Sun-Times"
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734:"WBEZ TO SHUT DOWN VOCALO RADIO AND OTHER DIVISIONS AS PART OF LAYOFFS"
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Feder, Robert. "WLS Radio hanging up on callers who 'sound old'"
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568:. Vol. 18, No. 06. February 7, 2001. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
530:", BostonRadio.com. July 15, 2002. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
710:", Current.org. August 17, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
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811:"Chicago Public Media kills Vocalo, lays off 14 employees"
723:", Current.org. July 21, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
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Urban contemporary radio stations in the United States
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http://www.hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=4
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415:on the station from November 2002 until June 2007.
368:. Since June 2007, the station has been branded
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407:In November 2002, the station was purchased by
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600:Application Search Details: BALED-20020708AAE
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836:Facility details for Facility ID 3248 (WBEW)
548:, 2003. p. D-158. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
590:. July 12, 2002. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
551:
541:Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2003-2004
16:Public radio station in Chesterton, Indiana
1527:Public radio stations in the United States
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644:. Archived from the original on 2009-02-01
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602:, fcc.gov. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
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632:"Vocalo.org: From Web to Broadcast"
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436:Corporation for Public Broadcasting
396:radio format, largely simulcasting
380:in Chicago. WBEW broadcasts in the
13:
1532:Radio stations established in 2001
809:Kaufmann, Justin (April 3, 2024).
474:"Facility Technical Data for WBEW"
14:
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1491:List of radio stations in Indiana
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482:Federal Communications Commission
203:Federal Communications Commission
678:"Fresh startup keeps old ideals"
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842:Licensing and Management System
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478:Licensing and Management System
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676:Janssen, Mike (May 14, 2007).
630:Careless, James (2007-12-05).
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1:
1175:by frequency & subchannel
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562:Format Changes & Updates
133:(Chicago Public Media, Inc.)
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376:and is a sister station to
300:Public license information
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497:HD Radio Guide for Chicago
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348:non-commercial educational
250:181.9 meters (597 ft)
1517:Radio stations in Indiana
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402:East Orange, New Jersey
278:41.635028°N 87.049750°W
256:Transmitter coordinates
1542:Porter County, Indiana
1421:Radio stations in the
852:'s FM station database
830:, WBEW's official site
187:WAJW (2001–2002)
528:North East RadioWatch
283:41.635028; -87.049750
192:Technical information
1462:Other nearby regions
1433:Aurora/Elgin/Wheaton
566:The M Street Journal
409:Chicago Public Media
374:Chicago Public Media
129:Chicago Public Media
1443:Joliet/Morris/Crete
587:Radio & Records
274: /
198:Licensing authority
52:Chesterton, Indiana
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1147:NOAA Weather Radio
886:Radio stations in
615:November 21, 2002.
613:Chicago Sun Times.
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640:. New York City:
510:Call Sign History
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366:Northwest Indiana
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68:Northwest Indiana
33:Chicago, Illinois
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1181:
986:
959:FM frequency
905:AM frequency
890:, including
804:
793:. Retrieved
791:. 2022-01-31
789:WBEZ Chicago
788:
779:
768:. Retrieved
766:. 2024-04-03
763:
754:
742:. Retrieved
738:RadioInsight
737:
728:
715:
702:
690:. Retrieved
686:the original
681:
671:
646:. Retrieved
642:NewBay Media
635:
612:
607:
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585:
565:
539:
535:
490:
477:
468:
453:
447:
440:
433:
422:
406:
391:
369:
355:public radio
339:
338:
95:Vocalo Radio
1075:Translators
682:Current.org
637:Radio World
456:employees.
308:Public file
281: /
269:87°2′59.1″W
266:41°38′6.1″N
210:Facility ID
100:Programming
1506:Categories
1481:South Bend
828:Vocalo.org
795:2024-04-13
770:2024-04-13
692:January 8,
648:2010-11-01
460:References
362:Chesterton
26:Simulcasts
1476:Lafayette
1203:call sign
1150:frequency
657:cite news
454:Sun-Times
444:SAG-AFTRA
177:(as WAJW)
117:Ownership
75:Frequency
1487:See also
1471:Kankakee
400:91.1 in
394:freeform
384:format.
382:HD Radio
352:Class B1
92:Branding
85:HD Radio
29:WBEZ-HD2
1428:Chicago
1393:WVUR-FM
1341:WLPR-FM
1321:WITW-LP
1296:WGVE-FM
838:in the
744:May 28,
388:History
358:station
350:(NCE),
346:) is a
329:.vocalo
322:Website
171: (
159:History
1438:DeKalb
1361:WNG689
1266:W295AF
1261:W294CY
1256:W293DR
1251:W284CY
1246:W283CO
1241:W248AP
1236:W240BJ
1231:W236BD
1226:W232CK
1221:W224EA
1216:W204CS
1192:92.3-2
1187:92.3-1
1182:89.5-1
1157:162.45
419:Vocalo
370:Vocalo
342:(89.5
237:4,000
106:Format
1211:KJY62
1162:162.5
1133:106.9
1128:106.7
1123:106.5
1118:104.7
1113:104.5
1047:107.1
1042:105.5
1037:103.9
1032:101.7
425:hosts
294:Links
239:watts
220:Class
122:Owner
111:Urban
79:89.5
1408:WZVN
1403:WWCA
1398:WXRD
1388:WTMK
1383:WRTW
1378:WRIN
1366:WPWX
1356:WNDZ
1351:WLTH
1346:WLQI
1336:WLOI
1331:WLJE
1326:WJOB
1316:WIVR
1311:WIMS
1306:WIBN
1301:WHLP
1291:WEFM
1286:WDSO
1281:WCOE
1276:WBEW
1271:WAKE
1108:97.5
1103:95.9
1098:95.1
1093:94.3
1088:92.7
1083:88.7
1065:93.5
1057:LPFM
1027:98.1
1022:97.7
1017:96.7
1012:95.9
1007:95.1
1002:92.3
997:90.5
992:89.9
987:89.5
982:89.1
977:88.7
972:88.5
967:88.3
948:1560
943:1540
938:1500
933:1420
928:1370
923:1270
918:1230
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