branding wbez 91.5 frequency 91.5 mhz also on hd radio 90.7 mhz also on hd radio wbeq repeater s 90.7 wbeq morris illinois first air date 1943 1943 format public radio npr audience share 1.9 as of july 2010 1 erp 5 700 watts 1 450 watts wbeq haat 425.1 meters 1 395 ft 142.6 meters 468 ft wbeq class b nce a wbeq facility id 66649 92544 wbeq transmitter coordinates 41 53 56.1 n 87 37 23.2 w 41.898917 n 87.623111 w 41.898917 ; 87.623111 coordinates 41 53 56.1 n 87 37 23.2 w 41.898917 n 87.623111 w 41.898917 ; 87.623111 nad83 former callsigns wbez fm 1983 1988 affiliations npr ; public radio international ; public radio exchange ; american public media ; bbc world service owner chicago public media sister stations wbew webcast html5 based player website www.wbez.org logo until 2010 wbez is a noncommercial public radio station broadcasting from chicago illinois . financed primarily by listener contributions the station is affiliated with both national public radio and public radio international ; it also broadcasts content from american public media . the station and its parent organization were previously known as chicago public radio ; since 2010 the parent company has been known as chicago public media . 2 some of the organization s output is branded as wbez and some as chicago public media . wbez broadcasts in hd . 3 contents 1 stations and call signs 2 history 2.1 2007 programming change 3 programming 4 references 5 external links stations and call signs edit in addition to its main transmitter on 91.5 fm wbez operates full power satellite wbeq in morris illinois 90.7 fm . the station also formerly operated a low power translator in elgin illinois w217bm at 91.3 ; however the translator moved to chicago in 2014 and changed its frequency to 91.1 as w216cl . 4 listeners can also receive the broadcast online with streaming audio mp3 download or by podcast . as of 2013 the station drew an estimated 400 000 listeners each week . 5 cpm also operates a web site and radio station named vocalo.org which broadcasts on radio stations wrte 90.5 fm in chicago and wbew 89.5 fm in chesterton indiana as well as on the w216cl translator on 91.1 . 6 vocalo is also heard on the hd2 channel of wbez . 7 cpr cpm also previously managed loyola university of chicago s wluw 88.7 fm heard on the north side of chicago and adjacent suburbs for a few years in the early 21st century . 8 the arrangement terminated in 2007 . 8 history edit wbez first went on the air in april 1943 carrying instructional programming for the chicago public schools . 9 however initially only a few classrooms were able to tune in because most did not have fm receivers . 10 for most of its early years the station broadcast only instructional programs operating on weekdays on which chicago public schools were in session . 11 in 1970 wbez joined national public radio as a charter member and began general programming outside of school hours . 12 initially most programming outside of the instructional programs and npr programs was jazz music . the board of education sold the station to the current license holders the not for profit wbez alliance inc. in 1990 . 13 the corporate name was changed in 2010 to chicago public media inc. the general manager from 1995 to july 2013 was torey malatia . 14 the current ceo is goli sheikholeslami formerly of the washington post who took office in april 2014 . 15 2007 programming change edit on january 4 2007 the station s traditional overnight jazz programming was eliminated . 16 the music program remaining on the schedule was the world music program radio m formerly passport on friday nights . all other music hosts were to be reassigned to other positions at the station according to a march 2006 article in the chicago reader . the replacement of music programming which management said was due to the prevalence and popularity of other music delivery systems caused outrage amongst many in the chicago jazz scene . 17 protest sites were organized but were unsuccessful . 17 legendary jazz disc jockey dick buckley retained a time slot sunday afternoons until mid 2008 . 18 station management announced a five year plan for chicago oriented programs to cover all seven hours between the national news programs . 19 other program changes happened in october 2012 with various programs being reshuffled . at the same time smiley and west from pri was quietly dropped from the sunday afternoon line up . 20 programming edit a wbez reporter interviews a shimer college student at a protest in 2010 death cab for cutie plays for wbez s sound opinions in 2008 programming on wbez includes international and local news world music and quiz shows . notable national programs offered by wbez include all things considered car talk marketplace morning edition weekend edition pri s the world and a prairie home companion . generally news and talk programming is heard during the day and overnight with music and entertainment programming on the weekends . 21 wbez is best known nationally as the producer of this american life through public radio exchange and wait wait ... don t tell me through npr . this american life began in 1995 as the local show your radio playhouse ; it was renamed in march 1996 and has been national since june 1996 . 22 in addition chicago public media founded third coast international audio festival a showcase for independent radio producers and the producer of the weekly program re sound . 23 wbez was also the flagship station of the annoying music show a 3 minute program that showcased generally annoying songs . the program was produced by former wbez program director jim nayder . nayder communications also produced the somewhat more serious magnificent obsession a program of interviews with persons who have overcome various addictions . 24 the station was also once the flagship station of steve cushing s nationally distributed saturday night blues music program blues before sunrise which started in 1979 and has been independently produced and distributed by cushing since 1995 . the program was eliminated from wbez s lineup in the 2007 restructuring but was taken over by public radio station wdcb in nearby glen ellyn . 25 its morning magazine program eight forty eight was initially named after the postal address of the station 848 east grand avenue . the show is now called the morning shift . 26 the corresponding afternoon program was called the afternoon shift . 26 wbez touted the program as a live talk show featuring in depth interviews and conversations with mostly local newsmakers artists writers and innovators . 27 original host steve edwards left the station after a few months 28 29 and longtime chicago tribune journalist rick kogan temporarily replaced him . 30 31 as of 2013 and the conclusion of kogan s interim stint wbez introduced niala boodhoo as the show s permanent on air host . in 2015 wbez canceled the afternoon shift ; the final episode aired on june 5 2015 . 32 the other local program heard monday through friday is worldview an international news and analysis program that began in 1986 as midday with sondra gair . 33 after gair s death in 1994 her producer jerome mcdonnell took over the program and has hosted since . it was heard nationally on sirius satellite radio s now defunct pri channel from sirius inception until 2006 . chicago public media is a founding member of the public radio exchange prx a programming cooperative for public radio stations and independent producers . 34 the rock music talk show sound opinions which moved from wxrt in 2005 was distributed nationally by american public media until 2010 when its distribution was transferred to prx . 35 news and news discussion documentary programs aired on a weekly basis include latino usa from npr ; canadian cbc radio shows q ideas and under the influence with terry o reilly ; and radio netherlands the state we re in . 36 other programs that air weekly include snap judgment with glynn washington a story telling show from prx and npr . 37 references edit chicago il 3 . fmqb . friday morning quarterback album report . retrieved 2010 11 02 . miner michael 2009 11 09 . chicago public radio an internal report on its new strategic plan . chicago reader . http hdradio.com station guides widget.php id 25 wdcb fm seeks help from listeners & fcc to battle wbez fm s interfering translator . chicago radio and media . 2014 09 08 . retrieved 2015 01 18 . lapin andrew 2013 08 15 . malatia s exit from wbez leaves staff guessing . current.org . vocalo.org . retrieved 2015 01 18 . hd radio station guide for chicago il . archived from the original on 2014 10 09 . a b isaacs deanna 2007 07 26 . picking up its marbles loyola university takes back wluw next year but station manager craig kois is out now . . chicago reader . retrieved 2015 01 18 . bianchi william 2008 . schools of the air a history of instructional programs on radio in the united states . mcfarland & company . p. 227 . bianchi 2008 p. 227 . davy robert leland 1948 . comparison of the philosophies and program policies of ten educational radio stations thesis . university of wisconsin madison . history . chicago public media . retrieved 2015 01 18 . feder robert 9 march 2010 . feder s chicago media flashback march 1990 . vocalo.org . retrieved 10 march 2010 . dead link miner michael 2013 08 14 . the highs and lows of longtime wbez visionary torey malatia . chicago reader . cpm announces goli sheikholeslami as new ceo . wbez . retrieved 2015 01 19 . hammond andrew 2007 01 05 . the end of jazz on wbez . the chicago maroon . a b margasak peter 2006 10 20 . wbez less jazz more talk . chicago reader . margasak peter 2008 07 25 . dick buckley s last sign off . chicago reader . zoe galland 4 september 2012 . wbez s steve edwards to depart for u of c gig . crain s chicago business . retrieved 2013 06 15 . paul riismandel 14 october 2012 . chicago s wbez is the 4th station to drop smiley and west . radio survivor . retrieved 2013 06 15 . wbez program schedule pdf pdf . wbez . retrieved 2015 01 19 . lights camera ira . chicago tribune . 2005 11 15 . third coast international audio festival . third coast international audio festival . retrieved 2013 06 15 . eng monica 2014 08 01 . remembering annoying music show and magnificent obsession host jim nayder . wbez . retrieved 2015 01 19 . margasak peter 2006 12 06 . wdcb saves blues before sunrise . chicago reader . a b programs . wbez . retrieved 2015 01 18 . the afternoon shift . wbez . retrieved 2013 06 15 . tim akimoff 5 september 2012 . steve edwards departs for university of chicago s institute of politics . wbez . retrieved 2013 06 15 . kim janssen 4 september 2012 . wbez s steve edwards heading to university of chicago . chicago sun times . retrieved 2013 06 15 . robert feder 16 september 2012 . tribune s kogan to keep afternoon shift buzzing at wbez . time out chicago . retrieved 2013 06 15 . rick kogan exits wgn am ; dean richards to replace him . chicagoland radio and media . 21 september 2012 . retrieved 2013 06 15 . http www.chicagotribune.com business breaking ct wbez programming 0604 biz 20150603 story.html saxon wolfgang 1994