. please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations . statements consisting only of original research should be removed . may 2016 learn how and when to remove this template message wzrd city chicago illinois broadcast area chicago area branding the wizard frequency 88.3 mhz first air date 1974 format freeform erp 100 watts haat 22.0 meters class a facility id 49444 transmitter coordinates 41 58 56.00 n 87 43 7.00 w 41.9822222 n 87.7186111 w 41.9822222 ; 87.7186111 callsign meaning wizard owner northeastern illinois university webcast listen live website wzrdchicago.org wzrd 88.3 fm is the student run radio station at northeastern illinois university chicago illinois us founded in 1974 . the station serves the chicago area . the station is licensed by the fcc to northeastern illinois university . 1 wzrd broadcasts on a freeform radio format . contents 1 programming 2 live performances 3 importance in the chicago punk scene 1980s 4 community outreach 5 2012 temporary closure 6 references 7 external links programming edit unlike other formats wzrd s freeform does not have block programming of particular genres or styles of radio such as a news slot a rock slot or talk radio show save federal communications commission fcc regulations . instead it compels the djs to mix all of these genres together in a creative unique and often challenging way . it would not be unheard of to hear tibetan buddhist chants early 1980s punk rock eclectic mixes a spoken word piece and public service announcements in succession . citation needed different genres of music spoken word and sound effects are played side by side in a way that usually flows rather than jars . with a library of rare recordings that includes 15 000 records and another 17 000 cds cassettes and reel to reels there s no telling what you ll hear . we always say if you don t like what you hear right now turn us on again in five minutes and you ll hear something completely different says former program director dan demchuk . cara jepsen illinois entertainer 2 furthermore one wzrd s missions is to provide a voice to the voiceless trying to present media that can not be heard elsewhere whether it be because it is controversial unpopular or local . wzrd s programming is designed to be a reflection of the community and serve its needs that are not met else where by the homogenized and corporate landscape of radio . citation needed additionally djs remain anonymous djing affectionately under the title of wizards . in this way wzrd s programming is meant to be one long and colorful spectrum of humanity that each wizard will man for his designated time slot with a deemphasis on ego . citation needed wzrd accepts no outside funding . its operating budget is provided in full by northeastern illinois university . citation needed citation needed live performances edit wzrd has a close relationship with the local music scene in that it often gives away tickets to various shows and festivals and throughout the years has produced live events at the metro the abby pub and the empty bottle to name a few venues . wzrd s thursday night live show features local acts of all types of music but live sets have often been performed on wzrd at all hours and days of the week . citation needed wzrd has hosted live in studio performances over the years including smashing pumpkins screeching weasel rapeman les claypool naked raygun citation needed and many other artists that played and continue to play in studio during wzrd s thursday night live program a long running weekly live performance show featuring local national and international acts . 3 importance in the chicago punk scene 1980s edit wzrd was a hotbed for local and touring punk hardcore and post punk groups in the 1980s . with its consistent live in studio performances and having hosted shows at metro and other venues with effigies naked raygun and other local punk bands wzrd was one of the first and most persistent stations to play heavily punk influenced playlists . citation needed steve bjorklund an early figure in chicago s punk scene writes in the liner notes of the effigies album remains nonviewable it was the early spring of 1980 and the occasion was a free show by a shitty band called a minimal graphic in the auditorium at northeastern illinois university on the northwest side . northeastern illinois university was significant because it housed the only radio station in chicago that wasn t afraid to play punk rock . 4 prominent figure in chicago music steve albini states in naked raygun s basement screams reissue s liner notes that sunday morning nightmare on wzrd was the one radio program for chicago punk in the early 1980s . wzrd s role in the chicago punk scene was discussed in you weren t there a 2007 film that documents the chicago punk scene from 1977 through 1984 . community outreach edit on june 30 of 2011 wzrd hosted a benefit for japan from 4 pm 10 pm featuring ono ambiguous andy ortmann sharkula dj earl and dj spinn with dancing by juke chicago all proceeds benefited green action japan . on september 27 2011 at 1 00 pm wzrd chicago 88.3 fm presented cindy sheehan the famous peace activist known as the rosa parks of the anti war movement in a lecture the peace movement in 2012 hopes and prospects . the prelude to the event was performed by mark kroos who was awarded the title best guitar player of 2011 . this event was co sponsored by the neiu justice studies department the sociology club and the muslim student association . citation needed wzrd also hosted an aids awareness prevention event that began with a ramp up event of hula hoops with jane albright and cindy huston as well as the windy city wizard emmett miller on friday october 14 2011 from noon to 2 00 pm . the aids awareness prevention event occurred on sunday october 16 from 12 30 to 3 00 pm featured performances by the stick and move dance crew and francois leroux aka the ha man of south africa . speakers for the event included dr. brett stockdill of the neiu sociology latino latin american studies and the women s studies departments with arick buckles of the illinois alliance for sound aids policy il asap . this event was co sponsored by the theta chi omega national sorority the independent newspaper seeds literary journal the neiu hip hop club the justice studies club the sociology club theta omega phi fraternity . citation needed on november 11 2011 wzrd hosted an event in neiu s recital hall titled honoring our veterans which was a benefit for joshua misiewicz usmc . josh lost both legs in a landmine accident in afghanistan during his tour of duty . josh is also the nephew of neiu s campus locksmith art misiewicz . this event was co sponsored by the neiu veteran s club the true vine club and cosmic lizzard a chicago based production company that has been involved in several benefits since its inception . entertainment for that evening included 6 6 10 pm united states coast guard master chief petty officer joseph benning retired with an introduction honoring our veterans . 6 15 6 30 neiu hip hop club . 6 35 7 15 djufro 7 20 7 55 da htone hip hop jazz lyrics that make you wan na dance in yo pants 8 00 9 30 flow theory . citation needed in the spring of 2012 wzrd hosted a documentary series which featured toxic soup the world according to monsanto and you weren t there as well as the screening of two spirits . two spirits was about fred martinez a native american whose culture embraced the dual nature of his sexuality only to be murdered at the age of 16 by homophobes from his mainstream high school . the panel afterwards featured reggie sawyer choctaw cherokee kim hansen and professor loretta capeheart . citation needed 2012 temporary closure edit on june 29 2012 northeastern illinois university temporarily closed down operations of wzrd due to issues of mismanagement . for instance wzrd s broadcast license had expired resulting in neiu itself paying a 7 000 fine for failure to apply for renewal and for operating while no longer having a broadcast license and having to ask for special temporary authority from the fcc to keep the station on the air . 5 northeastern illinois university director of student leadership development declared that the future of the radio club and possibly the re purposing of the radio station would be decided following a search for a different programming format . in the meantime wzrd would continue broadcasting using a skeleton team under the strict control of the university . the on air programming was mostly provided by an automated dj system . according to the chicago reader page needed student leadership development director sharron evans called an impromptu june 29 meeting with the djs presenting a memo listing wzrd s alleged violations of the school s student government bylaws . since then neiu has abandoned some of those allegations including a charge that wzrd was missing years of fcc documents reporting its community service programming but several remain among them misuse of funds and problems with the selection process for new members . evans s memo also mentions that the school was fined 7 000 in 2007 because the station s fcc license wasn t renewed on time the renewal process is now under way again and should end by december . the wizards immediately formed the group the wizards in exile meeting weekly to campaign and lobby for a return to the station with full student autonomy over management and format . the wizards printed their own newspaper spoke to numerous publications including the reader in its three beats segment . citation needed in addition wzrd spoke on whpk citation needed and hosted a weekly show on wnur 89.3 fm on sundays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. through december 2012 called the wizards in exile . citation needed the wizard in exile spoke at neiu board of trustees meetings and on november 1 had a formal hearing to challenge the constitutionality of forming standing committees of students to oversee the wzrd charges as well as the neglect of due process . the judges voted 3 0 against wzrd . citation needed on tuesday november 13 2012 neiu s newspaper the independent headline story was wzrd 88.3 back in business . based on what the administration handed down to the collective it did not reflect the exiler s intentions . the participants will be expected to abide by standards of conduct compatible with northeastern illinois university standards ... wizard will be overseen by the office of student leadership and furthermore it said that although the students would retain their autonomy the organization s bylaws constitution and powers of the program manager require revision and the addition of a statement of civility and decorum on how the actions of djs will be treated administration further expected the hiring of an administrator to act as a manager of the station . in 2014 however wzrd was fined again by the fcc for not having 4 years worth of records detailing functions of the station . 6 wzrd received the nelson algren committee award in march 2014 . citation needed wzrd s celebrated its 40th anniversary at the double door featuring acid mother s temple perhaps and silver abuse on may 18 2014 . citation needed references edit wzrd facility record . united states federal communications commission audio division . college stations terrastrial radio s last frontier . illinois entertainer . wzrd official website . wzrd . effigies remains liner notes . http