Many people are not aware that Columbus is home to several community owned radio stations that offer programming you will not find on mainstream stations.
Everyone is aware of our excellent public radio stations WOSU.org and WCBE.org. WOSU is well known for NPR news and the locally focused All Sides with Anna Staver (formerly Ann Fisher). WCBE’s focus on music and the arts includes Studio 35 and generous offerings from local bands.
They should be on your car radio presets but I hope this article will convince you to add 91.9, 92.7, 98.3, 98.5, and 102.1 – all “low power” non-profit radio stations available over the air in most of Franklin County and streaming online from anywhere! Note: newer cars often cannot pick up low power stations using the scan function. Try disabling the auto scan and go directly to the call number.
First, some history. Some of you remember Kevin Kraska, who was very involved in Simply Living and a board member of the Clintonville Community Market. Kevin’s brother, Ken Kraska, had learned about a new class of radio stations – Low Power FM or LPFM – proposed by the Federal Communications Committee (FCC) in response to the consolidation of radio stations allowed by the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Congress and the FCC recognized the need for more locally produced programs and carving out a part of the radio spectrum for local nonprofits was the strategy employed to make it happen. Ken saw the benefits of bringing LPFM to Columbus and he asked the Simply Living Board for permission to submit an application to the FCC.
Ken weathered a six-year struggle starting around the year 2000 to organize a coalition of local organizations willing to share time to operate an LPFM radio station in Columbus. Simply Living collaborated with Bexley Public Radio, Community Refugee Immigration Services, Groveport Madison High School, and Capital University. When the FCC opened a window for applications in 2005, only Simply Living and Bexley, led by Kurt Weiland, remained ready to share hours and operate a 24-hour radio station. In 2006 we were awarded a license to operate the first Community Radio Station in Columbus with the call letters WCRS (Community Radio Source).
This was quite an achievement led by Simply Living and our director, Marilyn Welker. Many people were involved in the process of creating local programs and gaining permission to broadcast national programs. Evan Davis, for example, had worked at Pacifica Radio station KPFK in Los Angeles. Evan’s contacts working with “Community Powered Radio” led to WCRS becoming a Pacifica affiliate. Democracy Now! led by award winning journalist Amy Goodman, is a notable example. If you aren’t tuned into Democracy Now! locally or on their website, you are missing news that you will not hear from mainstream media.
Eugene Beer, a retired electrical engineer and Simply Living member, is another hero who has volunteered to this day to maintain the broadcast tower and “translator” station (98.3) that brings the WCRS signal to almost the entirety of Franklin County. Eugene and Evan are joined by Robb Ebright, whose software prowess is a key requirement to operate a radio station and produce programs. Do zens of volunteers have maintained the station since the original licensing of the station in 2006. The late Victoria Parks, who passed away this year in May, was a local musician, folksinger, and on-air radio host who worked tirelessly in training other radio hosts for the station. Victoria also led the creation of a second community radio station to be described below. Finally, Java Kitrick, director of Puffin Foundation West, has provided invaluable financial assistance to Simply Living and the growth of community radio in Columbus.
In 2014 the FCC opened another window to receive applications for LPFM stations. This time, the Central Ohio Green Education Fund (COGEF) secured a LPFM on the frequency 94.19FM they named WGRN. Victoria Parks organized the new, woman-led community radio station with a focus on environmental issues and concerns, dubbed the Green Renaissance Network. The new station launched on Earth Day in 2016. In 2023, the frequency changed to 91.9FM.
For years, advocating for local media and educating the community about the problems of media consolidation was the leading priority issue for COGEF, especially through the Citizens Grassroots Congress, which it had initiated in 1999. (Simply Living was party to the founding of the Citizens Grassroots Congress.) COGEF supported Simply Living when the first Community Radio Station was established by awarding grant monies in excess of $1000. COGEF has also been a long-term partner of CICJ and the Free Press.
WGRN shares a number of programs with WCRS and both stations cooperate in offering news and diverse music programming, including some in non-English languages to reach central Ohio’s Latinx, African, and Asian minority communities. Programs can be streamed live online at wgrn.org and wcrsfm.org.
Wait! There’s more! In November 2013, the Columbus Jazz Alliance (formerly SEMM Foundation) applied to the FCC for an LPFM license to create a 24-hour jazz format station. In 2014 a broadcast tower was constructed and in 2017 the FCC licensed Jazz 98.5 FM, WSAX-LP, as a listener supported, non-commercial radio station, owned by the Columbus Jazz Alliance, a 501 (c3) non-profit organization.
Jazz 98.5 FM, WSAX-LP offers programming at various times of the day and week that includes music from most of the entire jazz and jazz sub-genre spectrum including, smooth jazz and it’s similar forms such as, but not limited to; Contemporary Jazz, Soul Jazz, Jazz Funk, Urban Contemporary Jazz, Acid Jazz, Nu Jazz; from Classic Jazz and its similar forms such as Bebop, Big Band, Straight-ahead, Ragtime and Trad; from ethnic forms such as Asian Jazz, Latin Jazz and Gospel jazz; and from other sub-genres. We also include in our playlist music we like to refer to as Jazz Influenced Music (including but not limited to Blues, etc.) and Jazz Flavored Classic R&B. For a list of styles please visit our Jazz Styles page. Plus, at least 25 percent of the station’s playlist are from local, jazz bands.
The Black Information Network (BIN) is not local, but you will hear news you won’t find anywhere else! Yes, they are on the AM dial (1230 AM), but well worth a preset and they have a powerful signal covering central Ohio. Many of you reading this are white so this is a required listening source to learn from our black neighbors. The BIN covers everything from police violence in black neighborhoods, to music, sports, health care issues, tips on buying a house, and editorials that “are not necessarily the opinion of the sponsors.”
The Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism (CICJ) currently publishes the Free Press websites (the current page you are reading), freepress.org (national) and columbusfreepress.org (local), books, and other educational materials. The CICJ sponsors journalistic activities such as community radio, video production, the local film festival, film screenings, speakers, conferences, educational workshops, election protection, and other special events. The CICJ partners with local activist organizations, holds monthly community salons, and an annual awards dinner to honor community activists.
The CICJ partners with the Low Power FM radio stations: WCRS and WGRN. Ron Johnson of the Columbus Jazz Alliance manages WSAX, the 24-hour LPFM jazz station. As you might imagine, there have been a number of ownership transitions since the origin of WCRS in 2006. WSAX started from the work of Bexley Public Radio before its ownership by the Columbus Jazz Alliance. You can support the Free Press network through the nonprofit CIJC here.
You can support the nonprofit Columbus Jazz Alliance here.
What are YOUR favorite local radio programs?
These are some of our favorite radio stations in Columbus with programming you will not find on the mainstream radio stations. Some of my own favorite LPFM programs are: Democracy Now!, The Thom Hartmann Program, Radio EcoShock with Host Alex Smith, and the award winning podcast When the Biomass Hits the Windmill, hosted by Annie and Jay Warmke of Blue Rock Station.
