WLUW

Infobox Radio station
name = WLUW 88.7 FM


city = Chicago, IL
area = Far Northside of Chicago, IL and Evanston, IL
branding = Eighty Eight Seven WLUW Chicago Community Radio
frequency = 88.7 MHz
format = Indie Music, Community
erp = 100 Watts
owner = Loyola University Chicago

WLUW is a university radio station serving Chicago, Illinois and its northern suburbs. WLUW was founded by Jim Wagner and Michael Russo in the 1970s and they single handedly ran the station until Loyola University offered more funding and support. In the 1980s the station was guided by General Manager Wayne Magdziarz with ongoing support from Dr. Sammy R. Dana, a full Professor of Communications at Loyola.

The station has styled itself as "88.7 Listener Supported Community Radio". Loyola University Chicago ceased funding WLUW in 2002, turning over operational control of the station to WBEZ, though the station still broadcasts from Loyola's Rogers Park campus. WLUW became financially independent in 2007. WLUW had two full-time staffers, and a volunteer staff of nearly 200 during the years 2002 to 2007.

On July 13, 2007, an article ( [http://www.suntimes.com/business/feder/466749,CST-FIN-feder13.article Back To School] ) in the Chicago Sun-Times revealed that Loyola terminated its relationship with WBEZ. The university took back control of the station in June 2008, firing the two full time staff members, Station Manager Craig Kois and Program Director Shawn Campbell. This move was seen as hostile and controversial by listeners and volunteers. [http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/thebusiness/070727/] The future of the station's programming is uncertain at this point, as reported in Time Out Chicago ( [http://www.timeout.com/chicago/outandabout/?p=2548 WLUW: Now with less community?] ) and Chicagoist ( [http://chicagoist.com/2007/07/17/wluw_wtf.php WLUW: WTF?] ). Loyola has posted [http://info.luc.edu/newsevents/public/news_story.cfm?newsID=7325&siteid=0 some information here] . Since the takeover, many volunteers have left the station. [http://media.www.loyolaphoenix.com/media/storage/paper673/news/2008/04/23/News/Away-From.The.Airwaves.Wluw.Volunteers.Consider.Leaving-3345503.shtml]

While most of WLUW's programming is an alternative radio format with various DJs, there are many community, genre, news and specialty shows. Some standouts have included:
*Radio One Chicago, hosted by Billy Oaks and Sean Morrison (features Chicago's Local Music Scene)
* [http://www.dimensionlatina.com| Dimension Latina] , a Sunday afternoon Spanish language public service and Tropical music program, produced and directed for the last 15 years by Juan Carlos Borja Perez. Many of it's alumni such as Tomas Martinez, Mercedes Soler(Martinez), Maria Toscano, Sally Weisman, Cuqui Azucar, Elio Benitez, Marielen Magana, Marcherie Vazquez, Marinez Colon, Maria Monroy, Haydee Aguirre, Zehin Navarro, Zulma Ocampo, Marta Raya, Giovanna Canas, Gustavo Adolfo Rosales, Frank Diaz and Maribel Hopgood graduated to professional broadcasting.
*Abstract Science, hosted by Chris Widman
*Think Pink, Chicago's only all music radio show for the LGBT community, hosted by Erik and Ruth. Think Pink left WLUW in the summer of 2008 and transitioned to a blog/podcast format. [http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/lgbt/41391/radio-days]
*The Hump Day Dance Party, hosted by Dr. Drase and Rev. Michael Flavor
*The Drinking and Writing Brewery, hosted by Neo-Futurists Steve Mosqueda and Sean Benjamin
*Rock Sin Anestesia, Latin Alternative
*New Orleans Music Hour, "Chicago's weekly Mardi Gras party" hosted by Tom Jackson. Now in its 10th year.
*Sunday Sports Shootout [http://www.sundaysportsshootout.com] , Sports Talk at 11am Sundays hosted by Darrell Horwitz and Katie Toolan
*Outside the Loop RADIO: Chicago's Almost Above-Ground Audio Magazine [http://www.outsidetheloopradio.com] , with Mike Stephen and Andy Hermann at 6pm every Friday night
*Something Else, a program of sound art and experimental music hosted by Philip von Zweck
* Women On Women Music Program, two hours dedicated to female musicians and feminist news and commentary. [http://wowmusicchicago.com/]
* Avant/Chicago Show [http://www.avantchicago.com] - Brent Kado

WLUW was also known for its Record Fairs. Two are held each year; one a stand-alone event, and one at the Pitchfork Music Festival (formerly the Intonation Music Festival). The volunteers who had organized the record fairs left WLUW because of the university's takeover, and have continued the record fairs as benefits for the Chicago Independent Radio Project. [http://www.gapersblock.com/merge/archives/2008/03/20/record-chirp/]

Previous Format

In the 1980s and early 1990s, the station had a pop music format (High Energy 88-7 FM and then Energy 88-7 FM), modeled after commercial radio stations such as WBBM-FM, with a full staff of student disc jockeys and news anchors/reporters. Many notables of that period were Jym Geraci, Denise Jerger, Wayne Magdziarz, SJ Peters, Jim Lemon, Art Therios, Rob Creighton, Tony Compton, Billy Levere, Steff Burrell, P J Bozak, Griff Madigan (whose father was the then Vice President of the Chicago Tribune), Jim Domalgowski (Jim Domo), Todd Jackson, Bill Rancic of "The Apprentice" fame, Karen Karas, Jerry Riles, Jeff Andrews (Grossman) whose father was the then Vice President of WGCI-FM radio in Chicago, Adam Wilde and J R Rizzo.

Many of its alumni went on to professional broadcasting careers, including:

* Maureen Maher, now a news correspondent with CBS News' 48 Hours

* Susan Carlson, now a WBBM-TV Anchorwoman in Chicago

* Diane Carbonara, an award-winning news producer for WFLD-TV in Chicago, and a former anchorwoman with WIFR-TV in Rockford, Illinois and WMTV-TV in Madison, Wisconsin

* Jeff Hagedorn, a play-by-play announcer for the Houston Rockets and Houston Comets

* Lou Canellis, a Chicago TV sports and entertainment personality with Chicagoland Television (CLTV) and WLS-TV

* Matt Smith, is Chief Spokesman for Mayor Daley's Department of Streets & Sanitation in Chicago and the former Director of Newsflow Analysis for Clinton-Gore '92 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Smith ran the news side of Bill Clinton's 1992 War Room for American Political Icons James Carville and George Stephanopoulos. Later served in a similar capacity for the DNC in Washington DC. Story Link: http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2007/07/matt-smith-of-s.html#more

* Brian Wheeler, a Portland, Oregon sports personality who is in his tenth season as the radio play-by-play voice of the Portland Trail Blazers(Link: http://www.nba.com/blazers/fans/brian_wheeler.html )

* Mercedes Soler (Martinez), former news anchor/correspondent for Univision's Premier Impacto and now one of the successful Florida-based authors of the book "The Miami Bombshells: Dish and Tell."

* Tomas Martinez, Vice President/General Manager for Radio Caracol 1260 AM Miami (WSUA)

* Jym Geraci, Imaging/Production Director at KSTP-FM in Minneapolis

* Robyne Robinson, Co-anchor for Fox affiliate KMSP in Minneapolis-St. Paul

* Edna Ho Director of Chicago's Municipal TV Programming and Executive Producer of the program "Chicago Works."

* Ernie Manouse, Emmy nominated and Katie Award winning TV Interviewer/Producer of the PBS show InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse

* Jeff Grossman (Jeff Andrews) who is now a radio producer in Texas.

* Jerry Riles who has been a sports radio professional at The Score AM in Chicago since his graduation from WLUW.

External links

* [http://www.wluw.org Official website]
*fmq|WLUW
*fml|WLUW

* [http://www.sundaysportsshootout.com Sunday Sports Shootout Official website]