WLUW
in Chicago, United StatesCategory: Attraction
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6525 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60626, USA Print route »
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WLUW is a college radio station owned and operated by Loyola University Chicago, serving Chicago, Illinois and its northern suburbs. WLUW was founded by Jim Wagner and Michael Russo in the 1970s and they ran the station until Loyola University offered more funding and support. In the 1980s the station was guided by General Manager Wayne Magdziarz and into the mid-1990s by Tony Compton, Jim Lemon and various student program directors including Taylor O'Malley, Anna Consalvo, Jennifer Prietz Marszalek and Jeff Grossman, with ongoing support from Dr. Sammy R. Danna, professor of communication at Loyola.Formerly known as "The Hitline", then moving to "High Energy 88-7 FM" in the late 1980s, then simply known as "Energy 88-7". In these years the station provided valuable real world experience running a robust schedule of music, news, sports and community service programming. In the mid-1990s the station changed radio formats to 88.7 Listener Supported Community Radio. Loyola University Chicago ceased funding WLUW in 2002, turning over operational control of the station to WBEZ. During this period, WLUW was known as "Independent Community Radio" and feature an eclectic selection of music, specialty music shows, and independent talk programming, including Democracy Now. WLUW had two full-time staffers (Craig Kois was Station Manager and Shawn Campbell Program Director) and a volunteer staff of nearly 200 during the years 2002 to 2007. Through much effort by the staff and WBEZ, WLUW became financially independent by 2007. During this period, WLUW was known for its Record Fairs. Two were held each year; one a stand-alone event in April, and one at the Pitchfork Music Festival (formerly the Intonation Music Festival).
On July 13, 2007, an article "Back To School" in the Chicago Sun-Times, revealed that Loyola terminated its relationship with WBEZ and was to take back control of the station in June 2008. The future of the station's programming was uncertain at this point, as reported in Time Out Chicago, and Chicagoist. Loyola also posted. In July 2007, both Kois and Campbell were relieved from their positions by WBEZ, although who directed that move is disputed. WBEZ employee Kristina Stevens ran the station from that time until Loyola took over the station July 1, 2008.
Before and after the takeover, some volunteers, including former Program Director Shawn Campbell, left the station to form competitor the Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP). The volunteers who had organized the record fairs took them with to benefit CHIRP.Stevens continued to run the station for Loyola from July 2008 to January 2009. In January 2009, WLUW hired a new, permanent station manager, Danielle Basci. In the fall of 2009, WLUW moved its headquarters from Damen Hall on the Lake Shore Campus to the Terry Student Center located downtown on E. Pearson St. at the Water Tower Campus. Now with more students and less community members, the sound has changed somewhat, but still is largely the same as during Kois and Campbell's tenure from 2002-07.
While most of WLUW's current programming is an independent radio format with various DJs, there are many community, genre, news and specialty shows, including:
The Drinking and Writing Brewery, hosted by Neo-Futurists Steve Mosqueda and Sean Benjamin and Labor Express Radio, a program devoted to issues of concern to working people locally, nationally and internationally. Describes itself as "Chicago's only English language labor news and current affairs radio program" and "News by working people for working people." Airs on Mon 10am.
