WNUR's Frequently Asked Questions (WNUR.FAQ)

the questions

For listeners:

Can I listen to WNUR over the internet?
How do I get in contact with someone at the station?
What kind of music do you play?
What are "underrepresented" music and ideas?
What is WNUR's slogan?

For artists:

Can I send you my music?
Should I contact you before sending my music?
What format should I send my music on?
How do you decide whether or not to play something?
What do you think of CD-Rs?
Can my band (or a band I know) play live on WNUR?

For whoever:

What is WNUR's mission?
Who runs the station?
Is Northwestern University involved in programming decisions?

For organizations:

Will you air a Public Service Announcement for my organization/event/cause?
How much does it cost to advertise on WNUR?  Can you send a rate card?

Why, yes you can!  Head over to the WNUR main page and click on one of the listening links in the upper right corner.  You can listen in RealAudio, Windows Media, or MP3 formats.  If you're having trouble, check out the help page.

The contact info you probably need can be found on our main contacts page, however we also have a Complete WNUR Contacts List.

Please do.  We will listen to everything you send us.  Most music submissions are sent to us in the mail.  Anything you'd like to send to us can be mailed to our address:

The optional line with "[genre of music]" above is simply the kind of music that you are submitting.

There's no reason to contact anyone at WNUR before sending your music, however if you want to ask any questions, you should contact the music director or producer of the show you are sending your music to.  Check the Complete WNUR Contacts List for contact information.

WNUR will accept any format that your music is recorded on, however we prefer (for practical reasons) CDs and LPs (including 3" CDs and 7" & 10" records.)  CD-Rs are just fine.  (See the discussion below about CD-Rs).

WNUR plays an extremely wide variety of music.  The names of some of our weekday Block Shows (e.g., The Rock Show, The Jazz Show, etc.) are comically insufficient in describing the music that can be heard during those timeslots.  One way of describing the kind of music you can hear on WNUR is "underrepresented".  Still, the best way to find out what kind of music we play is to listen!

In terms of WNUR's programming, underrepresented refers to music and ideas that are, for whatever reason, not available via other media outlets.  Thus, WNUR strives to provide a forum for listeners to hear (and for artists to present) music and ideas that can't be heard anywhere else, including other non-commercial radio stations.  The unheard, the controversial, the strange, the unsigned, the local, the quirky, the independent, the silenced, the experimental, the unpopular, the challenging, the uninitiated, and the forgotten, all find a home on WNUR.

"Chicago's Sound Experiment"

WNUR music directors and show producers listen to all submissions, decide if the music fits with the mission of the station, and then "add" it if they like it.  "Adding" it just means they'll add it to our record library for DJs to play at their discretion.

WNUR Disk Jockeys are given complete freedom to play what they want on their shows.  No one tells them what they can or cannot play.  Thus, DJs will play music that they want to play.

Because WNUR listens to everything that comes to us, we really don't care if you're compact disc is a CD-R or not.  We don't care about press releases, fancy (postal) packaging, personalized notes, free stuff, or what color the bottom of your CD is.  CD-R's are a great way for up-and-coming bands to get their stuff out there and a great way for established bands to not waste money on unnecessary production costs.  In fact, based on WNUR's mission of supporting underrepresented artists and musics, a CD-R might actually indicate that your music something we're more interested in.

WNUR has a great sound studio for live on-air performances.  Many awesome bands have passed through over the years be they famous, not-so-famous, or yet-to-be-famous.  Typically, if we're already playing your music on WNUR, we'd love to have you drop by.  We'd also like to hear from up-and-coming artists.  If you're interested in trying to set up an on-air performance, shoot an email over to our Airplay producer at airplay@wnur.org.

As a non-commercial radio station, WNUR is committed to the traditions of unique and eclectic radio in all aspects of its programming.  WNUR strives to be inclusive of the music and ideas excluded by the mainstream.

The station seeks to challenge the intellect of both its listeners and staff by educating them in the value of its ever-changing unique offerings.  WNUR also serves to educate its volunteers in the nature of audio and audio production.

We feel that working toward these goals fulfills our responsibilities to our FCC license, the Chicagoland community that is our audience, and the university community that is our home.

Almost everyone who has a show at WNUR is a Northwestern University student, however NU employees, NU alumni, and community members can also get shows.  All on and off-air staff members of WNUR, including all members of the WNUR executive board, are volunteers.  Therefore, no one has any financial incentives to affect programming decisions.  That's how we like it and that's how you (should) like it.

Station programming, events, business, and operations are overseen by the executive board composed of students.  See the Complete WNUR Contacts List to get an idea.  The faculty advisor is . . . well, an NU faculty member who advises.

Northwestern University supports WNUR in many ways, however it lets WNUR decide what to put on the air.  Also, no financial assistance provided to WNUR by the University goes towards on-air programming.  NU and WNUR have a very healthy relationship with an ideal distance maintained between.  In other words, WNUR never gets pressured by the University into putting something on or taking something off the air.

As a service to the community WNUR typically airs several Public Service Announcements (PSAs) every hour throughout the day.  We do accept submissions for new PSAs.  Since we record all of our own PSAs, you do not need to send us audio recordings.  All we need is some information (e.g., a press release) or a script.  Our PSAs usually run 30-60 seconds in length.

Because of the large number of submissions that we receive, we can't guarantee that we'll be able to run your PSA.  If your PSA is for a specific upcoming event, the farther in advance we receive the information the better.  All questions, submissions, press releases, and/or scripts can be emailed to our Traffic Director at traffic@wnur.org.

WNUR is a non-commercial radio station so we don't run ads.  We don't have rate cards because we don't have rates.

If you'd like to support the station, perhaps you'd consider underwriting.  There are benefits to underwriting (besides the warm/fuzzy feeling.)  For more information, contact WNUR's General Manager at gm@wnur.org.