WYSO

What WYSO does

WYSO is a community-licensed public radio station broadcasting at 91.3 FM from Yellow Springs, Ohio, operated by the nonprofit Miami Valley Public Media and affiliated with NPR. Founded in 1958, the station serves the Miami Valley region of Ohio — primarily Dayton and surrounding communities — with a mix of hyperlocal news, NPR national content, music programming, community storytelling, and radio preservation work. The station's core product is the 91.3 FM over-the-air broadcast, supplemented by HD Radio (HD-2 carrying Novaphonic.FM), online streaming, podcasts (including WYSO Today, Book Nook, The Ohio Country, and HBCU Radio Legacy), and live community events in partnership with venues such as Levitt Pavilion Dayton and Antioch College.

The business model is a nonprofit listener-supported structure. Revenue is drawn from individual memberships and recurring sustainer donations, corporate underwriting from local businesses, federal and public media funding via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, vehicle and real-estate donations, planned giving, and project-restricted grants such as the $5,000,000 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant for the HBCU Radio Preservation Project (January 2024). There is no commercial subscription pricing; content is free at the point of consumption, with listener support substituting for transactional revenue.

Notable program areas include Community Voices (One Small Step, Haitians in the Heartland, Veterans' Voices, ReEntry Stories, WYSO Youth Radio), The Ohio Newsroom collaborative with WVXU, Kaleidoscope music programming with studio sessions hosted by Music Director Juliet Fromholt, and the Center for Radio Preservation and Archives at WYSO. Broadcast facilities were relocated in 2026 into a restored historic schoolhouse in Yellow Springs, funded by comedian Dave Chappelle to preserve local media infrastructure. The station holds an FCC broadcast license (renewed 2020) and is governed as a nonprofit under Miami Valley Public Media with no disclosed parent company or institutional equity ownership.

Name

WYSO

Legal name

Miami Valley Public Media

Website

https://www.wyso.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WYSO is a nonprofit public radio station at 91.3 FM in Yellow Springs, Ohio, serving the Miami Valley region with local news, music, and community storytelling under Miami Valley Public Media. It distributes via FM, HD Radio, online streaming, and podcasts, with revenues from memberships, underwriting, federal funding, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio) (MPABADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

News Talk Radio & Current Affairs Stations (MPABAIAI), Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• Local news coverage
• Community storytelling
• Music programming
• NPR affiliate station

Headquarters

HQ city

Yellow Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Listener Membership and Donations: Public radio funding model based on listener memberships, individual donations, and sustainer programs. Listeners become members with recurring donations.
2. Business/Corporate Support: Underwriting from local businesses and corporate sponsors, as indicated by the Business Support section on the station website.
3. Federal and Public Media Funding: Funding through public media systems including Corporation for Public Broadcasting and related federal funding mechanisms for public radio stations.
4. Vehicle and Real Estate Donations: Station accepts vehicle and real estate donations as additional fundraising channels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WYSO is a community public radio station broadcasting at 91.3 FM from Yellow Springs, Ohio, serving the Miami Valley region with hyperlocal news, curated music programming, and community-focused storytelling. It distributes content across over-the-air FM, HD Radio, online streaming, podcasts, and live community events, supplemented by NPR national programming and original local shows.

Product overview

WYSO is a public radio station operated by Miami Valley Public Media, offering a multi-platform radio and digital media portfolio. The core product is the 91.3 FM broadcast serving the Miami Valley region, supplemented by Novaphonic.FM (a 24/7 streaming music channel on HD-2), on-demand podcasts, and community-focused programming through initiatives like The Ohio Newsroom and Community Voices. The station also features music programs including Kaleidoscope (studio sessions) and WYSO Music On Demand. Preservation efforts are coordinated through The Center for Radio Preservation and Archives at WYSO, including the HBCU Radio Preservation Project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Novaphonic.FM: A 24/7 music channel curated by the WYSO team, available streaming and on WYSO HD-2, launched in 2024.

Products and services

• WYSO 91.3 FM Broadcast Core public radio broadcast service at 91.3 FM from Yellow Springs, Ohio, delivering news, music, and community programming to listeners in the Miami Valley region, operated by Miami Valley Public Media.
• Novaphonic.FM A 24/7 curated music channel available via HD Radio HD-2 and streaming, featuring local music programming, studio sessions, and curated playlists for music enthusiasts.
• WYSO Podcasts A portfolio of on-demand podcast programs produced by WYSO, including WYSO Today, WYSO Weekend, Book Nook, The Ohio Country, and WYSO Youth Radio, distributed across major podcast platforms.
• Community Voices Programming Community-focused storytelling programming initiative featuring series such as One Small Step, Haitians in the Heartland, Veterans' Voices, ReEntry Stories, and WYSO Youth Radio, giving voice to diverse local populations in the Miami Valley.
• The Ohio Newsroom A collaborative statewide news initiative with other Ohio public radio stations covering Ohio-specific news on government, politics, education, environment, and business.
• Kaleidoscope Music Show A weekly music show featuring studio performances from local musicians, hosted by Music Director Juliet Fromholt, broadcast Wednesdays 8-11PM with episodes available on demand.
• Center for Radio Preservation and Archives at WYSO A preservation initiative documenting radio history, including the HBCU Radio Preservation Project and community oral histories, with archival content available to listeners and researchers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NPR (National Public Radio)coreTechnology or IntegrationWYSO is affiliated with NPR and distributes NPR national news content, news programs, and Morning Edition. The station operates as part of the NPR network of public radio stations.
• Public Radio Exchange (PRX)coreTechnology or IntegrationPRX distributes additional programming content to WYSO as part of the public radio ecosystem.
• WVXUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWVXU is a sister public radio station in Cincinnati. The stations share content and reporters, including The Ohio Newsroom collaborative covering state government and politics.
• Levitt Pavilion DaytoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for music programming and live concert coverage. WYSO curates music content for the venue and covers events including For Dayton By Dayton festival and Listener Appreciation Concert.
• Antioch CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for The Outside Presents experimental music concert series at the Foundry Theater on Antioch College campus. Station facilities are located in the Yellow Springs area near Antioch.
• Rosewood Arts Center (City of Kettering)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWYSO partnered with Rosewood Art Center to curate the music lineup for Art on the Commons festival.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WFMU: WFMU is an independent, listener-supported freeform radio station in New Jersey known for eclectic music programming and community-driven content — comparable to WYSO as a nonprofit listener-supported station with distinctive music programming.
• KCRW: KCRW is a Los Angeles-based public radio station known for music programming, news, and culture content distributed nationally via streaming and podcasts — directly comparable to WYSO's music/news/community programming mix and online distribution approach.
• WNYC: WNYC is a flagship NPR-member public radio station in New York City offering news, music (WNYC-FM classical, WQXR), and podcasts on a comparable multi-platform model — directly comparable as a public radio operator with news and music programming verticals.
• KEXP: KEXP is a Seattle-based public radio station renowned for music discovery programming and live in-studio sessions, with global streaming reach — directly comparable to WYSO's Novaphonic.FM, Kaleidoscope studio sessions, and music-focused sub-brand strategy.
• WGBH: WGBH is a Boston-area public broadcaster (radio and TV) operating under a comparable nonprofit model with NPR/BBC distribution partnerships, regional news programming, and cultural content — directly comparable as a multi-format public broadcasting operator.
• WUSF Public Media: WUSF is a Tampa-area public radio/TV station affiliated with NPR, offering news, classical music, and community programming — directly comparable as a regional public radio operator with similar NPR-affiliated content and nonprofit structure.
• WAMU: WAMU is the NPR-member public radio station serving the Washington D.C. region, offering news, talk programming, and podcasts — comparable in scale, NPR-affiliated model, and regional public radio positioning to WYSO.
• WVXU: WVXU is a Cincinnati-based public radio station explicitly named as WYSO's sister station, sharing content and reporters through The Ohio Newsroom collaborative — the most directly comparable peer in the Ohio public radio ecosystem.

Others

• Public Radio Exchange (PRX): PRX is a public media distribution network that distributes programming to stations including WYSO. It is an ecosystem enabler/partner rather than a direct competitor, but it is a key comparable in the public radio distribution and monetization value chain.

Regional players

• Ideastream Public Media: Ideastream is a Cleveland-based public radio and TV operator (WKSU, WVIZ) serving Northeast Ohio — comparable as an Ohio-based regional public broadcaster with NPR affiliation, though serving a different geographic market than WYSO.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wyso91.3
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wysopublicradio
• Instagraminstagram.com/wyso91.3
• Xx.com/wyso

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WYSO