Wmra

What Wmra does

WMRA is a community-supported public radio station licensed to and operated by James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1969, it broadcasts an NPR news, talk, and information format across five FM frequencies serving communities across the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding Virginia regions, and operates a companion classical music station, WEMC. The station produces original local programming, distributes syndicated content from NPR, PRX, APM, and the BBC World Service, and extends its reach through on-demand podcasts, mobile applications, and smart-speaker streaming.

Distribution is built on a multi-platform architecture combining over-the-air FM transmission, online streaming, and digital distribution via mobile apps and voice assistants. The station maintains a portfolio of original podcasts (including WMRA Daily, Folklife Fieldnotes, We Made You A Song, and Tres Cuentos), and offers content discovery through car dashboards, smart speakers, and podcast aggregators. Programming includes English- and Spanish-language news content, reflecting a deliberate effort to serve Hispanic audiences in its coverage area.

WMRA is a non-profit organization funded through a diversified revenue mix: individual listener donations, business underwriting sponsorships, grants, and a paid podcast bundle offering through NPR+. Operating under JMU provides institutional overhead absorption and academic affiliation, but the station is editorially and financially independent. Current operations have been impacted by storm-related transmitter damage, which has reduced over-the-air coverage while digital channels remain active.

Name

Wmra

Legal name

WMRA

Website

https://wmra.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WMRA is a non-profit NPR member public radio station operated by James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, broadcasting news, talk, and classical music across five Virginia FM frequencies and serving Shenandoah Valley listeners through digital streaming, podcasts, and mobile apps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG), Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG), Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• Npr news talk
• Classical music radio
• Community broadcasting
• Audio podcast streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisonburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listener Donations and Membership: Public radio supported by listener contributions, membership programs, and periodic fundraising campaigns
2. Business and Organization Underwriting: Sponsorships and underwriting acknowledgments from businesses, foundations, and organizations in exchange for recognition on-air and online
3. NPR+ Podcast Bundle: Subscription-based podcast bundle offering exclusive NPR content to supporters

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WMRA is a public radio station network that broadcasts NPR News/Talk programming on five regional FM frequencies and a companion classical music service (WEMC). Content is also distributed through live audio streaming on the web, dedicated iOS and Android mobile apps, smart speaker integration, multiple podcasts, and Spanish-language news content. The station is operated under James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and is supported primarily by listener donations and business underwriting.

Product overview

WMRA is a public radio station network operated by James Madison University, consisting of WMRA (NPR News/Talk) as the primary station and WEMC (Classical Music) as a secondary classical music station. The network distributes content through broadcast radio, audio streaming services, mobile applications for iOS and Android, and multiple podcasts including WMRA Daily, Folklife Fieldnotes, and We Made You A Song. Programming includes local news coverage, NPR national news, and Spanish-language content through Noticias de WMRA en español.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WMRA Daily: Daily podcast covering local and regional news
• Valley Voice
• NPR News/Talk
• Classical Music

Products and services

• WMRA Radio Station (NPR News/Talk) Main public radio station broadcasting NPR News/Talk programming to listeners in the Central Shenandoah Valley (90.7 FM), Charlottesville (103.5 FM), Lexington (89.9 FM), Winchester (94.5 FM), and Farmville (91.3 FM).
• WEMC (Classical Music) Companion classical music radio station operated under WMRA, providing classical music programming and live streaming for listeners in the Shenandoah Valley region.
• Live Audio Streaming Service Web-based live audio streaming service delivering WMRA (NPR News/Talk) and WEMC (Classical Music) broadcasts to global internet listeners via media.wmra.org.
• WMRA Mobile App (iOS and Android) Mobile application available for iOS and Android devices that enables listeners to stream WMRA and WEMC programming on demand and on-the-go.
• WMRA Daily Podcast Daily news podcast providing local and regional news updates from the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia regions, published multiple times weekly.
• Folklife Fieldnotes Podcast Podcast exploring folk traditions, cultural heritage, and local stories from the Shenandoah Valley region.
• We Made You A Song Podcast Podcast featuring musical collaborations and stories behind song creation, produced by WMRA.
• Noticias de WMRA en espa\u00f1ol Spanish-language news service providing translated WMRA news content and original reporting for the Spanish-speaking community in the Shenandoah Valley region.
• NPR+ Podcast Bundle Subscription Annual subscription offering supporters access to exclusive NPR podcast content as a premium listener benefit and fundraising product.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMRA is an NPR member station, receiving and redistributing NPR national news content, programs, and podcasts. This is a foundational partnership providing access to NPR's national and international news coverage.
• PRX (Public Radio Exchange)coreTechnology or IntegrationWMRA partners with PRX for public radio content distribution and exchange, enabling access to additional programming beyond NPR.
• APM (American Public Media)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with American Public Media for access to additional public radio programming and content.
• BBC World ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMRA carries BBC World Service programming as part of its broadcast schedule.
• Virginia Public Broadcasting PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMRA collaborates with other Virginia public broadcasting stations including WHRO (health reporting partnership) and shares content with other public radio stations in Virginia.
• James Madison University (JMU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMRA operates as part of James Madison University, providing educational opportunities for students and receiving institutional support.
• Business Underwriters and SponsorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal businesses, foundations, and organizations that provide financial support through underwriting in exchange for on-air and online recognition.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• WBGO Jazz 88.3: Public radio station specializing in jazz format, demonstrating the niche-format nonprofit public radio model that parallels WMRA's WEMC classical music station in focusing on underserved music genres with listener-supported funding.

Broad incumbents

• WNYC: Largest public radio station in the New York metro area and flagship NPR member, with comparable local journalism, podcast production, and classical programming. Relevant peer for understanding scaled NPR member station operations and digital monetization.
• WTOP: Top-rated commercial all-news radio station in the Washington, D.C. area, demonstrating the commercial news/talk model competing for advertiser attention and listener share in adjacent Virginia/D.C. media markets.
• NPR (National Public Radio): The parent content network that WMRA is a member station of. While not a direct competitor, NPR sets programming strategy, distribution standards, and digital product infrastructure (NPR+, NPR One) that materially shape WMRA's business model and revenue opportunity.

Direct peers

• WBUR (Boston University): University-affiliated NPR member station providing similar news/talk and public affairs programming with strong local journalism focus and podcast syndication. Closely comparable in university affiliation model.
• WVTF Public Radio: Another Virginia-based NPR member public radio station affiliated with a university (Virginia Tech), serving a different regional market. Directly comparable in mission, NPR-affiliated news/talk plus classical format, university backing, and nonprofit donation/underwriting model.
• WAMU 88.5: NPR member station serving the greater Washington, D.C. area with similar news/talk programming, local journalism, podcast distribution, and university/community support. Comparable business model though operating at significantly larger scale in a denser market.
• WHRO Public Media: Virginia public broadcasting organization that is an actual content-sharing partner of WMRA (per company data). Comparable in being a regional NPR member station serving Virginia communities with local journalism and underwriting-supported funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wmrapublicradio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wmrapublicradio6128
• Facebookfacebook.com/WMRAPublicRadio
• Instagraminstagram.com/wmrapublicradio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wmra-wemc-public-radio-90.7-and-91.7

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Wmra