WCOM
WCOM-LP 103.5 FM is an all-volunteer, listener-supported community radio station operated by Public Gallery of Carrboro, broadcasting locally in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC and streaming globally with close to 50 locally produced music, news, and talk shows.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersCarrboro, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What WCOM does
WCOM-LP 103.5 FM is a community radio station operated by Public Gallery of Carrboro, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in the Drakeford Library Complex at 203 S Greensboro St., Carrboro, North Carolina. Founded in 2004 and broadcasting continuously since September 29, 2004, WCOM delivers non-commercial music, news, and talk programming across approximately 50 locally produced shows spanning more than 20 genres, including LGBTQ+ senior programming, Spanish-language Latin music, author interviews, classic country, Americana, and syndicated national shows such as Democracy Now!, CounterSpin, Making Contact, and the Thom Hartmann Program. The station holds an FCC-licensed Low Power FM (LPFM) frequency at 103.5 FM with a 100-watt signal transmitted from an antenna atop Mary Scroggs Elementary School in Chapel Hill, reaching Carrboro, Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina, and surrounding Orange County communities (coverage area population ~50,000), while also streaming globally via an MP3 feed hosted by ibiblio.org and distributed through TuneIn and per-show podcast RSS feeds, serving ~800 daily listeners.
The technical platform is conventional broadcast and web infrastructure: a 100-watt LPFM transmitter connected via a studio-transmitter link engineered by David Wright and Steve Jackson to a downtown Carrboro studio, with worldwide streaming delivered through ibiblio.org MP3 endpoints and donations processed through the Zeffy payment platform. WCOM operates as an all-volunteer cooperative — the entire DJ, producer, and management roster is unpaid, governed by a Board of Directors chaired by co-founder Jacques Menache, with day-to-day oversight from heads of Development and Events plus long-tenured DJ "Tofu Dave" Bellin (in continuous service since the 2004 launch).
The business model is a non-profit listener-supported funding stack rather than commercial advertising: 55% of income comes from underwriting (Platinum tier $1,000/year, Golden tier $500/year, plus individual show sponsorships billed annually or monthly), 20% from listener donations via Zeffy, 12.5% from community fundraising events (such as an annual Disc Golf tournament and partner concerts like Music for Mental Health), and 12.5% from government and foundation grants (Town of Carrboro, Strowd-Roses Foundation, Shared Visions Foundation, plus the historic 2003 federal PTFP grant that funded 75% of equipment). Named underwriting customers include MidCap Advisors, Orange County NC, Shakori Hills Grassroots, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Durham Performing Arts Center, True Wind Technology, and the Chamber of Chapel Hill-Carrboro, with no absolute revenue figures disclosed in available sources.
WCOM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WCOM
- Legal name
- Public Gallery of Carrboro
- Website
- https://wcomfm.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- WCOM-LP 103.5 FM is an all-volunteer, listener-supported community radio station operated by Public Gallery of Carrboro, broadcasting locally in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC and streaming globally with close to 50 locally produced music, news, and talk shows.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WCOM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Radio Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB), Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio) (MPABADAE)
Keywords
Where WCOM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carrboro
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
WCOM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Underwriting (sponsorships): On-air announcements from local businesses and organizations in exchange for sponsorship. Accounts for 55% of income. Tiers include Platinum Underwriters at $1,000/year and Golden Underwriters at $500/year, plus individual program underwriting. Station underwriting is billed annually; individual programs can be billed annually or monthly.
- Listener donations: Voluntary listener contributions processed via Zeffy donation form; accounts for 20% of income.
- Fundraising events: Community fundraisers (e.g., annual Disc Golf tournament, partner concerts like Music for Mental Health) accounting for 12.5% of income.
- Grants: Government and foundation grants (e.g., Strowd-Roses Foundation, Shared Visions Foundation, Town of Carrboro, historic PTFP federal grant from 2003); accounts for 12.5% of income.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Platinum Underwriter at $1,000/year — station-wide sponsorship with daily announcements across programs |
| Subscription | Annual | Golden Underwriter at $500/year — station-wide sponsorship at lower tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | Individual program underwriting — sponsor a specific weekly show |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Listener donations via Zeffy (free-form amount) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
WCOM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WCOM operates a non-commercial, listener-supported community radio station (WCOM-LP) at 103.5 FM under the 501(c)(3) Public Gallery of Carrboro. Its core offering is the live terrestrial FM broadcast (100-watt LPFM signal covering Carrboro and parts of Chapel Hill) paired with a worldwide online MP3 stream, podcast feeds, and a slate of nearly 50 locally produced music, news and talk programs produced by an all-volunteer cooperative. Revenue is generated through station and program underwriting from local businesses and organizations, listener donations, community fundraising events, and government/foundation grants.
Product overview
WCOM is a single unified community-radio offering rather than a multi-product platform: it is WCOM-LP 103.5 FM, a low-power (100-watt) listener-supported station operated by the 501(c)(3) Public Gallery of Carrboro and broadcast from the Drakeford Library Complex in Carrboro, NC. The core product is the live 103.5 FM broadcast plus its worldwide online streaming mirror (audio-mp3.ibiblio.org/wcom-hifi.mp3) and embedded player on wcomfm.org. Layered on top are the WCOM Podcast Directory (per-show RSS feeds), the program's signature flagship "Weekly Dose of …" Friday-evening music-and-interview show, and a slate of recurring programs including "Out on the Edge" (LGBTQ+ seniors), "Between The Covers" (author interviews), "West End" (Spanish-language Latin music), "Classic Country Saturday Night," plus the WCOM Underwriting Program that funds the station.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- WCOM-LP 103.5 FM Community Radio Broadcast Low-power FM community radio station operated by Public Gallery of Carrboro, broadcasting locally on 103.5 FM from the Drakeford Library Complex in Carrboro, NC, with a 100-watt signal covering Chapel Hill, Carrboro, UNC and surrounding areas.
- WCOM Live Streaming Service Worldwide online audio stream of the WCOM 103.5 FM broadcast, delivered via an MP3 feed (audio-mp3.ibiblio.org/wcom-hifi.mp3) and an embedded player on wcomfm.org, accessible on terrestrial FM and over the internet.
- WCOM Podcast Directory Dedicated podcast RSS feeds for select WCOM programs (e.g., Aging Well Together, Weekly Dose Of, The Carolina Pines Radio Show, Camille Gets Fed, Between The Covers, High Lonesome, Chamber Chatter, Dance Megamix with Don Play), allowing on-demand listening.
- WCOM Underwriting Program Sponsorship/underwriting program that lets local businesses and organizations support WCOM's non-commercial radio through station-level or show-level underwriting in exchange for factual on-air announcements, with Platinum ($1,000/yr) and Golden ($500/yr) tiers.
Quantifiable outcome
- ~800 listeners per day across FM signal and online stream
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use WCOM
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WCOM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature5 records
WCOM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.
- WHUP (Hillsborough)strategicMedia collaboration: WHUP produces 3DNews live weekdays at 8am in Hillsborough; WCOM rebroadcasts same-day programming at noon most weekdays.
- Orange County Department on Aging (NC)strategicBrings 'Aging Well Together' (hosted by Heather Altman) and 'Out on the Edge' (LGBTQ+ Senior Resource Team programming) to WCOM's schedule; the County underwrites and produces the shows.
- ibiblio.org (University of North Carolina)coreHosts WCOM's live audio stream (audio-mp3.ibiblio.org/wcom-hifi.mp3) and dedicated podcast RSS feeds for individual shows.
- Pacifica FoundationstrategicWCOM carries 'Pacifica Archives' as part of its syndication lineup; Pacifica distributes radio content across 200+ affiliate stations including WCOM, originating from KPFA (1949).
- Democracy Now!coreSyndicated national/international news program carried on WCOM's weekday schedule.
- CounterSpin (FAIR)coreFairness and Accuracy In Reporting's weekly radio show hosted by Janine Jackson; heard on 130+ noncommercial stations; carried on WCOM with an encore presentation.
- Making ContactcoreSyndicated 29-minute weekly magazine on 140 stations in USA, Canada, South Africa, and Ireland; airs on WCOM as part of Wednesday lineup.
- Thom Hartmann ProgramminorSyndicated talk program on WCOM's Monday morning schedule.
- Alternative RadiominorSyndicated programming on WCOM's Tuesday schedule.
- Background Briefing with Ian MastersminorSyndicated programming on WCOM's Monday schedule.
- Floydian Slip (Craig Bailey)minorOne-hour weekly radio journey through Pink Floyd's history hosted by Craig Bailey; syndicated on WCOM Saturday evenings.
- Radio SurvivorminorWeekly show hosted by Paul Riismandel, Eric Klein, and Jennifer Waits exploring community media; carried on WCOM.
- The Michael Slate ShowminorSyndicated programming carried on WCOM's Tuesday morning slot.
- Musicale Network Group (Mason Wright)minorConnection that brought British music journalist Mark Blake to Weekly Dose Of … for a pre-recorded interview aired on 6/17/2026.
- Legends of the Groove Signature Cymbal (F. Scott Moyer)coreF. Scott Moyer, a UNC alum and the owner/curator of the Legends of the Groove Cymbal, has introduced numerous legendary drummers (Bernie Dresel, Gary Mallaber, Tony Braunagel, Tommy Vicari, Bunny Brunel) to Weekly Dose Of … for guest interviews.
- 27 uNIHted (former NIH program officers)minorCollaboration for the 'Lost Science' special broadcast on June 23, 2026, hosted by Larry Solomon, Ph.D., with three former NIH program officers (Elizabeth M. Ginexi, Jennifer L. Troyer, Sylvia Chou) discussing NIH grant cuts.
- Weaver Street Market / Ruffin SlaterstrategicRuffin Slater (of Weaver Street Market's Community Enterprise Project) is one of WCOM's founders; he filed the original 2001 FCC application, hosted the station at Weaver Street Market's old bank building, and contributed community infrastructure.
- National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB)minorFounder Jacques Menache (with Peg Nolan and Ruffin Slater) attended NFCB's conference where they learned about the federal PTFP grant that funded 75% of equipment.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WCOM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WXDU 88.7 FM (Duke University): Duke University's freeform community radio station in Durham, NC. Comparable as a non-commercial, volunteer-driven station in the Research Triangle with similar eclectic programming and listener-supported funding model.
- WXYC 89.3 FM (UNC Chapel Hill): UNC Chapel Hill's freeform college/community radio station broadcasting in the same Chapel Hill/Carrboro market. Directly comparable as a non-commercial, listener-supported FM station serving the same UNC-adjacent community with volunteer DJs and eclectic programming.
- WKNC 88.1 FM (NC State): NC State's college/community radio station in Raleigh, NC. Directly comparable as a non-commercial, volunteer-run station with a freeform format and a focus on local/indie music in the broader Research Triangle.
- WHUP 91.7 FM (Hillsborough): Sister community radio station in nearby Hillsborough, NC. Directly comparable as a small non-commercial, volunteer-run community station in the Orange County region; WCOM already rebroadcasts WHUP's 3DNews.
- WNCU 90.7 FM (NC Central University): Jazz-formatted public radio station operated by NC Central University in Durham, NC. Comparable as a non-commercial, listener-supported station in the same NC Triangle region serving an underrepresented community.
Broad incumbents
- KCRW 89.9 FM: Santa Monica College-operated public radio station known for eclectic music, news, and culture programming with strong streaming and podcast distribution. Comparable as a non-commercial station where underwriting and member donations sustain operations and where curated programming drives listener loyalty.
- WFMU 91.1 FM: Long-established freeform community radio station in Jersey City, NJ, and one of the most prominent independent/community stations in the U.S. Comparable as a listener-supported, volunteer-driven freeform station with deep archives, though at much greater scale and listener base.
- KEXP 90.3 FM: Seattle-based non-commercial music station with a globally popular streaming channel and YouTube presence. Comparable as a listener-supported, freeform-format station with a strong volunteer and donation base; WCOM's podcast and streaming ambitions resemble KEXP at a much smaller scale.
- Pacifica Foundation / KPFA 94.1 FM: Pacifica is the parent network of five listener-supported community radio stations (KPFA, KPFK, WPFW, KPFT, WBAI) and the source of much of WCOM's syndicated programming. Comparable as a national network of progressive, listener-funded, volunteer-driven community stations.
Others
- National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB): Industry/trade association for community radio stations in the U.S. WCOM's founders attended NFCB's conference in the early 2000s to learn about the PTFP grant. Comparable as the ecosystem/peer-network organization rather than a competing station; relevant for benchmarking best practices and grant access.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WCOM social profiles
Digital presenceWCOM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WCOM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
WCOM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WCOM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WCOM
What does WCOM do?
WCOM operates a non-commercial, listener-supported community radio station (WCOM-LP) at 103.5 FM under the 501(c)(3) Public Gallery of Carrboro. Its core offering is the live terrestrial FM broadcast (100-watt LPFM signal covering Carrboro and parts of Chapel Hill) paired with a worldwide online MP3 stream, podcast feeds, and a slate of nearly 50 locally produced music, news and talk programs produced by an all-volunteer cooperative. Revenue is generated through station and program underwriting from local businesses and organizations, listener donations, community fundraising events, and government/foundation grants.
Is WCOM a public or private company?
WCOM is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WCOM founded?
WCOM was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is WCOM based?
WCOM is headquartered in Carrboro, United States, in the North America region.
How does WCOM make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Underwriting (sponsorships) is the primary driver. The others are listener donations, fundraising events and grants.
Who are WCOM's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WXDU 88.7 FM (Duke University), WXYC 89.3 FM (UNC Chapel Hill), WKNC 88.1 FM (NC State), WHUP 91.7 FM (Hillsborough) and WNCU 90.7 FM (NC Central University). Broad incumbents are KCRW 89.9 FM, WFMU 91.1 FM, KEXP 90.3 FM and Pacifica Foundation / KPFA 94.1 FM. National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) is listed as an others.
Does WCOM have an API?
No public API is recorded for WCOM.
What industry is WCOM in?
WCOM's product category is Community Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABADAB, National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style), with a secondary code of MPAIAEAB, Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus). Its NAICS code is 516110 and its SIC code is 4832.