WHRW

What WHRW does

WHRW (legal name: Harpur Radio Workship, Student Association organization 4470) is a non-commercial, free-format college radio station licensed by the FCC to broadcast at 90.5 FM from Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York. Founded in 1966 and now operating under its 60th anniversary in 2026, the station is owned and operated by the Binghamton University Student Association and run by volunteer student DJs and an elected executive board (General Manager, Program Director, Technical Director, Music Director, News Director, PR Director, Heritage Director, and genre-specific leads for Rock, Jazz, etc.). Programming spans 30+ shows covering rock, folk, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, soul, Christian, Latin, world music, electronic, and public affairs content, with no playlist restrictions — DJs retain full creative control over their slots.

The underlying technology is a standard broadcast-radio stack: FM transmission on 90.5 FM for the Greater Binghamton regional audience, paired with an Icecast-based online streaming pipeline delivering MP3 streams at 320 kbps (high quality) and 128 kbps (low quality) via stream.whrwfm.org. The public-facing website (whrw.fm) provides schedule, blog, streaming help, FCC public file, and EEO Report 2022 access. An apprenticeship program recruits student DJs through bi-semesterly General Interest Meetings, shadowing, and an FCC/WHRW Clearance Exam. The station maintains a recurring events portfolio including the annual Moefest music festival, the 24-hour Paul J. Battaglia Marathon (running since 2002), and Apprentice Breakfest recruitment drives.

WHRW operates a non-commercial revenue model with no listener pricing and no commercial underwriting disclosed. Funding is institutional — drawn from the Binghamton University Student Association — supplemented by donations routed through the Binghamton University Foundation (account 20489) into the Paul J. Battaglia Memorial Scholarship supporting BU School of Management graduates. Customer segments are horizontal: BU students (as DJs, apprentices, and listeners), Greater Binghamton area FM listeners, and BU alumni donors. The station has demonstrated operational resilience through COVID-19 (May–July 2020 suspension and resume) and a March 2022 FM outage during which listeners were redirected to the online stream, and remains under FCC non-commercial educational broadcaster regulations with no equity investors, no funding rounds, and no subsidiary structure.

Name

WHRW

Legal name

Harpur Radio Workship, Student Association (4470)

Website

https://whrw.fm

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WHRW is a non-commercial, free-format college radio station licensed by the FCC to broadcast at 90.5 FM from Binghamton University, serving BU students and the Greater Binghamton community with 30+ genre-diverse shows, online streaming, and annual events like Moefest and the Battaglia Marathon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV) (MPABACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• College radio broadcasting
• Non-commercial radio
• FM radio programming
• Online audio streaming
• Community radio station

Headquarters

HQ city

Binghamton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: WHRW raises funds through its annual Paul J. Battaglia Marathon and other events. Donations are directed to the Paul J. Battaglia Memorial Scholarship fund at the Binghamton University Foundation (account 20489). The station accepts checks payable to Binghamton University Foundation and online credit card gifts.
2. Student Association Funding: As a Binghamton University student-run station, WHRW receives operational funding through the Student Association (organization 4470), providing basic infrastructure and support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WHRW is a free-format college radio station that broadcasts on 90.5 FM from Binghamton University, providing non-commercial radio programming across 30+ diverse music genres, public affairs content, and live event promotion. The station also offers online audio streaming via its website and runs an apprenticeship program that trains student DJs to obtain FCC certification.

Product overview

WHRW is a free-format college radio station operating at Binghamton University on 90.5 FM. The station offers broadcast radio programming and online audio streaming in multiple quality formats. Its programming includes diverse music shows across multiple genres (rock, folk, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, soul, electronic, Latin, reggae), public affairs content, and special programming. The station runs annual events including the Moefest music festival and the Paul J. Battaglia Marathon fundraiser. The station operates an apprenticeship program to train new FCC-certified DJs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WHRW 90.5 FM Broadcast Radio Free-format college radio station broadcasting on 90.5 FM from Binghamton University, featuring diverse programming including music shows, public affairs, and live event promotion, serving Binghamton University students and Greater Binghamton area listeners.
• Online Audio Streaming Web-based audio streaming service offering MP3 streams in high quality (320 kbps) and low quality (128 kbps) formats, accessible globally via the station website and stream URLs for listeners who want to tune in online.
• Radio Programming and Shows Weekly scheduled radio programming featuring over 30 distinct shows spanning rock, folk, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, soul, electronic, Latin, reggae, Christian, world music, and public affairs content, available to listeners via FM and online streaming.
• Moefest Music Festival Annual music festival featuring local and student performers, held at Binghamton University, serving as the station's flagship community event and engagement opportunity for listeners and local musicians.
• Paul J. Battaglia Marathon Annual 24-hour broadcast marathon fundraiser celebrating the legacy of former General Manager Paul J. Battaglia, raising funds for a scholarship supporting Binghamton University School of Management graduates.
• DJ Apprenticeship Program Student training program allowing Binghamton University students to become FCC-certified radio DJs through General Interest Meetings, shadowing of current DJs, and a WHRW/FCC Clearance Exam, providing hands-on broadcasting experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 years of continuous broadcasting
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Binghamton University Student AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Student Association (organization 4470) at Binghamton University provides institutional support and funding for WHRW's operations. The station operates as a recognized student organization within the university structure.
• Binghamton University FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHRW's annual Paul J. Battaglia Marathon raises funds for the Paul J. Battaglia Memorial Scholarship fund managed by the Binghamton University Foundation (account 20489). Donations support BU School of Management graduates.
• FCC (Federal Communications Commission)coreOthersWHRW operates under FCC broadcast regulations and maintains public files and EEO reports as required by federal law. The station provides FCC certification training for student DJs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• WXDU (Duke University): Duke University's student-operated free-format radio station broadcasting at 88.7 FM. Comparable to WHRW in campus-based, student-DJ free-format model with FM and streaming distribution.
• KVRX (University of Texas at Austin): University of Texas at Austin's student-run free-format radio station. Comparable to WHRW in operating model — university-affiliated, volunteer student DJs, eclectic free-format programming, FM plus online stream.
• WFMU: Listener-supported free-format radio station operating from New Jersey, offering highly eclectic, DJ-curated programming without commercial or playlist restrictions. Closely comparable to WHRW in free-format philosophy and non-commercial donor-funded model, though operating independently of a university.
• WHRB (Harvard Radio Broadcasting): Harvard University's student-run radio station featuring free-format programming and classical music blocks. Comparable to WHRW as a long-running Ivy League college radio station with student DJs, free-format blocks, and institutional backing.
• WPRB (Princeton University): Princeton University's student-operated free-format radio station broadcasting from campus. Closely analogous to WHRW in operating model: university-funded, student DJs, free-format programming, FM plus online streaming.
• WXYC (UNC Chapel Hill): University of North Carolina's student-run free-format college radio station, widely credited as one of the first to webcast its signal. Directly comparable to WHRW in being a university-affiliated, student-DJ-driven free-format broadcaster with both FM and online streaming.
• WCBN (University of Michigan): University of Michigan's student-run free-format radio station. Comparable to WHRW as a campus-based, student-DJ free-format college broadcaster with FM broadcast and streaming distribution.
• WRVU (Vanderbilt University): Vanderbilt University's student-run radio station. Directly comparable to WHRW as a university-funded, student-operated college radio station with diverse programming and online distribution.
• WKCO (Kenyon College): Kenyon College's student-run free-format radio station. Comparable to WHRW as a small liberal-arts-college student-DJ free-format broadcaster with FM broadcast and online streaming.

Broad incumbents

• KEXP: Seattle-based non-commercial free-format radio station originally founded at the University of Washington. Comparable to WHRW in free-format programming philosophy but operates at much larger scale as an established broadcaster with global online listenership and major donor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WHRWRadio
• Instagraminstagram.com/WHRWradio
• Xx.com/WHRWRadio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whrw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

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 WHRW