What WHRB 95.3FM does

WHRB 95.3FM is Harvard Radio Broadcasting, a non-commercial educational FM radio station founded in 1940 and operated by Harvard University students under the governance of a Board of Trustees (Chairman: Jonathan Lehrich '90). The station broadcasts on 95.3 FM across the Greater Boston area and streams globally via whrb.org, with content organized into eight programming departments: Classical Music, The Jazz Spectrum, WHRB Sports, Record Hospital (rock/indie), The Darker Side (electronic/experimental), The Blues Hangover, WHRB News, and Hillbilly at Harvard (country/folk/Americana). Special programming includes live Metropolitan Opera broadcasts every Saturday from December through May (Boston broadcast home since December 1999), Sunday Night at the Opera (the longest-running weekly recorded opera program in Boston radio history at 50+ years), Historic Performances sourced from early 20th-century recordings, the registered-trademark WHRB Orgies® marathon tradition (since Spring 1943), and weekly Sunday broadcasts of services from The Memorial Church in Harvard Yard (since the early 1960s).

The station's technology stack is conventional broadcast infrastructure: a licensed FM transmission on 95.3 FM plus an online streaming pipeline via whrb.org and the Spinitron playlist platform, supported by an extensive broadcast archive of articles, interviews, concert reviews, and program recordings. Distribution is dual-channel — regional via FM and global via the internet — with no proprietary AI, mobile applications, or API integrations disclosed.

WHRB operates as a non-profit, non-commercial entity and does not monetize its broadcast content. Revenue consists of primary institutional funding from Harvard University, listener donations collected through the Support page (PayPal and mail), and corporate underwriting/sponsorships accessed through the Advertise page. Listeners access programming free of charge; the only consumer-facing commercial surface is a merchandise storefront operated through Redbubble. Audience composition is split between Boston-area FM listeners and online streaming users, plus the Harvard College community (students, faculty, staff) for whom the station provides student involvement, music journalism, and broadcast training opportunities. There are no disclosed headcount figures, external investors, or funding rounds, consistent with WHRB's status as a university-operated educational broadcaster rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

WHRB 95.3FM

Legal name

Harvard Radio Broadcasting

Website

https://whrb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WHRB 95.3FM is Harvard Radio Broadcasting, a non-commercial educational FM radio station founded in 1940, broadcasting to Greater Boston and streaming globally. It serves Boston-area listeners and online audiences with eight programming departments spanning classical, jazz, rock, news, and sports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. University Funding: Primary funding from Harvard University as an educational institution
2. Listener Donations: Donations from listeners through Support page, PayPal, and mail
3. Underwriting/Sponsorships: Corporate underwriting and advertising through Advertise page

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WHRB 95.3FM is a non-commercial educational FM radio station operated by Harvard University students, broadcasting diverse music programming across eight specialized departments (Classical, Jazz, Sports, Record Hospital/rock, The Darker Side/electronic, Blues Hangover, News, Hillbilly at Harvard), alongside special programs such as Metropolitan Opera broadcasts, Sunday Night at the Opera, Historic Performances, WHRB Orgies® marathon events, and Memorial Church services. Programming airs on 95.3 FM in the Boston area and streams online globally, supported by university funding, listener donations, and underwriting.

Product overview

WHRB 95.3FM is Harvard Radio Broadcasting, a non-commercial college radio station offering diverse programming through multiple specialized departments. The station operates a unified broadcast platform with distinct programming channels: Classical Music, The Jazz Spectrum, WHRB Sports, Record Hospital (rock/indie music), The Darker Side (TDS - electronic/experimental), The Blues Hangover, WHRB News, and Hillbilly at Harvard (country/folk). The station also features special programming including Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts, Sunday Night at the Opera, Historic Performances, WHRB Orgies marathon programs, and Memorial Church Services. Supporting services include the Program Guide, Broadcast Archive, and live show hosting. The station broadcasts live performances, interviews, and concert reviews across multiple genres.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classical Music Department

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 and minor.

• Metropolitan OperacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHRB broadcasts live Metropolitan Opera performances every Saturday at 1pm Eastern from December to May, featuring the world's most important opera performances. The station has been the proud home of Metropolitan Opera broadcasts in greater Boston area since December 1999.
• The Memorial Church, Harvard YardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHRB broadcasts Sunday services from The Memorial Church in Harvard Yard during fall and spring terms since the early 1960s. Services feature sermons by preachers from Harvard and around the world, with organ music under the direction of Gund Organist and Choirmaster Edward Jones.
• Boston Symphony OrchestraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric Performances program features classical music recordings from early 60 years of 20th century, including performances by prominent artists from the era.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/WHRB-953FM/369941405267
• Instagraminstagram.com/whrb95.3
• Xx.com/whrb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 WHRB 95.3FM