Civic Media

Civic Media operates a network of 30-plus progressive-talk and news radio stations across Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois, combined with a digital news platform, mobile app, and podcasts serving politically engaged Upper Midwest residents and local news consumers.

Company typePrivate
Founded2022
HeadquartersMadison, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What Civic Media does

Civic Media, Inc. is a Madison, Wisconsin-headquartered media company that operates a network of 30-plus progressive-talk and news radio stations across Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois, alongside a digital news platform and a podcast distribution network. The company combines terrestrial radio broadcasting (stations such as WMDX in Madison, WAUK in Milwaukee, WXCO in Wausau, WGBW in Green Bay, WISS in Oshkosh, and a growing cluster of Michigan and Minnesota stations) with a website at civicmedia.us, a mobile app for iOS and Android, Substack-delivered newsletters, and shows distributed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and RSS. Civic Media also owns The Recombobulation Area, a Wisconsin political journalism publication acquired in August 2024 whose founder Dan Shafer now serves as Political Editor.

The core technology is a hybrid broadcast-plus-digital content platform rather than a software product; the technical differentiator cited in the source data is multi-platform content distribution spanning radio, web, mobile, YouTube, and podcast feeds, with integration across these surfaces. Editorial content covers Wisconsin and Upper Midwest politics, government, health, environment, and business, with syndicated partners including Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Examiner, Bridge Michigan, Minnesota Reformer, and ProPublica contributing reporting. Marketing and audience development rely on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky), email/newsletters, podcasts, and paid acquisition via Meta Ads with Meta Pixel conversion tracking.

Civic Media makes money through three primary streams: (1) listener and reader donations, both one-time ($10-$100) and monthly recurring ($10-$50/mo, with a thank-you gift after three months); (2) radio and digital advertising and sponsorships across the station network; and (3) sweepstakes and text-to-win contests that drive listener engagement and promotional revenue. The go-to-market motion is community-led and direct-to-consumer, targeting politically engaged Upper Midwest residents and local news consumers, with no enterprise sales motion or named B2B customers disclosed in the input. The company is privately held with no parent company and no disclosed institutional investors beyond a $2.725M funding round in June 2026.

Civic Media firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Civic Media
Legal name: Civic Media, Inc.
Website: https://civicmedia.us
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2022
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: Civic Media operates a network of 30-plus progressive-talk and news radio stations across Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois, combined with a digital news platform, mobile app, and podcasts serving politically engaged Upper Midwest residents and local news consumers.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Civic Media industry classification

Industry

Product category: Local News Media
NAICS: Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
SIC: Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
akta.pro primary industry: Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB)

Keywords

Local news media
Progressive talk radio
Regional radio broadcasting
Political journalism
Community news platform

Where Civic Media is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Madison
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Civic Media business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

Listener Donations and Subscriptions: Civic Media generates revenue through reader/listener donations and monthly contributions ranging from $10 to $50 per month, offering subscription-based support for the platform.
Advertising and Sponsorships: Radio stations and digital content generate advertising revenue through sponsorships and promotional content.
Sweepstakes and Contests: Civic Media runs sweepstakes across its radio stations, including text-to-win contests and prize giveaways, which engage listeners and generate promotional revenue.
Meta Advertising: Civic Media utilizes Meta platforms and Meta Ads for marketing efforts, tracking conversions and optimizing ad performance.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	One-time contribution options
Subscription	Monthly	Monthly contributor tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Civic Media product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Civic Media operates a network of more than 30 progressive-talk and news radio stations across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, combined with a digital news platform at civicmedia.us, podcast programming, a mobile application, and the acquired political journalism brand The Recombobulation Area. The company monetizes audience reach through radio advertising and sponsorships, listener donations and monthly recurring contributions, sweepstakes, and promotional events targeting community-focused local news consumers in the Upper Midwest.

Product overview

Civic Media operates as a unified media platform combining a network of progressive-talk radio stations with a digital news platform. The core offering consists of 30+ radio stations across Wisconsin and Michigan (including WMDX, WXCO, WAUK, WIRI, WFHR, WRCO, WISS, WGBW, and others), a digital news platform delivering local Wisconsin coverage, and The Recombobulation Area political journalism brand acquired in 2024. Additional products include podcast programming and a mobile app for on-the-go access. The company is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

The Recombobulation Area: Wisconsin-based political journalism publication acquired by Civic Media in 2024, operated as a distinct editorial brand within the Civic Media network.

Products and services

Civic Media Radio Network A network of 30+ progressive-talk and news radio stations across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan (including WMDX Madison, WAUK Milwaukee, WXCO Wausau, WGBW Green Bay, WISS Oshkosh, WFHR, WRCO, WIRI, and others), providing local news, political commentary, talk shows, and community programming to Upper Midwest listeners.
Civic Media News Platform Digital news platform at civicmedia.us providing local Wisconsin news coverage across categories including politics, government, health, environment, and business, targeted at politically engaged local news consumers.
The Recombobulation Area Wisconsin-based political journalism publication founded by Dan Shafer, now operating within Civic Media's network, featuring opinion columns, political commentary, and coverage of Wisconsin politics and Milwaukee culture for politically engaged readers.
Civic Media Podcasts and Shows Podcast and radio show programming including Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba and Greg Bach, Rational Revolution, Eco-Minute, KFF Health Minute, and other talk shows covering news, culture, health, and local events, distributed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RSS feeds, and the website.
Civic Media Mobile App Mobile application available on iOS and Android that allows users to access local news articles, podcasts, and live radio station streams on demand.

Quantifiable outcome

Expanded political journalism coverage through The Recombobulation Area acquisition

Companies that use Civic Media

Customer profile

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Civic Media technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Civic Media partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

The Recombobulation AreacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2024Civic Media acquired The Recombobulation Area, a Wisconsin-based political journalism publication founded by Dan Shafer. The publication now operates within Civic Media's network. Dan Shafer joined Civic Media as Political Editor and continues producing opinion content for both publications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Civic Media competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Regional players

Minnesota Public Radio: Regional public radio network covering Minnesota and parts of the Upper Midwest with news and talk programming. Comparable in operating multi-station broadcast plus digital news in the same geography Civic Media is expanding into.
Wisconsin Public Radio: Wisconsin's statewide public radio network delivering news, talk, and music programming across the same geography Civic Media targets. Comparable as a Wisconsin-based multi-station talk/news broadcaster, though supported by public funding rather than donations and ads.

Direct peers

Bridge Michigan: Michigan-focused online news outlet covering state policy, politics, and environment. Comparable as a regional digital-first political journalism brand that Civic Media could acquire or partner with to extend its state footprint.
Townsquare Media: Operates a portfolio of local radio stations and digital news/talk properties concentrated in small and mid-sized U.S. markets. Closely matches Civic Media's model of combining local-market radio with digital publishing.
Salem Communications: Operates a network of news/talk radio stations with a distinct ideological slant plus digital news platforms (Townhall, HotAir). Closely aligned with Civic Media's combination of opinion-driven talk radio and online political journalism.

Emerging players

Wisconsin Watch: Nonprofit investigative newsroom covering Wisconsin state government and policy. Comparable in serving the same Wisconsin news consumer and political journalism niche that Civic Media targets.
Heartland Signal: Progressive digital news and commentary outlet covering Midwest politics, where Dan Shafer has contributed. Comparable in ideological positioning and Upper-Midwest political audience overlap.

Broad incumbents

Cumulus Media: Second-largest U.S. radio broadcaster with a heavy news/talk and sports format mix and the Westwood One network. Comparable in leveraging multiple stations for syndicated talk content and digital distribution.
Audacy: Major U.S. radio operator with a large news/talk and sports station portfolio plus the Audacy streaming app. Comparable in running market-dominant local talk stations and increasingly digital audio monetization.
iHeartMedia: Largest U.S. radio broadcaster with hundreds of AM/FM stations plus the iHeartRadio digital platform. Overlaps with Civic Media in operating multi-station radio networks serving local audiences and monetizing via ads and digital distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Civic Media financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Civic Media leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Civic Media subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

Civic Media funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

Civic Media M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Civic Media

What does Civic Media do?

Is Civic Media a public or private company?

Civic Media is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was Civic Media founded?

Civic Media was founded in 2022. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is Civic Media based?

Civic Media is headquartered in Madison, United States, in the North America region.

How does Civic Media make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Listener Donations and Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising and Sponsorships, sweepstakes and Contests and meta Advertising.

Who are Civic Media's main competitors?

Regional players on record are Minnesota Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Radio. Direct peers are Bridge Michigan, Townsquare Media and Salem Communications. Emerging players are Wisconsin Watch and Heartland Signal. Broad incumbents are Cumulus Media, Audacy and iHeartMedia.

Does Civic Media have an API?

No public API is recorded for Civic Media.

What industry is Civic Media in?

Civic Media's product category is Local News Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAEAB, Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus). Its NAICS code is 51611 and its SIC code is 4832.