90.5 The Night

What 90.5 The Night does

90.5 The Night (legal name: Brookdale Public Radio) is a non-commercial, member-supported public radio station licensed to Brookdale Community College and broadcasting at 90.5 FM from the college's Lincroft, New Jersey campus at 765 Newman Springs Rd. The station serves the Jersey Shore and Monmouth County area with a format centered on alternative, independent, blues, folk, and Americana music programming alongside local news, NPR News, and community-focused content. Its core product is a free FM broadcast supplemented by an online streaming hub at wbjb.org offering multiple streams (Altrok, FM Flashback, Brookdale Student Radio), on-demand music shows (Fresh Tracks, Box of Blues, eTown, Acoustic Café, Sound Opinions), an Interview Archive, a Sound Search track-identification feature, a Community Calendar, and the 'Non Profits on The Night' spotlight program.

The underlying technology is conventional FM broadcast with digital streaming extensions via the website and social channels (Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook); there are no proprietary AI/ML systems or paid consumer apps disclosed. Programming is anchored by a core NPR affiliation that supplies NPR Music content (including Tiny Desk Concerts and album reviews) and NPR News, while local content is produced in-house and in partnership with the college. The station also offers digital engagement features such as a Guest DJ Hour and a Member Rewards program tied to donations.

The business model is non-commercial: there is no subscription fee or paywall, and revenue is generated entirely through voluntary listener donations, local business underwriting (sponsorship mentions governed by FCC public radio rules), merchandise sales through a Merch Shop, and a vehicle donation program operated via CarEasy. The station has no disclosed revenue figures, no funding rounds, and no enterprise customer contracts; its operational scale is supported by Brookdale Community College infrastructure, with the broader entity reported in the 501-1000 employee band (a figure that likely encompasses college staff rather than radio-station staff specifically). The audience is a geographically concentrated community of listeners in Monmouth County and surrounding New Jersey, supplemented by global online streaming reach.

Name

90.5 The Night

Legal name

Brookdale Public Radio

Website

https://wbjb.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

90.5 The Night is a non-commercial public radio station licensed to Brookdale Community College, broadcasting at 90.5 FM in Monmouth County, NJ. It serves local listeners with independent music, NPR content, local news, and community programming, supported by donations and underwriting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Middletown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listener Donations and Membership: Voluntary financial contributions from listeners to support public radio operations, with member rewards program
2. Underwriting: Sponsorship revenue from local businesses and organizations mentioned on-air in compliance with FCC public radio standards
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise through the Merch Shop including apparel and station memorabilia
4. Vehicle Donations: Program accepting vehicle donations as a way for supporters to contribute to the station

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

90.5 The Night operates as a non-commercial public radio station broadcasting at 90.5 FM from Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey. The station delivers live FM radio programming complemented by online streaming, featuring independent and genre-specific music shows (Fresh Tracks, Box of Blues, FM Flashback, eTown, Acoustic Café, Sound Opinions), NPR Music and NPR News content, local Monmouth County / New Jersey news coverage, artist interviews, and community engagement programs such as Non Profits on The Night.

Product overview

90.5 The Night is a public radio station operated by Brookdale Community College offering a unified broadcast and digital platform. The core offering is live FM radio broadcasting supplemented by on-demand streaming content including music shows (Fresh Tracks, Box of Blues, FM Flashback, eTown, Acoustic Cafe, Sound Opinions), an Interview Archive, and local news coverage. The station also features community programs like Non Profits on The Night and a Community Events Calendar. Supporting features include member rewards, a Guest DJ Hour program, and merchandise sales. Listeners can access content through live radio, online streaming, and the recently played track listing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 90.5 The Night - Brookdale Public Radio A non-commercial public radio station broadcasting at 90.5 FM, operated by Brookdale Community College. Provides live FM radio streaming, on-demand content including music shows, interviews, local news, music reviews, and community event information to Monmouth County and surrounding New Jersey audiences.
• Fresh Tracks
• Box of Blues
• FM Flashback
• eTown
• Acoustic Café
• Sound Opinions
• Interview Archive
• Non Profits on The Night
• Community Calendar

Segments4 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 and minor.

• NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner90.5 The Night carries NPR Music content including Tiny Desk Concerts, album reviews, and music news features. The station also airs NPR News content and displays NPR branding prominently. This partnership provides access to nationally-recognized music journalism and enhances station credibility and content library.
• Brookdale Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution of Brookdale Public Radio. The station operates from the college's Lincroft campus at 765 Newman Springs Rd. The college provides infrastructure, staff, and operational support for the station as part of its educational mission.
• Local Monmouth County NonprofitsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured through the 'Non Profits on The Night' program, which spotlights local community organizations. Featured nonprofits include Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey, Friends of the Monmouth County Park System, JBJ Soul Kitchen, and numerous other Monmouth County charitable organizations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WFMU: Independent, listener-supported freeform community radio station in New Jersey serving the greater NYC metro area. Comparable in non-commercial, listener-funded structure with a focus on eclectic and independent music programming, operating from a New Jersey location like 90.5 The Night.
• KCRW: Santa Monica College-licensed public radio station in Los Angeles known for eclectic music programming, NPR content distribution, and member-supported funding. Mirrors 90.5 The Night's college-licensed structure and music-journalism positioning.
• WFUV: Fordham University-licensed public radio station in the New York metro area, also featuring adult album alternative programming with NPR affiliation and member-supported funding. Closely matches 90.5 The Night's college-licensed, music-focused public radio model.
• WTMD: Towson University-licensed public radio station serving the Baltimore area with adult album alternative music, NPR content, and member-supported funding. Highly comparable in station scale, college affiliation, and format to 90.5 The Night.
• KEXP: Seattle-based non-commercial radio station with a globally recognized music discovery brand, listener-supported funding model, and emphasis on independent and emerging artists. A larger-scale analog of 90.5 The Night's mission and programming philosophy.
• WXPN: University of Pennsylvania-licensed public radio station based in Philadelphia, with a similar adult album alternative music format, NPR affiliation, and member-supported funding model. Comparable in mission, audience, and operational scale to 90.5 The Night.

Others

• NPR (National Public Radio): National content distributor and brand partner that supplies programming (NPR Music, NPR News, Tiny Desk Concerts) to member stations including 90.5 The Night. Not a direct competitor but a critical content ecosystem participant that shapes the station's offering.

Broad incumbents

• WNYC: Flagship NPR member station in New York City, operating at significantly larger scale with a broader news and cultural programming mandate. A broad incumbent in the same public radio space with overlapping NPR content distribution and underwriting audiences.

Emerging players

• WKNC 88.1 FM: NC State University student-run college radio station focused on indie and alternative music. Comparable as a college-licensed, music-focused radio operation, though smaller and student-led rather than professionally staffed like 90.5 The Night.
• WXYC 89.3 FM: UNC Chapel Hill student-run college radio station and pioneering internet broadcaster, with a freeform format emphasizing indie and experimental music. Comparable in non-commercial, college-licensed, music-discovery mission though smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wbjb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wbjbfm
• Facebookfacebook.com/BrookdalePublicRadio
• Instagraminstagram.com/brookdalepublicradio

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 90.5 The Night