WKSU Public Radio

What WKSU Public Radio does

WKSU Public Radio is a public radio service broadcasting on 89.7 FM in Northeast Ohio, operated by Ideastream Public Media under a broadcast license held by Kent State University. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, WKSU is part of a multi-station public media portfolio that also includes WCLV (90.3 FM classical), JazzNEO, and WVIZ public television, along with HD sub-channels Folk Alley (HD2), All Classical (HD3), and News & More (HD4). The station delivers news, talk, classical music, jazz, and educational programming, including Cleveland Orchestra broadcasts via WCLV, Statehouse News Bureau political coverage, and educational products such as NewsDepth and IdeaKids for students.

The underlying technology stack combines traditional over-the-air broadcasting (FM, HD radio, television) with multi-platform digital distribution including live web streaming, iOS and Android mobile applications, smart speaker integration, and video on-demand delivery through video.ideastream.org and the Ideastream Passport members-only platform. Content is sourced through partnerships with NPR, PBS, BBC, American Public Media, and PRX, supplemented by local journalism and original programming such as Sound of Ideas, The View from Pluto, Shuffle, and Applause. The organization maintains content partnerships with Kent State University and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District for educational programming reach.

As a non-profit public media organization, WKSU generates revenue through individual membership contributions, donations, corporate underwriting, and institutional public media grants, with no pricing model for services. Distribution is primarily top-of-funnel and direct-to-consumer through broadcast, web, mobile, smart speakers, and community events. The customer base is a diffuse general public listenership in Northeast Ohio, with no disclosed enterprise customers or pricing tiers beyond the Ideastream Passport member benefit.

Name

WKSU Public Radio

Legal name

Ideastream Public Media

Website

https://wksu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WKSU Public Radio is a Northeast Ohio NPR affiliate operated by Ideastream Public Media, broadcasting news, classical music, jazz, and educational programming across FM radio, public television, mobile apps, and digital streaming to general public listeners in the Cleveland area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE), Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ), University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV) (MPABACAH)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• Classical music programming
• NPR news affiliate
• Public television service
• Educational media content

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WKSU is a public radio station delivering NPR news, talk, and classical music programming over FM 89.7 and HD subchannels, complemented by live TV broadcasts (WVIZ), mobile apps, smart speaker streaming, and on-demand video content. It is operated by Ideastream Public Media and licensed to Kent State University, serving audiences in Northeast Ohio with local journalism, educational programming, and arts and cultural content.

Product overview

Ideastream Public Media operates WKSU Public Radio and related media properties as a multi-platform public media organization. The portfolio includes radio stations (WKSU 89.7 FM news/talk/classical, WCLV 90.3 FM classical, JazzNEO jazz), television station WVIZ with multiple digital channels, and HD sub-channels (Folk Alley, All Classical, News & More). Digital products include livestreaming of TV and radio, video on-demand via video.ideastream.org, PBS KIDS 24/7 livestream, podcasts, and the Ideastream Passport membership feature. Educational offerings include NewsDepth and IdeaKids for youth learning. The organization serves Northeast Ohio through broadcast, web, and mobile platforms, with content partnerships with NPR, PBS, BBC, and PRX.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WKSU HD2: Folk Alley: HD2 sub-channel featuring folk music programming
• WKSU HD3: All Classical
• WKSU HD4: News & More

Products and services

• WKSU Public Radio (89.7 FM) Public radio service delivering NPR news, talk, and classical music content to listeners in Northeast Ohio via FM 89.7 broadcast and digital streaming.
• WCLV (90.3 FM) Classical music radio station featuring The Cleveland Orchestra broadcasts, daily playlists, and NPR classical content for classical music listeners in Northeast Ohio.
• JazzNEO Jazz music radio station dedicated to jazz programming, Cleveland jazz history, and live broadcasts for jazz audiences in Northeast Ohio.
• WVIZ Public Television Public television station offering live TV streams, PBS content, The Ohio Channel, NHK World-Japan, and Create programming for Northeast Ohio viewers.
• Folk Alley (WKSU HD2) Folk music channel available on WKSU HD2 subchannel and via folkalley.com external streaming for folk music listeners.
• All Classical (WKSU HD3) All-classical music programming available on WKSU HD3 digital subchannel for classical music listeners.
• News and More (WKSU HD4) News and talk programming available on WKSU HD4 digital subchannel for listeners seeking additional news content.
• Sound of Ideas Daily news talk show covering local issues with reporter roundtable discussions on Cuyahoga County and Ohio news for general public listeners.
• NewsDepth Educational news program for students and teachers covering current events with curriculum-aligned content for K-12 classroom use.
• IdeaKids At-home learning companion for children featuring educational content aligned with PBS KIDS programming for early childhood education.
• Ideastream Public Media Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android enabling on-the-go listening and streaming of WKSU, WCLV, JazzNEO, and WVIZ content for public media audiences.
• Ideastream Podcasts On-demand audio programming including Sound of Ideas, The View from Pluto, Shuffle, and other podcasts available for streaming and download.
• Ideastream Passport Members-only feature providing extended access to PBS and local video content on demand for donors and members of Ideastream Public Media.
• Video On-Demand (video.ideastream.org) On-demand access to PBS and local video content via the video.ideastream.org streaming platform for general public viewers.
• WVIZ Live TV Streams Live television streaming of WVIZ broadcast content including PBS KIDS, Ohio Channel, NHK World, and Create channels accessible on web and mobile devices.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kent State UniversitycoreOthersWKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media. Kent State holds the broadcast license while Ideastream operates the station.
• NPRcoreTechnology or Integration
• PBScoreTechnology or Integration
• American Public MediacoreTechnology or Integration
• PRX (Public Radio Exchange)coreTechnology or Integration
• Cleveland Metropolitan School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development Partner

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WBUR: Boston University's WBUR is a major NPR member station focused on news/talk. Comparable as a Northeastern NPR-affiliated news/talk public radio station with digital and podcast extensions.
• WHYY: Philadelphia's public media organization operating WHYY FM and WHYY TV. Comparable mid-sized regional public broadcaster serving a Northeastern metro with NPR/PBS content and educational programming.
• Oregon Public Broadcasting: Oregon Public Broadcasting operates OPB radio and TV stations serving Oregon and Southwest Washington with NPR/PBS programming. Comparable as a regional public media organization with radio, TV, and digital platforms.
• WETA: Washington DC-area public broadcaster operating WETA FM and WETA TV with PBS affiliation. Comparable as a regional public media organization with classical, news, and educational programming.
• WGBH: Boston-based public media organization operating FM radio, TV station, and digital platforms. Most structurally similar to Ideastream as a multi-station public broadcaster serving a major Northeast regional market with NPR/PBS affiliation.
• Houston Public Media: Houston Public Media operates KUHF news/classical radio and KUHT TV with NPR/PBS content. Comparable as a multi-station public broadcaster serving a major metro with university affiliation (University of Houston).
• KQED: San Francisco Bay Area public media organization operating KQED FM radio and KQED Plus television. Comparable as a multi-platform public broadcaster with NPR/PBS programming and digital streaming.
• Michigan Public: Michigan Public Radio operates a statewide public radio network affiliated with NPR, distributed across multiple transmitters. Comparable in scale and geographic scope as a Midwestern NPR member network with news/talk and classical programming.
• WNYC: New York Public Radio operates WNYC and classical station WQXR with NPR affiliation and podcast production. Comparable as a flagship public radio operator with news/talk and classical music formats and digital extensions.
• WAMU: American University-operated WAMU 88.5 is the DC region's primary NPR news/talk station. Comparable as a university-licensed NPR member station focused on local news and public affairs — directly analogous to WKSU's Kent State license arrangement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/ideastream
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wksu.fm
• Instagraminstagram.com/ideastreamneo
• Xx.com/wksu
• Facebookfacebook.com/wksu.fm

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 WKSU Public Radio