WBHM

What WBHM does

WBHM is a non-profit, member-supported public radio station licensed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and broadcasting on 90.3 FM from Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1976, it serves the greater Birmingham metro and surrounding central Alabama counties as the market's designated NPR affiliate, distributing national programming from NPR, American Public Media (APM), PRX, and Classical 24, supplemented by local news production and investigative reporting developed in-house and through partnerships with BirminghamWatch and the Gulf States Newsroom collaborative.

The station expanded its broadcast portfolio in October 2025 with the launch of The Hub 106.1 FM on its HD-2 sub-channel, introducing jazz, alternative, and adult soul formats previously absent from its lineup. Distribution is multi-platform: over-the-air FM, HD-2 digital sub-channel, mobile app streaming, and smart-speaker (Alexa/Google) carriage. A substantive weekday programming restructure is scheduled for July 13, 2026, including the addition of BBC World Service via APM and the discontinuation of certain overnight classical blocks on 90.3 FM.

Revenue is generated through a non-profit public-broadcasting model built on individual member pledges, corporate underwriting sponsorships, and grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and affiliated institutional supporters. The station is governed within the UAB institutional structure, which provides operational housing and a degree of financial stability. Headcount, per the source, sits between 11 and 50 employees. No financial figures — operating revenue, pledge totals, or underwriting volume — are disclosed in the available material, so any revenue estimate must rely on peer-station proxies.

Name

WBHM

Legal name

WBHM

Website

https://wbhm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WBHM is a non-profit, member-supported public radio station based in Birmingham, Alabama, licensed to UAB and affiliated with NPR, APM, PRX, and Classical 24, serving central Alabama listeners with news, talk, classical, and — as of October 2025 — jazz, alternative, and adult soul on its new second signal, The Hub 106.1 FM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE), Digital Radio Broadcasting (DAB/DAB+, HD Radio) (MPAIAEAD)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• Local news reporting
• Classical music programming
• NPR affiliate broadcasting
• Community journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WBHM is a non-profit public radio station that broadcasts news, talk, and cultural programming on 90.3 FM in Birmingham, Alabama, supplemented by the classical music HD-2 channel The Hub on 106.1 FM. Programming includes local journalism, NPR national news, BBC World Service, and collaborative regional reporting through the Gulf States Newsroom, delivered via over-the-air broadcast, internet streaming, mobile app, and email newsletters.

Product overview

WBHM is a public radio station operating as a unified platform offering multiple broadcast and digital services. The core product is WBHM 90.3 FM delivering local news, NPR programming, and BBC World Service content. Secondary offerings include The Hub 106.1 FM (classical music HD-station), live streaming via website and mobile app, Gulf States Newsroom collaborative regional journalism, and email newsletter services. All products share the WBHM brand identity and serve the Birmingham, Alabama metropolitan area and surrounding communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Hub: WBHM's secondary HD radio station launched in October 2025, broadcasting on 106.1 FM and WBHM HD-2. Features expanded classical music programming and additional content distinct from the main WBHM format.

Products and services

• WBHM 90.3 FM Main public radio station broadcasting at 90.3 FM in Birmingham, Alabama, providing local news, NPR programming, BBC World Service, and talk shows including Here & Now and Fresh Air for central Alabama listeners.
• The Hub 106.1 FM WBHM's secondary HD Radio station on 106.1 FM featuring classical music programming from Classical 24, PRX Remix, NPR's Planet Money, Hidden Brain, and Analog Masters, with expanded listening hours for the greater Birmingham area.
• WBHM Live Radio Stream Online streaming service allowing listeners to access WBHM's radio broadcasts in real-time via the station's website.
• Gulf States Newsroom Collaborative regional news initiative covering Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi in partnership with Mississippi Public Broadcasting, WWNO, WRKF, and NPR.
• WBHM News Local news coverage focusing on Birmingham and Alabama, including investigations, local government, and community reporting, with content contributed by BirminghamWatch.
• WBHM App Mobile application for iOS and Android devices enabling listeners to access live streams, programming schedules, and on-demand content.
• WBHM Newsletters Email newsletter services delivering station updates, programming announcements, and curated news content to subscribers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUAB is WBHM's institutional partner, hosting the station's operations and newsletter signup forms. WBHM's address is forms.uab.edu for newsletter subscriptions.
• Alabama Public Television (APT)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState public television network operating as a content partner for WBHM in Alabama's public media ecosystem.
• Gulf States Newsroom CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-station collaboration between Mississippi Public Broadcasting, WBHM (Alabama), WWNO, WRKF (Louisiana), and NPR covering regional news across the Gulf South including Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WNYC: WNYC is New York City's flagship public radio station and one of the largest in the U.S., producing original content distributed nationally. Comparable as an NPR-member public radio brand but operates at significantly greater scale than WBHM.

Direct peers

• WFAE: WFAE is Charlotte's NPR member station, operating a comparable single-market public radio model with local news, classical music on an HD-2 channel, and similar headcount scale. Most directly comparable peer given similar market size, format mix, and NPR-affiliate structure.
• WBUR: WBUR is Boston's NPR member station, affiliated with Boston University, with a comparable mix of local journalism, NPR news/talk carriage, and classical programming. Comparable as a university-anchored public radio operation with regional journalism depth.
• WAMU: WAMU is the Washington DC area NPR member station, operating local news, talk, and classical programming with a similar university-affiliated (American University) non-profit structure. Strong comparable on operational model and content mix.
• KCRW: KCRW is a Los Angeles public radio station known for strong local news, music programming, and a robust digital streaming product. Comparable on multi-platform distribution strategy and member-supported non-profit model.
• WWNO: WWNO is the New Orleans NPR member station and is a direct Gulf States Newsroom partner of WBHM. Operates a similar university-affiliated, single-market public radio model with collaborative regional journalism.
• Mississippi Public Broadcasting: Mississippi Public Broadcasting is the statewide public media organization in Mississippi and a Gulf States Newsroom partner of WBHM. Directly comparable as a public radio/TV operator collaborating on regional journalism.
• WRKF: WRKF is the Baton Rouge public radio station and a Gulf States Newsroom partner of WBHM. Directly comparable as a regional NPR affiliate participating in the same collaborative journalism initiative.

Others

• NPR (National Public Radio): NPR is the national content distributor and network of which WBHM is a member station. Not a direct competitor but a critical content partner and ecosystem incumbent whose programming decisions directly shape WBHM's schedule and audience.

Regional players

• Alabama Public Radio (APR): Alabama Public Radio is a statewide public radio network operated by the University of Alabama. Comparable as an in-state public radio peer but with statewide network reach versus WBHM's Birmingham-focused footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/WBHM903
• Facebookfacebook.com/WBHM90.3
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/WBHM
• Instagraminstagram.com/wbhm903
• Xx.com/WBHM

Compliance1 record

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 WBHM