Huntley Community Radio NFP

What Huntley Community Radio NFP does

Huntley Community Radio, Ltd. NFP operates 101.5 FM (call letters WHRU-LP), a low-power community radio station licensed by the FCC and broadcasting from the Huntley water tower in Huntley, Illinois. The station is organized as a 501(c)(3) Illinois not-for-profit corporation, launched as an internet radio service in late summer 2012 and expanded to FM broadcasting on October 14, 2014. It is staffed entirely by volunteers under professional guidance and broadcasts 24/7, simulcasting online via Live365, Tune-In App, RadioMax mobile app, and Facebook. Programming centers on classic rock music from the 1960s through 1990s, weekday news and weather updates, and weekend long-form interview programs spotlighting local non-profits, community organizations, and civic topics. Named shows include 'Windy City Wednesday,' 'Saturday Night Live @ The 70's,' 'Around Town,' 'Illinois In Focus,' 'The Grace Filled Life,' and 'Beyond The Bases' (produced in partnership with Huntley Little League).

The station's technology footprint is intentionally simple and conventional: an FCC-licensed LPFM transmitter broadcasting at 100 watts from 100 feet above ground level, covering approximately 5 radial miles and reaching all of Huntley plus portions of Lake In The Hills, Gilberts, Lakewood, Algonquin, and Hampshire. Audio is produced at Deicke Park studios and transported via the Internet to the water tower transmitter. Distribution extends to web streaming, two mobile applications, and social media. There is no proprietary software, no AI/ML component, no API product surface, and no subsidiary structure.

Huntley Community Radio is funded entirely through donations and corporate sponsorships — it has no commercial product revenue and offers its broadcast free to listeners. Revenue streams include tax-deductible individual donations via PayPal and QR codes, grants (notably $5,000 in 2018 and $19,000 in 2020 from The Community Foundation for McHenry County), and a tiered corporate sponsorship program (Double Platinum $10,000+, Platinum $5,000+, Business Benefactor $2,500, Gold $1,000+) covering both cash and in-kind contributions from local government, civic associations, and small businesses. The organization has no parent company, no institutional investors, and is governed by a volunteer board of directors.

Name

Huntley Community Radio NFP

Legal name

Huntley Community Radio, Ltd. NFP

Website

https://huntleyradio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Huntley Community Radio NFP operates 101.5 FM WHRU-LP, a volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) low-power community radio station serving Huntley, Illinois and surrounding communities with classic rock, local news, weather, and community programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio) (MPABADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Low-power FM radio
• Local news programming
• Classic rock format
• Nonprofit radio station

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Listener donations through PayPal and QR code scanning. As a 501(c)(3) Illinois not-for-profit, donations are tax-deductible.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors at multiple levels: Double Platinum ($10,000+), Platinum ($5,000+), Business Benefactor ($2,500), and Gold ($1,000+). Includes both cash and in-kind contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Huntley Community Radio NFP operates 101.5 FM (WHRU-LP), a low-power community radio station broadcasting classic rock music from the 1960s-1990s, local news, weather, and community programming 24/7 to the Huntley, Illinois area. The all-volunteer station simulcasts online via Live365 and mobile apps, and offers named programs such as Windy City Wednesday, Saturday Night Live @ The 70's, Illinois In Focus, The Grace Filled Life, Around Town, and Beyond The Bases.

Product overview

Huntley Community Radio NFP operates 101.5 FM Huntley Community Radio (WHRU-LP), a community-oriented, volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit radio station serving the Huntley, Illinois area. The station's core offering is its FM broadcast at 101.5 FM, which simulcasts online 24/7. The product portfolio includes the main radio station platform plus several named programs: 'Windy City Wednesday' (Jeff James's Chicago music show), 'Saturday Night Live @ The 70's' (70s music show), 'Illinois In Focus' (news commentary), 'The Grace Filled Life' (spiritual program), 'Around Town' (community interview show), and 'Beyond The Bases' (Huntley Little League podcast). The station provides multiple listening methods including FM radio, online streaming, RadioMax mobile app, and Tune-In App.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 101.5 FM Huntley Community Radio (WHRU-LP) Low-power FM community radio station broadcasting 24/7 at 101.5 FM (100 watts) from the Huntley water tower, covering approximately 5 radial miles. Provides classic rock music from the 1960s-1990s, local news, weather updates, community alerts, and spotlights on local organizations. Simulcasts online via Live365 and mobile apps for the Huntley, IL listening area.
• Windy City Wednesday Music show hosted by Jeff James featuring Chicago-born artists and groups from the late 1940s through the start of the 1980s. Covers JAZZ, POP, ROCK, R&B, SOUL, and BLUES genres. Airs Wednesdays from 4p-7p with on-demand archives available for the local community audience.
• Saturday Night Live @ The 70's
• Illinois In Focus
• The Grace Filled Life
• Around Town
• Beyond The Bases

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Huntley Little LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 'Beyond The Bases' show - a podcast series featuring Huntley Little League rising stars, coaches, volunteers, and families. Season 3 airing Fridays at 7:05a, 12:05p, and 4:05p.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• WNUR-FM (Northwestern University Radio): Listener-supported nonprofit college/community radio station broadcasting from Northwestern University in the Chicago metropolitan area. Comparable as a non-commercial, volunteer-driven community radio operation in the broader Illinois/Chicago media market, though operating on a different license class.

Direct peers

• KBOO Portland: Volunteer-powered, listener-supported nonprofit community radio station in Portland, Oregon offering diverse music, news, and public affairs programming. Directly comparable as a volunteer-driven non-commercial radio station relying on donations and community engagement.
• KEXP-FM Seattle: Listener-supported, nonprofit community radio station based in Seattle with strong online streaming presence. Directly comparable as a community-focused non-commercial station combining music programming with broad digital distribution via website and mobile apps.
• KCRW Los Angeles: Santa Monica College-licensed nonprofit public radio station known for eclectic music and community programming, with a strong online streaming and podcast presence. Comparable as a non-commercial, community-oriented radio operation that has scaled audience well beyond its terrestrial signal.
• WFMU Jersey City: Independent, listener-supported freeform community radio station operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Closely comparable as a volunteer-supported, donation-funded non-commercial radio outlet with a music-and-local-content focus and online streaming distribution.

Broad incumbents

• WBEZ Chicago (Chicago Public Media): Major Chicago-area public radio station and NPR affiliate operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Comparable to Huntley Community Radio as a community-oriented, donation-funded non-commercial radio station in the broader Illinois media market, though at much larger scale with professional staff.

Others

• TuneIn: Audio streaming aggregator distributing thousands of radio stations globally, including Huntley Community Radio. Comparable as a distribution channel that extends the station's reach beyond its terrestrial footprint.
• Live365: Internet radio streaming platform that powers Huntley Community Radio's online simulcast via its embedded player. Relevant as the underlying infrastructure provider enabling the station's digital distribution channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/1015FMHuntleyCommunityRadio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/huntley-community-radio-nfp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Huntley Community Radio NFP