WAER Public Media

Public Radio Broadcastingwaer.org

WAER Public Media is a non-profit NPR member radio station (88.3 FM) operated by Syracuse University's Newhouse School, serving Central New York with local news, Syracuse University sports coverage, jazz programming on HD2, and on-demand podcasts funded through listener donations, corporate sponsorships, and CPB grants.

Company typePrivate
Founded-
HeadquartersSyracuse, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What WAER Public Media does

WAER Public Media is a non-commercial public radio station operating on 88.3 FM from Syracuse, New York, and broadcasting since 1947. The station is operated by Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Media, which functions as both a parent institution and an embedded journalism training ground, providing student-produced content and operational support. WAER is an NPR member station, carrying syndicated national programming such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered alongside locally produced news, public affairs, and Syracuse University sports coverage. The station also operates an HD2 digital subchannel branded Jazz 88 dedicated to jazz music, alongside a portfolio of on-demand podcasts including The Ostrom Avenue Podcast (Syracuse athletics), Deeper Shade of Green (environmental coverage hosted by Dr. Chris Bolt), and Newhouse Impact (Syracuse University research). Distribution spans FM/HD broadcast, waer.org live streaming, podcast platforms, YouTube video content, and a community events calendar.

The underlying technology stack is conventional broadcast infrastructure: an FCC-licensed 88.3 MHz FM transmitter, an HD2 digital subchannel, and standard web-based audio streaming. WAER does not maintain a public API, native mobile application, or AI-enabled features. The station maintains a multi-platform social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter/X for sports) and an email newsletter signup funnel, with an FCC public inspection file maintained for regulatory compliance.

WAER's revenue model is donation-based and non-commercial. Funding sources include voluntary listener contributions processed through Syracuse University's secure.syr.edu donation portal, corporate underwriting and business sponsorship tiers, a car donation program operated through waer.careasy.org, media partnerships for event coverage and content collaboration, and federal support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The customer base is a long-tail of Central New York listeners, with no named enterprise anchor accounts. WAER serves multiple audience segments including a primary Central New York general audience, Syracuse University sports fans, NPR news consumers, and jazz music enthusiasts on the HD2 subchannel. Headcount is approximately 20 employees, with no publicly disclosed financial figures.

WAER Public Media firmographics

Firmographics

Name: WAER Public Media
Legal name: WAER Public Media
Website: https://waer.org
Company type: Private
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: WAER Public Media is a non-profit NPR member radio station (88.3 FM) operated by Syracuse University's Newhouse School, serving Central New York with local news, Syracuse University sports coverage, jazz programming on HD2, and on-demand podcasts funded through listener donations, corporate sponsorships, and CPB grants.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

WAER Public Media industry classification

Industry

Product category: Public Radio Broadcasting
NAICS: Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)
SIC: Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
akta.pro primary industry: Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB)
akta.pro secondary industries: National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB), University/College-licensed Public Broadcasting (TV & Radio) (MPABADAD)

Keywords

Public radio broadcasting
Local news coverage
Jazz music programming
NPR affiliate station
Community journalism

Where WAER Public Media is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

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

Offices1 record

Markets served

WAER Public Media business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Listener Donations: Public media funding through listener contributions and donations via the station's donation portal (secure.syr.edu)
Corporate Sponsorships: Business sponsorship programs where local and regional businesses sponsor station programming and content
Car Donation Program: Vehicle donation program facilitated through partner organization (waer.careasy.org)
Media Partnerships: Partnership arrangements for event coverage and content collaboration

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

WAER Public Media product offering

Product offering

Core offering

WAER Public Media is a non-commercial FM public radio station broadcasting at 88.3 MHz from Syracuse, New York, delivering local news, Syracuse University sports coverage, NPR syndicated programming, and jazz music via its HD2 subchannel. It distributes this content through over-the-air FM/HD radio, live online streaming, and a portfolio of podcasts, serving as a community information and public journalism resource for Central New York.

Product overview

WAER Public Media is a public radio station (88.3 FM) operated by Syracuse University, offering a unified broadcast product centered on its FM radio channel supplemented by digital content. The portfolio includes the main FM broadcast (88.3), the HD2 Jazz 88 digital subchannel, live online streaming, and several named podcasts including The Ostrom Avenue Podcast (sports), Deeper Shade of Green (environment), and Newhouse Impact (academic/research). The station also carries syndicated NPR programming such as All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and NPR News segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

WAER Main Channel (88.3 FM) WAER's primary FM radio broadcast channel at 88.3 FM, featuring local news, Syracuse University sports coverage, and syndicated NPR programming such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered. It serves Syracuse and Central New York listeners.
WAER HD2 Jazz 88 HD2 digital subchannel featuring jazz music programming, broadcast alongside the main 88.3 FM channel and available via the waer.org live stream.
Live Radio Streaming Real-time online audio streaming of both WAER Main Channel and WAER HD2 Jazz 88 via the waer.org website, allowing global access from any internet-connected device.
The Ostrom Avenue Podcast Sports-focused podcast covering Syracuse University athletics and local sports news, including football, basketball, and other Orange sports teams.
Deeper Shade of Green Environmental podcast hosted by Dr. Chris Bolt covering environmental topics and sustainability issues in Central New York.
Newhouse Impact Podcast showcasing research and creative activity of faculty and students at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Media.

Companies that use WAER Public Media

Customer profile

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

WAER Public 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

WAER Public Media partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWAER operates as an NPR member station, carrying NPR national and international news programming including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. The partnership provides WAER listeners access to NPR's award-winning journalism and national coverage.
Syracuse University Newhouse SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWAER is affiliated with Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Media. The station serves as a training ground for journalism and broadcasting students. The Newhouse Impact podcast showcases research and creative activity from the Newhouse School faculty and students.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

WAER Public Media competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

WAMU 88.5 (American University): American University-licensed NPR member station in Washington DC. Directly comparable to WAER in academic affiliation model, NPR membership, and blend of local and national programming.
WBUR (Boston University): Boston University-licensed NPR member station serving Greater Boston. Most comparable to WAER as a university-affiliated NPR station with a similar mix of local news, national NPR programming, and digital expansion.
WXXI (Rochester, NY): Rochester-based public radio station serving a similar-sized upstate New York market. Comparable as a New York regional NPR member with overlapping audience and advertiser base.
WRVO Public Media (SUNY Oswego): SUNY Oswego-licensed NPR member station serving Oswego/Syracuse corridor. Highly comparable as a fellow SUNY-based public radio station operating in the broader Central New York footprint with similar funding dynamics.
Michigan Public / WUOM (University of Michigan): University of Michigan-licensed NPR member station and Big Ten university peer. Comparable as another flagship public university station with similar sports (university athletics) and local-news positioning.
WBFO 88.7 (University at Buffalo): University at Buffalo-licensed NPR member station in Western New York. Closest geographic and structural peer to WAER as another SUNY-affiliated public radio station serving a New York regional market.
WAMC (Northeast Public Radio): Regional public radio network serving parts of New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont. Comparable as a neighboring NPR-affiliated public radio operator with overlapping upstate NY coverage area.
KCRW (Santa Monica College): Santa Monica College-licensed public radio station known for music programming and digital innovation. Comparable as a community college-affiliated public radio station with a strong music and digital content portfolio.

Broad incumbents

NPR (National Public Radio): National network that WAER is a member of and whose programming WAER broadcasts. Acts as the upstream content supplier and brand umbrella rather than a direct competitor.
iHeartMedia: Largest commercial radio operator in the US, holding multiple Syracuse-market stations. Competes with WAER for local advertising dollars and listener attention, though operating on a fundamentally different commercial model.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

WAER Public Media financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

WAER Public Media leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

WAER Public Media funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

WAER Public Media M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about WAER Public Media

What does WAER Public Media do?

Is WAER Public Media a public or private company?

WAER Public Media is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was WAER Public Media founded?

WAER Public Media was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is WAER Public Media based?

WAER Public Media is headquartered in Syracuse, United States, in the North America region.

How does WAER Public Media make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Listener Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, car Donation Program and media Partnerships.

Who are WAER Public Media's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are WAMU 88.5 (American University), WBUR (Boston University), WXXI (Rochester, NY), WRVO Public Media (SUNY Oswego), Michigan Public / WUOM (University of Michigan), WBFO 88.7 (University at Buffalo), WAMC (Northeast Public Radio) and KCRW (Santa Monica College). Broad incumbents are NPR (National Public Radio) and iHeartMedia.

Does WAER Public Media have an API?

No public API is recorded for WAER Public Media.

What industry is WAER Public Media in?

WAER Public Media's product category is Public Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAEAB, Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus), with a secondary code of MPABADAB, National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style). Its NAICS code is 51611 and its SIC code is 4832.