88.7FM WRHU

What 88.7FM WRHU does

WRHU 88.7 FM is a non-commercial educational radio station owned and operated by Hofstra University, broadcasting from The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication in Hempstead, New York. Founded in 1960, the station serves as a professional broadcast training facility for over 300 Hofstra University students annually, with a separate news team of 75+ student journalists described as the largest radio news operation on Long Island. Students develop broadcasting, journalism, and multi-platform production skills using industry-standard technology including RCS Zetta and GSelector playout systems, AP ENPS newsroom software, Wheatstone consoles, TELOS audio processing, Comrex remote gear, Barix RTP STL, and iRig/Tascam/Mackie peripherals. The station produces live news, music shows (e.g., the Morning Wake-Up Call), podcasts, and multi-platform sports coverage.

WRHU's commercial footprint is anchored by a flagship role in the NY Islanders Radio Network — a partnership of more than ten years in which student staff produce and distribute live NHL game audio to WRCN FM, WRHU FM, Sirius/XM, NHL.com, and the UBS Arena/NY Islanders app. The station extends similar multiplatform coverage to the Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets NBA G-League affiliate) and Long Island Ducks baseball, and produces FM and social media content for Hofstra Division I athletics in partnership with FloSports. The WABC TV (Channel 7 New York City) Long Island Bureau is co-located inside the WRHU office, and the station maintains affiliations with the National Association of Broadcasters, Society of Broadcast Engineers, Broadcast Educators Association, Press Club of Long Island, and College Media Association.

The business model is non-commercial: WRHU generates no advertising, syndication, or licensing revenue. Operations are funded through Hofstra University's institutional budget, supplemented by tax-deductible donations processed through the university's development office. The station has earned four Marconi Awards from the National Association of Broadcasters — including the first ever Marconi awarded to a non-commercial station — and has been named College Media Association "Radio Station of the Year" three times, most recently in 2024. Leadership consists of General Manager John Mullen and Chief Audio Engineer Andy Gladding.

Name

88.7FM WRHU

Legal name

WRHU Radio - Hofstra University

Website

https://wrhu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Non-commercial educational FM radio station operated by Hofstra University, providing professional broadcast and multi-platform training to over 300 students annually and serving as the flagship outlet for the NY Islanders Radio Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV) (MPABACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Sports Broadcast Stations (Regional Local Rights, High School/College) (MPABACAK), Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG), Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ)

Keywords

• College radio station
• Educational broadcasting
• Student journalism training
• Sports radio broadcast
• FM radio programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Hempstead

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. University Funding: WRHU is funded through Hofstra University as an educational institution, providing professional broadcast training to students.
2. Donations: The station accepts tax-deductible donations from alumni and community supporters through the university's development office.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WRHU 88.7 FM is a non-commercial educational radio station operated by Hofstra University that provides professional broadcast and multi-platform training to over 300 Hofstra students annually. The station produces live news, sports, and music programming across FM radio, web, mobile, and social media, while also serving as the flagship station for the NY Islanders Radio Network producing live NHL game broadcasts.

Product overview

WRHU 88.7 FM is a non-commercial college radio station operated by Hofstra University's Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. The station functions as a professional broadcast training facility for over 300 Hofstra students, offering hands-on experience in FM radio, multimedia content creation, sports broadcasting, and digital/social media. The core product is the over-the-air 88.7 FM station, supported by specialized sub-products including the NY Islanders Radio Network (live NHL game audio distribution), WRHU News (student journalism), WRHU Sports (multi-platform sports coverage), the Morning Wake-Up Call show, and a Podcasts/on-demand platform. The station is recognized with Marconi Awards, CMA Radio Station of the Year honors, and provides multi-platform (mobile/web/broadcast) live game content. The station's broadcast tools include RCS Zetta, GSelector, AP ENPS, Wheatstone, TELOS, Comrex, Barix RTP STL, Tascam, Mackie, and iRig.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WRHU 88.7 FM Radio Station
• NY Islanders Radio Network

Quantifiable outcome

• 25 awards from Press Club of Long Island, 7 awards from NY State Broadcasters Association, 2 GRACIE awards, and Pinnacle award for 'Best College Radio Station'

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New York IslanderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRHU student staff are the epicenter of the NY Islanders Radio Network, producing and distributing live NHL games audio broadcasts for over a decade. Content is distributed to WRCN FM, WRHU FM, Sirius/XM, NHL.com, and UBS Arena/NY Islanders app.
• Long Island NetscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRHU students create multiplatform (mobile/web/broadcast) live game content for the Brooklyn Nets NBA G-League Team, the Long Island Nets.
• Long Island DuckscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRHU students produced and performed on-air roles for live Long Island Ducks baseball broadcasts.
• Hofstra Pride Athletics/FloSportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRHU students created over-the-air (FM) and social media content for Hofstra Division I teams, in partnership with FloSports.
• WABC TV (channel 7 New York City)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe WABC TV (channel 7 New York City) Eyewitness News Long Island Bureau is located in the WRHU main office, representing a productive educational partnership.
• National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)minorOthersWRHU is affiliated with NAB, the national trade association for radio and television broadcasters.
• Broadcast Educators Association (BEA)minorOthersWRHU is affiliated with BEA, an organization for individuals involved in broadcasting and electronic media education.
• Press Club of Long Island (PCLI)minorOthersWRHU is affiliated with PCLI, the regional journalism organization.
• College Media Association (CMA)minorOthersWRHU has been named CMA's 'Radio Station of the Year' three times.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Audacy / CBS Radio New York: Major commercial radio operator (formerly CBS Radio) with stations across the New York metro area. Comparable as a broad incumbent commercial radio operator using similar technology stacks (RCS, Wheatstone) and competing for local audience and sports rights.
• iHeartMedia New York: Largest U.S. commercial radio operator with a major New York market cluster. Comparable as a broad incumbent radio broadcaster that competes for advertising revenue and sports rights in the same geographic market.
• ESPN Radio (New York): National sports radio network with strong New York market presence, including rights to major sports play-by-play. Comparable as a sports broadcasting incumbent that competes for the same flagship rights WRHU holds with the NY Islanders.
• WABC (770 AM / Channel 7 TV): Flagship New York commercial broadcaster (AM talk radio and ABC network TV affiliate) whose Long Island Bureau is co-located at WRHU. Relevant as a broad incumbent commercial media partner and ecosystem participant with shared operational space.

Direct peers

• WHRB (Harvard Radio Broadcasting): Harvard University's student-run radio station, a peer non-commercial college station with a similar training-focused mission, classical and eclectic programming, and student journalism operations.
• WFMU-FM: Freeform, listener-supported non-commercial radio station based in New Jersey. Comparable as a community/non-profit FM broadcaster with long-running programming identity, though not a university training facility.
• WPRB (Princeton University): Princeton University's community-licensed college radio station. Comparable as a non-commercial FM broadcaster with student-led programming, technical operations, and a longstanding institutional identity.
• WNYU-FM (NYU): New York University's college radio station, also operating in the New York metro area. Highly comparable as a non-commercial university radio station focused on student-led broadcasting, news, and sports, with similar training mission and over-the-air FM distribution.
• WVBR-FM (Cornell University): Cornell University's student-run radio station in Ithaca, NY. Similar model of student-operated broadcast training with news, music, and sports programming on an over-the-air FM signal.
• WKCR-FM (Columbia University): Columbia University's college radio station operating in the New York City market. Directly comparable as a non-commercial university FM station delivering student-produced news, music, and specialty programming to a regional audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hofstrau
• YouTubeyoutube.com/hofstrauniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/WRHURADIO
• Instagraminstagram.com/wrhuradio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/88.7fm-wrhu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 88.7FM WRHU