WOJB

What WOJB does

WOJB is a community-powered, Native American-owned public radio station broadcasting at 88.9 FM from Hayward, Wisconsin, and operated by the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Public Broadcasting Corporation. The station serves northwestern Wisconsin with a programming mix of local news, indigenous and cultural content, and diverse music not typically carried by commercial broadcasters, with emergency broadcast capability that functions as a rural lifeline.

The core technology stack combines a licensed FM transmitter (88.9) with a Spinitron-based web streaming platform and a Wix-hosted e-commerce storefront. In October 2024 the station launched the WOJB Audio Archives, a searchable on-demand streaming service available to free registered members. Supporting products include branded apparel, drinkware, Ojibwe migration-story greeting cards (featuring artist Gordon Coons), eGift cards in $25/$50/$100 denominations, and a vehicle donation program processed through Careasy.

Revenue is generated through a diversified community-fundraising model: individual donations and website memberships (recurring subscriptions), business underwriting (recurring sponsorships with on-air recognition), merchandise sales (unit-priced $10-$150), and vehicle/eGift card streams. The station operates with three full-time staff supplemented by a large volunteer base. Federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding, historically a meaningful contributor, has ended, increasing reliance on listener donations and local business underwriting.

Name

WOJB

Legal name

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Public Broadcasting Corporation

Website

https://wojb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WOJB is a Native American-owned community public radio station at 88.9 FM in Hayward, Wisconsin, serving northwestern Wisconsin with local news, indigenous programming, and diverse music. It is operated by the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Public Broadcasting Corporation using 3 full-time staff, volunteers, donations, underwriting, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

News Talk Radio & Current Affairs Stations (MPABAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE), Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL)

Keywords

• Community public radio
• Indigenous broadcasting
• Radio underwriting sponsorships
• Audio archive streaming
• Branded radio merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Hayward

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time or recurring donations from individual listeners to support station operations and programming
2. Business Underwriting: Business sponsorships where companies support the station in exchange for on-air recognition and website visibility
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel, drinkware, and accessories through the online store
4. Vehicle Donations: Accepts vehicle donations (cars, trucks, boats, ATVs, etc.) as contributions to the station
5. eGift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations of $25, $50, $100 allowing recipients to purchase merchandise
6. Membership/Subscriptions: Website membership subscriptions providing access to archives and Spinitron streaming

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WOJB is a non-profit community public radio station broadcasting on 88.9 FM in northwestern Wisconsin. It delivers local news, indigenous cultural programming, and diverse music to listeners, supported by listener donations, business underwriting, branded merchandise sales, gift cards, and a vehicle donation program. It also operates an on-demand Audio Archives service and an online merchandise store.

Product overview

WOJB 88.9 FM is a native-owned community public radio station operated by the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Public Broadcasting Corporation. The core product is FM radio broadcasting delivering local news, indigenous cultural programming, and diverse music. The station supplements its broadcast operations with an e-commerce merchandise store (selling branded apparel, drinkware, and Ojibwe-themed greeting cards), an on-demand Audio Archives digital service, eGift Cards, vehicle donation processing, and business underwriting sponsorships. These offerings support the station's mission of serving northwestern Wisconsin communities while maintaining editorial independence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WOJB 88.9 FM Radio Broadcasting Community-powered public radio broadcasting at 88.9 FM serving northwestern Wisconsin with local news, cultural programming, indigenous voices, and diverse music. Operated by the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Public Broadcasting Corporation.
• WOJB Audio Archives On-demand streaming service allowing listeners to access and replay past WOJB radio shows. Requires free website membership registration and is searchable by show name, air date, or topic.
• WOJB Apparel and Merchandise Store Online storefront selling branded merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, caps, knit hats, water bottles, tumblers, travel mugs, stadium totes, limited-edition Stormy Kromer caps, and Ojibwe migration story greeting cards. Pricing ranges from $10 for stadium totes to $150 for limited-edition Stormy Kromer.
• Business Underwriting Sponsorship opportunity for businesses, providing recognition through underwriting announcements on air and logo/website placement on the WOJB website. Distinct from commercial advertising with a non-intrusive messaging format.
• Vehicle Donation Program Program accepting vehicle donations including cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, boats, campers, and airplanes. Processed through a third-party platform at wojb.careasy.org.
• WOJB eGift Card Digital gift card available in denominations of $25, $50, $100, or custom amount with no expiration date. Recipients can use the card to purchase station merchandise from the WOJB online store.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of NPR listeners report having a more positive opinion of companies that support public radio
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Public Broadcasting CorporationcoreOthersThe tribal entity that holds the broadcast license for WOJB-FM, providing governance through a Board of Directors and Tribal Governing Board. The station is committed to reflecting credit upon the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Ojibwe Nation.
• SpinitroncoreTechnology or IntegrationMusic streaming and program scheduling platform used by WOJB for live radio streaming and podcast access. Listeners can access WOJB through Spinitron for on-demand listening.
• Lac Courte Oreilles Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe original large acrylic on canvas artwork created by Ojibwe artist Gordon Coons, representing the Ojibwe migration story, is displayed at the Lac Courte Oreilles Public Library located on the LCO College Campus.
• Business UnderwritersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal businesses that support WOJB through underwriting, receiving on-air recognition and website visibility in exchange for their contribution to community radio.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• KCRW 89.9 FM: Major Santa Monica-based community public radio station with eclectic music, news, and cultural programming. Comparable member-supported model and diverse-mission positioning, though at substantially larger scale and broader audience.
• KEXP 90.3 FM: Listener-supported public radio station in Seattle known for diverse music programming and online streaming. Comparable community/music programming philosophy and member-funded model, though significantly larger scale and global streaming reach.
• Pacifica Radio / KPFK: Independent, listener-sponsored public radio network with stations including KPFK (LA) and KPFA (Berkeley). Comparable non-commercial, volunteer-supported community radio model with progressive programming and underwriting-driven funding.

Direct peers

• Native Voice One (NV1): Indigenous public radio network and content distribution service supporting Native American stations nationwide. Directly comparable as an indigenous-focused radio content/distribution entity serving tribal communities.
• WXPN 88.5 FM: University-affiliated listener-supported public radio station in Philadelphia with eclectic music programming. Comparable community-powered, donation-funded model and music-discovery positioning, though operating in an urban market.
• WTIP 90.7 FM: Small community public radio station in Grand Marais, Minnesota, serving a rural Northwoods region with local news, music, and cultural programming. Nearly identical scale, geographic profile, and volunteer/donation-driven model to WOJB.
• KNBA 90.3 FM: Native-owned community public radio station in Anchorage, Alaska, broadcasting indigenous programming and diverse music. Operates under similar non-profit, donation-driven model with cultural-preservation mission directly comparable to WOJB's Ojibwe-focused programming.
• KUYI 88.1 FM (Hopi Radio): Tribally-owned community radio station serving the Hopi Nation in Arizona. One of the closest direct peers to WOJB: native-owned, FCC-licensed, mission-driven preservation of indigenous language/culture, donation-and-underwriting funded, and small-scale rural operations.

Regional players

• Minnesota Public Radio (MPR): Large regional public radio network serving Minnesota and parts of the Upper Midwest. Geographic neighbor to WOJB's coverage area, with similar music/news mix and underwriting-driven business model.
• Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR): Wisconsin's statewide public radio network. Same regulatory framework (CPB-funded), same listener base of Wisconsin residents, overlapping music/news programming, and similar fundraising/donation model — but operating at much larger regional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WOJB88.9
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wojb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 WOJB