WUSB 90.1 FM

What WUSB 90.1 FM does

WUSB 90.1 FM is a non-commercial college radio station owned and operated by Stony Brook University, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, and operated under the brand "Radio Free: Long Island." Founded in 1998, the station broadcasts on 90.1 FM (primary) and 107.3 FM (secondary) frequencies, serving the Long Island, New York market, with global reach via online streaming. Its programming consists of diverse specialty music shows (underground hip hop, reggae, jazz, rock, 1960s–1970s, eclectic), interview programs, local event coverage, and a sports broadcasting department. Signature content includes the long-running Street FM underground hip hop program (27 years on air) and the annual Summer Reggae Marathon.

The station's technology stack is built on standard FM radio broadcast infrastructure supplemented by internet streaming endpoints (high and low quality bitrate streams at stream.wusb.stonybrook.edu) and TuneIn app integration for mobile and connected-device listeners. The station maintains a web presence at wusb.fm with program schedules, playlists, and event announcements, alongside a Twitter handle (@wusbradio) for listener engagement. There are no proprietary software products, AI features, patents, or developer APIs associated with the station.

WUSB's revenue model is non-commercial, drawing on three streams: underwriting/sponsorship from businesses and organizations (acknowledged on-air in lieu of paid advertising), periodic pledge drives soliciting listener donations, and institutional funding from Stony Brook University. There is no subscription pricing for listeners, no commercial advertising sales, and no disclosed revenue figures. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on listener loyalty, university affiliation, DJ-driven content curation, and grassroots engagement rather than traditional sales-driven expansion.

Name

WUSB 90.1 FM

Legal name

WUSB 90.1 FM

Website

https://wusb.fm

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WUSB 90.1 FM is a non-commercial college radio station at Stony Brook University broadcasting on 90.1 FM and 107.3 FM to Long Island listeners, offering diverse music, talk, and sports programming funded by underwriting, pledges, and university support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• College radio station
• Community radio broadcasting
• Music programming services
• Underground hip hop radio
• Online radio streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Stony Brook

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

Revenue model

1. Underwriting/Sponsorships: Station accepts underwriting from businesses and organizations, providing on-air acknowledgment in exchange for financial support.
2. Listener Donations/Pledges: Periodic pledge drives soliciting financial contributions from listeners to support station operations.
3. University Funding: Institutional funding from Stony Brook University supporting the station's operations as a campus media outlet.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WUSB 90.1 FM is a non-commercial college radio station that broadcasts over the air on 90.1 FM and 107.3 FM and streams online, offering diverse music programming (underground hip hop, reggae, jazz, rock, specialty shows) along with interviews, sports coverage, and community events for Long Island listeners and Stony Brook University students.

Product overview

WUSB 90.1 FM is a college radio station based in Stony Brook, NY operated by Stony Brook University. The station offers a combination of traditional over-the-air AM/FM radio broadcasting on 90.1 FM frequency and online audio streaming services in high and low quality formats. The station's programming consists of diverse music shows and programs including Street FM (underground hip hop), Trim Mix Party (hip hop/reggae), Salvage & Recovery Radio (eclectic), The Trouble With Edison, DJ Joi: 60s 70s And, Café Ali (interview show), along with annual events like the Summer Reggae Marathon. The station also provides sports coverage through its dedicated Sports Department and offers underwriting/sponsorship opportunities for businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• WKCR 89.9 FM: WKCR is Columbia University's college radio station in New York City, broadcasting diverse music and community programming; it shares the college-radio institutional model, non-commercial funding structure, and specialty programming ethos with WUSB.
• WHRB 95.3 FM: WHRB is Harvard Radio Broadcasting, a college station with classical, jazz, and underground programming; directly comparable as a university-operated FM station with specialty music shows and non-commercial structure.
• WNYU 89.1 FM: WNYU is NYU's college radio station operating on an FM frequency with diverse alternative and underground programming; comparable as another university-affiliated NYC-area college radio station with similar underwriting/pledge funding dynamics.
• WPRB 103.3 FM: WPRB is Princeton University's community radio station with diverse specialty programming and listener-supported funding; same college-radio institutional model and eclectic-format ethos as WUSB.
• WRVU 91.1 FM: WRVU is Vanderbilt University's college radio station operating on an FM frequency with diverse music programming and community engagement; matches WUSB's college radio / institutional ownership / specialty show model.
• WBAI 99.5 FM: WBAI is a New York-area listener-supported community radio station with eclectic and progressive programming; comparable non-commercial, donation-funded format and NYC-area audience overlap with WUSB.
• WXPN 88.5 FM: WXPN is the University of Pennsylvania's public radio station with eclectic adult album alternative programming and a member-supported funding model; shares the university-affiliated, non-commercial, diverse-format positioning with WUSB.
• WFMU: WFMU is a freeform, listener-supported community radio station in Jersey City, NJ, with overlapping format diversity (underground, eclectic music programming) and the same non-commercial, donation-and-underwriting revenue model as WUSB.
• KEXP 90.3 FM: KEXP is a listener-supported non-commercial radio station known for championing independent and underground music; directly comparable programming philosophy and listener-supported funding model, with stronger national streaming reach.

Broad incumbents

• KCRW 89.9 FM: KCRW is an established Santa Monica College-licensed public radio station with much larger scale, global streaming reach, and a sophisticated underwriting program; comparable non-commercial college-affiliated format with broader audience scale than WUSB.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wusbradio
• Facebookfacebook.com/wusbfm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wusb-90.1-fm-stony-brook

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 WUSB 90.1 FM