Chicago Public Media

Chicago Public Media is Chicago's NPR news station, WBEZ, and Vocalo. WBEZ was established as an extension service of the Chicago Board of Education in 1943. For most of those early years we broadcast educational instruction, operating during the school year on weekdays while Chicago Public Schools were in session. In 1970, we became one of the first charter member stations of National Public Radio. In 2007 we added Vocalo, our sister station celebrating Chicago urban alternative music. We adopted the name Chicago Public Media in 2010. Throughout our history we have had a legacy of innovation as the birthplace of the most iconic shows in public media, such as This American Life, Serial and Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me. And today, we are more dynamic and forward-looking than ever before.