Jonah Chester, Author at WORT 89.9 FM

WORT Music Playlists

What was that song I heard? Who was the artist, what is the album title, where can I get it? Where can I find the entire playlist for a show?

Click on the Playlists button to bring up a calendar where you can choose any date to find the playlists for that day. If you can’t find the right playlist or the song you’re looking for, your best bet is to call the station the next time that program’s on and ask the host yourself. If that’s not possible we may be able to help you, but please have as much information as possible at hand when you contact us, such as: approximate day and time the music was played, what type or genre of music it was, who hosted the show and any other information you remember about the selection and we’ll do our best to track it down.

Once you figure it out, there’s a “Buy It!” link next to each track in online playlists that leads you to a place where you can buy songs and albums, and by doing it that way a small portion of each purchase goes to support WORT.

Contact Information

Music Director: Sybil Augustine – musicdirector@wortfm.org (for music submissions, charts and tracking, promotional exchanges for music events and following up on volunteer applications or other requests. Please include specifics in your subject line, such as “Hiphop Music Submission” etc, )

Music Assistant: Aaron Scholz – musicass@wortfm.org (for record donations and sales, promos recording volunteers, etc.)

Music Calendars: Submit your events online here or send by email to calendar@wortfm.org

How do I get my music played on WORT?

We accept submissions in most genres and styles of music, focusing on noncommercial, out-of-the-mainstream, independent releases (check out our playlists and music charts for more information.) It may take up to a few weeks for us to review and process your submission so we appreciate your patience, and feel free to contact us to follow up. Please send your music, indicating any tracks with language that needs to be aired after 10 pm and including a one-sheet description and any biographical and tour information, to WORT Music Director, 118 S. Bedford St, Madison, WI 53703 and/or to musicdirector@wortfm.org.

We do accept digital files on .wav or mp3, but currently we still prefer CDs to digital submissions because it’s the quickest way to get it into the hands of our programmers and onto the airwaves, though we have a growing digital library. Digital submissions should be .wav or other lossless files, or high quality mp3s [128-320 kbps.]

You can follow up or “track” your submissions by email, or call 608-256-2001 on Wednesdays between 1-4 pm CST to ask if we received it, has it been reviewed, has it been added to our library, and what kind of airplay it’s getting—e.g. light, medium, heavy or charting. Thanks and we look forward to hearing your music!

Transgender Day of Remembrance memorializes those lost to anti-trans v...

November 22, 2021 by Jonah Chester

About one hundred people gathered on the steps of the state capitol this past Saturday to honor those lost to anti-trans violence. The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a national event that has occurred every November since 1999. The yearly observance began as a vigil for Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in […]

Transparency Talk: School boards and closed meetings

November 11, 2021 by Jonah Chester and WORT News Department

Every other Thursday, WORT contributor Jonah Chester sits down with Tom Kamenick, President of the Wisconsin Transparency Project, to discuss open records and open government for a segment we call Transparency Talk. This week, Kamenick and Chester discuss when, how and why school boards can go into closed meetings. A quick note that this conversation […]

Protesters push for federal immigration reform

November 4, 2021 by Jonah Chester and WORT News Department

This afternoon, demonstrators gathered outside the office of Senator Tammy Baldwin to demand action on immigration reform. Numbering a few dozen, they blocked off traffic in a corner of the capitol square for more than an hour. They came from across the state, as part of a national demonstration dubbed “11 Cities for 11 Million.” […]

Divers extract 1,200-year-old canoe from Lake Mendota

November 4, 2021 by Jonah Chester and WORT News Department

On Tuesday, a team of divers brought up a 1,200-year-old canoe from the depths of Lake Mendota. The canoe, which belonged to ancestors of the Ho-Chunk nation, has been released into the care of the Wisconsin Historical Society for preservation. Eventually, according to the Wisconsin State Journal, the craft will go on display in a […]

CDC, state health officials approve vaccinations for young kids

November 3, 2021 by Jonah Chester and WORT News Department

Yesterday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally endorsed the Pfizer vaccine for kids between the ages of 5 and 11. And, earlier this afternoon, the state’s Department of Health Services formally gave its backing to vaccinations for children. Now, vaccine distributors across the state are gearing up to begin vaccinating young kids. […]

City council approves new aldermanic map

November 3, 2021 by Jonah Chester and WORT News Department

Yesterday, Madison’s common council approved new aldermanic districts and wards for the next decade. The new maps will take effect on New Year’s Day, 2022, but city alders will continue to represent the same district as they are now until spring 2023. That’s when the next round of city council elections will take place. So […]

Now Playing

WORT Music Playlists

Contact Information

How do I get my music played on WORT?

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