Current Volunteer Opportunities

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!

WORT 89.9 FM VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES – Updated March 2021

WORT is currently closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, although we are developing a phased plan for reopening.

The following are immediate opportunities during the pandemic. We will have plenty more opportunities for receptionists, sound board engineers, and more when we return to in-person operations.

OFF-AIR OPPORTUNITIES (remote during COVID-19):

WORT LOCAL NEWS–Local/State News, Monday through Thursday

Reporters: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday—11-6pm. See position description.
Feature Producers: Produce weekly 5-minute audio segments on a regular topic. See position description.

WEB CONTENT EDITOR—

Her Turn: News and features by and about women. Edit interviews and post them on the WORT website. Flexible schedule, any time after 11:30 on Sundays.
Queery: An LGBTQ-centered show. Edit show and post them on the WORT website. Flexible schedule, any time after 8pm on Wednesdays.
Thursday Eight O’Clock Buzz: A morning mix of news and entertainment (and sarcasm). Edit interviews & post them on the WORT website. Flexible schedule, any time after 9am on Thursdays.

SCRIPTWRITER—

Write our community calendar of events and local information for our daily interstitial, the Insurgent Radio Kiosk. See the full volunteer posting here.

ON-AIR OPPORTUNITIES (remote during COVID-19):

HER TURN, Sundays 11-11:30am
News and features by and about women from a feminist perspective. Application for new collective members are currently being accepted. Semester internship or commitment of one year is required.

WORLD VIEW, Sundays 5-6pm
(Critical, anti-imperialist coverage of world news and in-depth interviews.)
Volunteers are needed for news reading and writing for two Sundays per month, 3-6pm. Additional time is needed for writing. Email: chali@wortfm.org.

EN NUESTRO PATIO, Tuesdays 7-8pm
Locally produced Spanish language news, Tuesday 7-8pm. Collective members, especially women are needed for news writing, reporting, producing, and engineering. Email: chali@wortfm.org

QUEERY, Wednesdays 7-7:30pm
Madison’s longest running L/G/B/T/Q/A radio program needs additional members to continue! Volunteers are needed for news writing and reporting, audio digital editing, coordinating and booking guests, on-air hosting, and sound board operating. Email: chali@wortfm.org

PERPETUAL NOTION MACHINE (Science show) Thursdays 7-7:30pm Collective members needed for on-air hosting and to engineer, interview guests, compile science news and produce
features. Email: chali@wortfm.org

LABOR RADIO, Fridays 5:30-6pm
News by, for, and about working people. Production meetings, Tuesday, 7am at Lazy Jane’s Café, 1358 Williamson St. Help out as a reporter, on-air reader or production. Email: chali@wortfm.org.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT BLOGGING
Write about past and upcoming area concerts and shows, review new releases, highlight program specials and work with other music-related stories for publication on our web sites at wortfm.org and social media. Research information, links, photos, videos, etc. to add multimedia content. Bring us your own ideas, or receive assignments from staff and volunteers. (1-2 hours/week, flexible, work from home or at the station.)

MUSIC CALENDAR EDITORS
Typing, using internet & Updating web calendar/page. 1-3 hours/week, may be done at the station, at home or elsewhere.

IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES (suspended during pandemic)

SOUND BOARD OPERATORS
(Training provided—A one-year commitment is required for weekly positions!)
Train as a substitute: Weekdays, 8-9am, Noon-2pm; Monday thru Thursday 5-7pm, 7-8pm

MUSIC DEPARTMENT ASSISTANTS
Weekday, daytime tasks working with local music promoters & record labels. Tasks include: music library and digital downloads.

“LIVE & LOCAL”
Record local artists and performances and help host the show 2nd Fridays of each month, 11PM-Midnight

THE PROMOS, Tuesdays 7-10pm
Get on-air and production experience with a multi-disciplinary team incorporating musical knowledge and skills in research, script writing, music selection, voice-over, engineering and audio editing with computer software. (Women needed for voice-over of announcements) Email: wortpromos@wortfm.org

AUDIO ARCHIVE MAINTENANCE
Volunteers with strong computer & data entry skills (experience with Windows XP required/Mac & Linux a plus) Familiarity with recording software preferred. Trim and edit digital recordings and transfer between different computers and media. Work with programmers to maintain updated descriptions in archive database. 1-2 times/week

COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION
Engineering; Events; Community Advisory Board

COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD
The CAB is comprised of community members interested in the diverse needs and interests of WORT’s listening audience. The CAB advises WORT’s Board of Directors as to how the station’s programming and policies address community needs. The CAB meets once a month except for June, July and August.

PLEDGE TAKERS –
Be part of the fun that keeps the station running. 2-3 hour shifts taking pledges by phone. To volunteer, contact Glenn Mitroff by email: volunteer@wortfm.org or call: 608-256-2001

Now Playing

WORT Music Playlists

Contact Information

How do I get my music played on WORT?

MAPS: Ward by ward, here’s how people voted for contested Madison alder races

Wisconsin Senate passes election legislation

A podcast by teachers, for teachers

The Case for Canceling Student Loan Debt

Ya Gotta Keep the Raccoons Happy!

Scott Lehmann on Fitchburg City Council Race

Undecided? Learn about the Candidates for Governor on Aug 8

Dane County DA Defends Record, Elected Seat

Current Volunteer Opportunities

WORT 89.9 FM VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES – Updated March 2021

OFF-AIR OPPORTUNITIES (remote during COVID-19):

ON-AIR OPPORTUNITIES (remote during COVID-19):

IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES (suspended during pandemic)