Bob McChesney Archives - 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!

2020 Election Reflections with Bob McChesney and Matt Rothschild

November 5, 2020 by A Public Affair

The votes are still being counted and Americans are abuzz about what this all could mean for the future of our democracy. Today, Allen sits down for a post-election reflection chat with friends of the show Bob McChesney and Matt Rothschild. Bob McChesney is an activist scholar and professor in the department of communication at the […]

Media and Democracy in 2020

October 1, 2020 by A Public Affair

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s debate and with the November election fast approaching, today Allen spends the hour with co-pilot Bert Zipperer and media scholar Bob McChesney to talk about why independent media is vital for democracy. Their conversation covers a variety of topics, from the presidential debate to sports during COVID-19 to news deserts […]

Media Matters: News Coverage in a Reactionary Age

June 20, 2019 by A Public Affair

With newsrooms downsizing and closing around the country, we take a close look at the current news and media landscape with communications professor Bob McChesney. He covers a range of topics including foreign affairs coverage, the election cycle, threats to independent journalism, and corporate versus public interests. Bob McChesney is an activist scholar and professor […]

Pledge Drive Kick-Off: Democracy and the Media

September 20, 2018 by A Public Affair

On today’s episode, we kick off the fall pledge drive with a conversation about the importance of independent media in the current political landscape. Allen is joined in the studio by John Nichols and Bob McChesney to discuss threats to democracy, battling the 24-hour news cycle, and the role of media in culture and politics. […]

The Power of Independent Media

March 8, 2018 by A Public Affair

Host Allen Ruff is joined in the studio by two WORT regulars: Bob McChesney, Professor of Communication at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Matt Rothschild, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. They talk about the importance of community radio and the necessity of supporting independent voices in today’s media landscape.

Bob McChesney on Fake News, Hope, and the Media

January 5, 2018 by A Public Affair

Professor Bob McChesney of Media Matters for America speaks with substitute host Bert Zipperer about hope in the role of media.

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