science fiction Archives

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 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.

PNM Goes to the Movies: Ad Astra

January 15, 2020 by Perpetual Notion Machine

Director/Producer James Gray said he wanted his film Ad Astra to be “the most realistic depiction of space travel that’s been put in a movie”. Several critics would assert that Gray failed in this mission. On this episode of Perpetual Notion Machine, PNM’ers Aryel Clarke, Kevin Lauterjung, and Matt Blackburn discuss the science and science […]

Science of “The Thing”

October 31, 2019 by Perpetual Notion Machine

Tonight, the Perpetual Notion Machine continues a group discussion of science in the movies by focusing on just one movie – the 1982 thriller The Thing starring Kurt Russell. The group includes Kelly Schwartz, Aryel Clarke, Keven Lauterjung, and Matt Blackburn. This is a John Carpenter production based on a 1938 novella by John W. […]

Extinction Rebellion and Science Fiction for the Future

April 15, 2019 by A Public Affair

On Monday, April 15, activists in cities all around the world staged demonstrations to draw attention to the urgency of climate catastrophe. For the first part of the program, Patty catches up with two local activists, Justin Novotny and Tim Walton, to discuss their involvement with the Extinction Rebellion movement here in Madison. Then, Patty […]

Kicking Off WisCon, the Annual SciFi & Fantasy Conference

May 25, 2018 by 8 O'Clock Buzz

WisCon is a feminist science fiction and fantasy convention with a feminist/social justice focus that’s held each year over Memorial Day Weekend in Madison. This year’s forty-second annual WisCon starts Friday, May 25th and lasts through Monday, May 28th. Joining Friday Buzz host Jonathan Zarov in the studio to tell us all about this sci […]

Reflecting on Ursula Le Guin’s Legacy

January 26, 2018 by 8 O'Clock Buzz

Ursula K. Le Guin wrote spectacularly fantastic stories that transformed the world of speculative fiction, and her tales challenged traditional notions of gender along the way. She passed away this week at the age of 88. Friday Buzz host Jonathan Zarov speaks with Alexis Lothian, Assistant Professor of Women’s Studies at the University of Maryland, College […]

From writing skills to post-apocalyptic skills with WisCon

May 4, 2017 by Tone Madison

Since 1977, Madison has hosted an annual spring event called WisCon, a convention that aims to highlight the role of women and other marginalized groups in science fiction. It proudly calls itself the world’s first feminist science-fiction convention. The 41st annual WisCon takes place May 26–29 at the Madison Concourse Hotel. Ahead of the event, […]

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Contact Information

How do I get my music played on WORT?

WORT Music Playlists

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