WBUR

WBUR-FM (90.9 FM) is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Boston University. It is the largest of three NPR member stations in Boston, along with WGBH and WUMB-FM and produces several nationally distributed programs, including ''On Point'', '' Here and Now'' and '' Open Source.'' WBUR previously produced '' Car Talk'', '' Only a Game'', and '' The Connection'' (which was cancelled on August 5, 2005). ''RadioBoston'', launched in 2007, is its only purely local show. WBUR's positioning statement is "Boston's NPR News Station".

WBUR also carries its programming on two other stations serving Cape Cod and the Islands: WBUH (89.1 FM) in Brewster, and WBUA (92.7 FM) in Tisbury. The latter station, located on Martha's Vineyard, uses the frequency formerly occupied by WMVY."WBUR Buys Martha’s Vineyard Station 92.7-FM"
WBUR website In 1998, the station helped launch WRNI in Providence, Rhode Island—the first NPR station within that state's borders. It has since sold the station to a local group.

According to Ken Mills, a Minneapolis broadcast consultant and Nielsen data, the number of listeners of WBUR has grown since 2012, increasing from 409,000 to 534,400. In 2017, WBUR was named the sixth-most popular NPR news station in the United States.

Programming

WBUR programs ''On Point'' and ''Here and Now'' are carried nationwide in the US on hundreds of public radio stations and on XM Radio's public radio station, XM Public Radio. In total, WBUR produces more than 25 hours of news and programming each week.

''On Point'' is a one-hour discussion show formerly hosted by Tom Ashbrook, currently hosted by Meghna Chakrabarti, broadcast weekdays. It began as 'special programming' in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, originally airing from 7 to 9 p.m. It took over the time slot of the similar ''The Connection'' when that show was cancelled in 2005.

'' Here and Now'' is a news and culture digest show hosted by Scott Tong, Robin Young, and Deepa Fernandes normally consisting of several interview segments with reporters, authors, artists and statesmen. It began as a regional and local show but soon expanded to cover national and international issues. The show is syndicated nationally by more than 400 other NPR member stations.

'' Open Source'' is a weekly show hosted by Christopher Lydon, former New York Times journalist and original host of '' The Connection''. The show focuses on the arts, literature, and foreign affairs.

In 2007, WBUR launched '' Radio Boston'', a weekly radio show featuring longtime Boston journalist David Boeri. The show was later hosted by Jane Clayson Johnson as a one-hour discussion and interview, though Boeri still introduced each show with a report from the field. In 2010, Radio Boston expanded to broadcast Monday through Friday. In the fall of 2010, new host Meghna Chakrabarti went on maternity leave and was temporarily replaced by WBUR reporter Sacha Pfeiffer. Chakrabarti returned to co-host the show with Anthony Brooks until she was elevated to host O''n Point''. In June 2019, the station announced that Tiziana Dearing, a longtime commentator and contributor at the station, would be the permanent host of the program.

''Only A Game'' was a weekly sports program broadcast twice on Saturdays. The show was hosted by Bill Littlefield until 2018 and was syndicated to about 210 affiliate stations by National Public Radio. The wide-ranging program described itself as "irreverent" and often covered sports from a human interest angle, rather than appealing directly to a particular fan base.

On Sunday evenings, WBUR-FM also broadcasts a show entitled '' Boston University's World of Ideas''. The show features academics and intellectuals presenting lectures and answering questions on issues of national or global importance.

The 3-minute comedy sketch series ''11 Central Ave'', broadcast on WBEZ in Chicago, was for a time recorded at WBUR.

WBUR began producing podcasts in 2014. Current productions include ''Dear Sugar Radio'', an advice podcast with Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond; and ''Modern Love'', a partnership with ''The New York Times''.

History

WBUR first went on the air March 1, 1950, with studios and transmitter located at 84 Exeter Street in Boston. Initially, most of WBUR's staff were Boston University students, with the station broadcasting primarily classical, jazz and BU sporting events. In the early 1960s, the station moved from Exeter Street to the newly renovated School of Communications building at 640 Commonwealth Avenue. By the 1970s, WBUR began receiving funding from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting and became a "public radio station" with a professional staff. Volunteer BU students continued local programming on WTBU using unlicensed low-power carrier-current AM transmitters serving the BU residence halls. In 1997 the WBUR offices and studios moved to a new facility on the BU campus at 890 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the station had several jazz music and classical music programs. The disc jockeys demonstrated a broad knowledge of composers, performers, and the execution of jazz, demonstrating familiarity with such matters as improvisation and shared this with listeners.' Noteworthy jazz and classical disc jockeys included Dennis Boyer (classical: ''FM in the PM''), Steve Elman (jazz: ''Spaces''), Tony Cennamo (jazz: ''New Morning'' and subsequently, a night-time show), James Isaacs (jazz), and Jose Masso (Latin: ''Con Salsa''). One exception to this was the expansion of overnight programming, most notably the 2-to-6 Shift hosted By Kevin Vandenbroek and Bob King. It lasted about 9 months when it was cancelled by the Station Manager Bonnie Cronin. This act lead to the Director of Programming Victor S. Wheatman to resign.

At the end of the 1980s, WBUR began replacing many of its music programs with news and information programming from NPR, Public Radio International (which was merged into Public Radio Exchange in 2019) and the BBC
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