Boston Area Noncommercial Radio Stations

WBUR [schedule] [listen]

90.9, Boston University Public Radio, news and talk, NPR, Boston, MA

Lots of local, NPR, and BBC news, with nationally syndicated talk shows, such as the locally originated On Point.

WERS [Schedule] [listen]

88.9, Emerson College, Boston, MA

A wide variety of music, including my favorite radio show, All A Capella on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

WFCR [schedule] [listen]

88.5, University of Massachusetts Public Radio, NPR, Amherst, MA

Also 93.5 (Pittsfield/Lenox), 96.3 (Wiliamstown), 98.3 (Lee), 98.7 (Great Barrington), 101.1 (Adams/North Adams), and 640 AM WNNZ.

They play a wide variety of music and generate some local programming, but relegate NPR and BBC talk to their HD2 channel. Sometimes you can get them from Boston.

WGBH [schedule] [listen]

89.7, Independent Public Radio, classical and jazz, APR, NPR, Boston, MA

Classics in the morning and afternoon (after news until 9am weekdays), jazz in the evening, and folk music on weekend afternoons. Playlists can be accessed through the schedule. There is also streaming classical music with a schedule, too.

WHRB [Schedule] [listen]

95.3, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Known for their "orgy" programming of massive thematic blocks during Harvard's winter and spring reading periods, they otherwise play mostly classical and jazz music, except for Hillbilly at Harvard on Saturday mornings. Their program guides have more detail about what music is being played.

WMBR [schedule] [listen]

88.1, MIT community radio, Cambridge, MA

They carry the most eclectic variety of programming around Boston, including Pacifica News every day at 5:30 pm, and the more radical What's Left and Radio with a View

WMFO [schedule] [listen]

91.5, Tufts University, "freeform" radio, Medford, MA

WMLN [PDF program guide] [listen]

91.5, Curry College, Milton, MA I think of this as a typical college radio station.

WTBU [schedule] [listen]

89.3 (640 am), Boston University "College Radio"

They are on only during the school year and broadcast to students rather that the news-oriented adults for whom WBUR competes with WGBH.

WUMB [schedule] [listen]

91.9, Folk Radio at the University of Massachusetts in Boston.

91.7 (Newburport), 91.9 (Worcester), 91.9 (Falmouth), 1170 AM (Orleans)

They play lots of folk music and used to host the annual Boston Folk Festival.

WZBC [schedule] [listen]

90.3, Boston College radio, "No Commercial Potential Radio", Boston, MA

Lots of rock, alt-rock, and unclassifiable music.

Last updated April 24, 2009 by Doug Mink