WORT FM

We're Different Because You Are💫

More than 50 years ago, a group of young Madisonians, unhappy with the local radio station's status quo, gathered around one principle: We can do better!

Endless meetings and fundraisers ensued, culminating in the debut of a community radio station unlike anything Madison had heard before: WORT 89.9 FM hit the airwaves at around 8 PM on December 1, 1975.

Now we are used to the idea of multiple hosts, multiple music genres, and topics not covered elsewhere, but in 1975 it was a shocking revelation.

WORT has survived for over half a century because you are different and you support radio that understands and programs for you.

Our new long-sleeved shirt celebrates those differences, with a refreshed design by Renee Graef, the designer of the original, popular WORT yellow short-sleeved shirt.

In the 1980s, Renee helped out a young radio station by designing a quirky t-shirt, featuring a mythical animal with feathers, fins, flippers, horns, and spikes. The tagline? WORT: It’s Different.

See the second picture for the original shirt modeled by Madison, the WORT lobby mannequin.🤩

That was a very popular shirt, so we reached out to Renee for permission to reprint it and she very graciously agreed to update her design. The revised shirt features a modified mythical animal and a new tagline: WORT: We’re Different.

WORT is different because YOU are different.

Pledge your support at the $100 level to be eligible for this Fall 2026 Pledge Drive thank-you gift. Thank you for supporting WORT Community Drive thank-you gift. Thank you for supporting WORT Community Radio.🧡

https://www.wortfm.org/donate/

It's here! 🎉🍂 Our Fall Pledge Drive kicks off TODAY, September 24th, and runs through October 4th.

Here's the thing about WORT: no algorithm decides what you hear. No corporate playlist. Just local DJs who love what they do, picking what matters week after week. That only works because listeners like you make it possible. So this week, we're asking: chip in what you can. Seriously, even a little goes a long way.

Pledge today to help keep the unmistakably-WORT sound going strong! 📻

https://www.wortfm.org/donate/

You hear them on air. You see them behind the board, answering phones, and making this place run. WORT's volunteers are here every single day, and they're the reason we get to do any of this at all! To our volunteers, we appreciate you more than you know.🧡

Are you free this week or next? If you would like to help out during our pledge drive, we still need phone answerers for the following shifts:

Thursday, September 24th
Jazz In Flight 2-5pm

Friday, September 25th
Fantasia 7-8am
8 O'Clock Buzz 8-9am

Sunday, September 27th
World View, Salamat, Pachyderm Parade 5-7pm
Hmong Radio 7-9pm

Tuesday, September 29th
Back Porch Serenade & 8 O'Clock Buzz 7-9am
WORT Local News & En Nuestro Patio 5pm-8pm
Sonic Signatures & Frog Moon 8pm-10pm

Wednesday, September 30th
Journeys Into Jazz 2pm-5pm

Thursday, October 1st
WORT Local News, Perpetual Notion Machine, and Radio Lit 5pm-8pm

Friday, October 2nd
Fantasia 7am-8am

Sunday, October 4th
World View, Salamat, Pachyderm Parade 5pm-7pm
Hmong Radio 7pm-9pm

No experience necessary and free snacks provided.

Copy and paste the following link into your browser to sign up for a shift! https://www.wortfm.org/cgi-bin/longsignup

The WORT Underground Stage is back at The W***y Street Fair this Sunday, September 20th!

We have an amazing local lineup, including The Scratch-Offs, Ed Dave , Yolk, Free Dirt, and Hottt Probs!

Don't forget to stop by and rock out with us! 🤘🎸🔥

Come see The Funny Boys at the WORT Outreach Booth this Saturday at the Northside Festival from 11:00AM - 12:30PM at the Mallards Duck Pond on Sherman Ave. They’ll also be at the W***y Street Fair Saturday Sep. 19 from 3:00-6:00PM!

Drumroll please!! The 2026 The W***y Street Fair line-up is here!
Free to attend, as always!! 🌈🍻💫💃🍞

September is here!🍂 From candid conversations to communal support, here’s what’s coming up at the station this month:

Today, the Thursday 8 O'Clock Buzz airs David Crowley's interview with Tony Castaneda, who has recently returned to his Thursday Buzz spot after his own political campaign.

On September 5th at 7:30PM, The Barrymore Theatre will show the screening of Steal This Story, Please!, a documentary film about Amy Goodman and Democracy Now!. Be sure to check out Esty Dinur's interview with Goodman and the co-director of the film, Tia Lessin, on WORT's A Public Affair: https://www.wortfm.org/independent-media-gives-voice-to-the-silenced-majority/

You can find the WORT Outreach Booth at three festivals in September:

Labor Fest
Presented by the South Central Federation of Labor
🗓 Sept. 7
⏰ 12:00 - 5:30PM
📍 Madison Labor Temple (1602 S. Park St.)
Live music, food carts, kid activities, community gathering, and more!

Northside Festival
Presented by Northside Planning Council & W***y Street Co-op
🗓 Sept. 12
⏰ 11:00AM - 3:00PM
📍 Night Mares Stadium (2920 N. Sherman Ave.)
Join for good food, music and fun!

The W***y Street Fair
Presented by Common Wealth Development & Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center
🗓 Sept. 19-20
⏰ 1:00PM - 10:00PM on Saturday
⏰ 11:00AM - 6:30PM on Sunday
📍 W***y Street

And to wrap up the month…

The WORT-FM Fall Pledge Drive!!!🍁📻
🗓 Sep. 24 - Oct. 4

Wanna be a part of the action? Copy and paste the following link into your browser to sign up to answer phones and take pledges during the drive: https://www.wortfm.org/cgi-bin/longsignup

No experience necessary. Sign up with a friend, enjoy some snacks, and help keep your community radio on the air!
📻🎙☎️