Radio Milwaukee

Radio Milwaukee is a public Radio station in partnership with Milwaukee public schools. Established in 2007, the station highlights Milwaukee's vibrant community, showcasing its musicians, non-profits, and individuals who contribute to its diversity and vitality. Daily, Radio Milwaukee features fresh music, local artists, and community stories that celebrate those working to enhance the city's livability. The station fosters an active online community through social media and a dynamic website with community calendars. Listeners worldwide can tune in via online streaming. In 2023, Radio Milwaukee expanded its programming to include nationally syndicated shows like alt latino, all songs considered, jazz night in america, and world cafe, alongside new local segments and programs.

Radio Milwaukee produces and airs short stories that highlight not-for-profit organizations and individuals dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Milwaukee. Each story, roughly the length of a song, is broadcast daily as part of the music mix and also available in a longer podcast format on the radiomilwaukee.org website. Listeners can visit the site to learn more about the featured organizations and access links to their websites for involvement, contributions, or additional information. In 2023, Radio Milwaukee showcased over 150 individuals and organizations, focusing on themes such as volunteerism, arts and culture, neighborhoods, youth, the environment, social justice, and narratives from underrepresented communities.

In june 2022, Radio Milwaukee launched its latest channel, "hyfin." This black-led, digital-first media initiative aims to connect cultures and celebrate the full range of black music. As Milwaukee's only urban alternative Radio station, hyfin offers a diverse array of black music beyond just r&b and hip-hop, while also featuring local Milwaukee artists. The channel keeps audiences informed with the latest news on black culture, podcasts, and more. Hyfin broadcasts on-air at 88.9fm hd2, online at hyfin.org, and through the 88nine and hyfin mobile apps. Funding comes from generous donations by corporations, foundations, individual supporters, and sponsorships. In 2023, hyfin, powered by Radio Milwaukee, organized a diverse array of community-focused events, showcasing their commitment to celebrating black culture and supporting local businesses. The Radio station hosted a beer festival highlighting black and brown breweries, promoting diversity in the craft beer industry. A standout event was the blackity black holiday market, held on november 25th at turner hall. This small business saturday initiative featured over 40 black-owned vendors from the Milwaukee area, offering attendees a chance to support local entrepreneurs while enjoying youth performances, food, and music curated by hyfin dj anthony foster. Hyfin also launched its inaugural major fundraiser gala, demonstrating the station's growth and community impact. Throughout the year, they continued to engage audiences with their "latest & greatest live" series, featuring local and emerging artists. These events, along with others like the felix ames pre-album listening session, underscored hyfin's role as a cultural hub, fostering community connections and amplifying black voices in Milwaukee's vibrant arts and business scenes.

In 2018, Radio Milwaukee launched an initiative designed to enhance its support for the local music scene. Initially called "backline and rebranded as "amplifier" in 2021, this program aims to cultivate the growth of Milwaukee's music landscape and attract emerging talent to the city. Amplifier originally began by providing intensive, year-long career guidance to four independent artists. However, the program has since transitioned into a community-based model to broaden its reach and impact.with the program's evolution, amplifier now includes an ongoing "master class" series, connecting Milwaukee artists, managers, songwriters, and producers to foster collaboration and education. The series strengthens ties within the music community by offering sessions on essential topics such as building business credit, production techniques, songwriting, mental wellness, negotiation skills, and live performance strategies. These sessions are recorded and archived, contributing to a permanent content library shared across various platforms. The program has generated over 110,000 views on social media, 14,000 podcast downloads, and attracted 400 in-person participants.amplifier's master classes run monthly from march to october, providing artists with invaluable opportunities to learn from top industry experts, enhancing both their personal and professional growth in the music industry.

Grace weber's music lab is a free monthly music and arts education program for greater Milwaukee area high school students. In this program, students have the opportunity to learn about the music and entertainment industries through featured guests from the music industry. Students are also give the opportunity to collaborate, perform, and build relationships with their peers. The program takes place the last friday of every month during the school year in the Radio Milwaukee performance space. The sessions involve a performance and interview with the featured guest, as well as a question and answer period with student inquiries. Afterwards, the participating students may perform in an open mic atmosphere where constructive feedback and observations by the featured guest and Radio Milwaukee's music education coordinator are offered. The program is designed to provide a safe space for student artists to create, be heard, and feel valued. In 2023, 288 students throughout Milwaukee participated in the program.