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A New WYMS

Radio For Milwaukee (RFM) is developing programmnig to soon operate WYMS-FM as an innovative and diverse non-commercial station focused on Milwaukee.

WYMS will:

  • Promote local arts and culture
  • Enhance MPS student education
  • Attract and retain young workers
  • Improve racial understanding

Programming will seek to attract an audience of young professionals, MPS parents and the creative community. Based on in-depth local research, programming will include an innovative mix of local news, public affairs and live and recorded music. WYMS will complement other non-commercial stations by broadcasting music, arts and public affairs largely absent from local radio. By featuring Milwaukee, it will serve our community and display our city’s character to a national audience.

Designed to Meet Community Needs

To meet its goal of community improvement, RFM looked at what local needs a radio station designed from scratch could meet. Meeting with civic leaders, community-based organizations and others, RFM identified seven community needs that the new WYMS will address.

Talent attraction and retention
Milwaukee employers say their biggest obstacle to job growth is retaining and attracting qualified workers in the knowledge and technology industries. National experts such as author Richard Florida (The Rise of the Creative Class) agree that these young, highly desirable workers decide where to live based on quality-of-life factors. These factors include vibrant neighborhoods with exciting restaurants, night life and cultural arts, including music. Cities like Austin, Seattle and Minneapolis have become meccas for young knowledge workers because, through design or happenstance, they have become identified as “hip” places to live. Locally focused radio serves as a catalyst for developing and promoting a local cultural scene. Exciting, locally relevant radio stations themselves are often cited as a factor that makes a city desirable.

Promoting local arts and culture
Milwaukee boasts an incredibly diverse, high-quality arts and cultural community. Individual artists and arts groups find audience development and support a constant struggle. Particularly important is the need to attract a younger arts audience. WYMS will contribute to the success of Milwaukee’s arts community by consciously shining the spotlight on this valuable but sometimes overlooked asset. Through produced features, broadcast performances and extensive arts calendars, Milwaukee’s arts community will benefit from the new WYMS.

Supporting community organizations and fundraisers
Milwaukee’s non-profit community groups improve neighborhoods and provide social services to people in need. The success of these organizations often depends on financial support and volunteers. WYMS will integrate into its programming features about and appeals on behalf of these community groups. Public affairs programming will bring attention to the issues that these groups address, amplifying these fine organizations’ work, supporting their fundraisers, and helping bring community resources to bear on these problems.

Improving metropolitan race relations
Like other U.S. metro areas, Milwaukee is home to people of diverse backgrounds and must do all it can to foster good race relations. Identifying and celebrating both the differences and commonalities of Milwaukee’s ethnic and racial melting pot benefits everyone. Reducing and eliminating prejudice and discrimination is an on-going process and perpetual goal. The new WYMS will create a new home for Milwaukeeans of all races and ethnic backgrounds. Through diversity in its programming, WYMS will seek to attract listeners of all backgrounds. The station will broadcast cultural contributions from among Milwaukee’s many races and also feature programming that discusses specific news and racial issues that affect our community.

Bolstering Milwaukee’s image – locally and nationally
Local observers say that Milwaukee has an inferiority complex. If Milwaukee is to improve its image nationally, Milwaukeeans have to believe strongly in their own community. WYMS will improve the popularity of the “ Milwaukee brand” with area residents and increase civic pride by highlighting our community’s many cultural and artistic assets. RFM believes that the buzz WYMS will create in Milwaukee will be felt across the country as WYMS becomes recognized as a truly unique local radio station. WYMS will be available worldwide via Internet webcasts, giving listeners everywhere a direct window into what makes Milwaukee special.

Assisting MPS students
As a station owned by MPS, WYMS should be used to educate MPS students and reach out to their parents. RFM will make MPS students and parents a first-ever focus of WYMS. The station will feature programming of interest to MPS parents and give students first-hand experiences in radio, recording technology, web-site maintenance, marketing and artistic performance.

Catalyzing Milwaukee’s music scene
Radio is a traditional resource for music lovers and natural outlet for musicians. Milwaukee’s established and developing musicians will thrive from more exposure to listeners and to each other. By focusing on Milwaukee music, WYMS will develop as a central location for local recorded music, live broadcasts, interviews and concert information. WYMS will utilize its web site to further create ways to hear, get information about and discover Milwaukee’s many musical talents.