What Happened to WCSB?

On Oct. 3, Cleveland State University transferred operation of its FM radio station WCSB 89.3 to IdeaStream, an NPR affiliate - ending 49 years of student and community-produced programming, and displacing 100 volunteers who had been involved. Our long tradition of broadcasting diverse and community-engaged programming has been displaced and replaced with light jazz 24/7. Here's a small sample of the local news coverage:

• @Cleveland.com 10/17: What went down at WCSB 89.3FM
• @Cleveland.com 10/8: Cleveland State transfer of WCSB radio to Ideastream sparks protest
• @TheLand 10/3: Ideastream now programming WCSB, formerly Cleveland State University’s student-run radio station
• @TV5 10/3: Cleveland State University abruptly ends student-run WCSB radio, replaces with jazz run by Ideastream
• links to additional media coverage HERE

What's Next?

Community support has been overwhelming, and we thank all of the individuals and organizations who have spoken up in support of our work. Although things are very much in-process, we want to keep you all updated on the latest developments as quickly as we can.

Here's the latest (as of 10/16):

• Unfortunately, CSU and Ideastream have shown no willingness to reconsider their decision and restore control to the former WCSB students and community members. We strongly believe that this decision is a disservice to our community, our volunteers, and the students of Cleveland State University.
• We are still in negotiations with the university to try and regain access to our (former) studio in the Cole building, to the broadcasting equipment and music library that was paid for by your donations, and to the internet connection that would allow us to operate as an internet-only station. These assets will not be needed by Ideastream. We are also pressing to continue to allow our community members full access to our studios, and not just students.
• In parallel, we are exploring opportunities to rebuild and reform our platform, with the goal of sustaining and expanding our programming and community. What this will look like is currently unknown, but we are actively brainstorming and working together diligently to pave the path forward.

Stay tuned for more! We will continue to post here with the latest news.

Actions You Can Take to Support Us

▶ Rallies, townhall meetings, etc.

• Sat. Oct. 25, 6:00pm Beachland Ballroom: Annual WCSB Halloween Ball! XCSB staff will be available to talk about our situation, and to listen to your concerns.
• Fridays in November (7th, 14th, 21st, 28th) 5:30 - 8:30: Happy Dog Happy Hour. DJ Sets by XCSB programmers
• Wed. Nov 12th, 4:00 PM Cleveland Public Library - Louis Stokes Wing, 325 Superior Avenue, 2nd Floor Learning Commons: Cuyahoga Arts Council Board of Trustees Regular Meeting. CAC provides significant annual grant funding to IdeaStream.

▶ Counterculture to Culture Jamming workshops, Sundays Oct. 26 & Nov. 2, 4:00pm (on zoom), and Sat. Nov. 8th, 2:00pm (in person at 78th St. Studios). Two online brainstorming sessions, followed by an in-person collaborative workshop, focused on community activism and creative means to towards cultural change. Free, attend any or all. Sign up here.

▶ Sign the petition at Change.org (note: the donation step at the end is completely optional, and goes to Change.org, not to XCSB)

▶ Please consider (re)evaluating your charitable donations to CSU, Ideastream, &/or WCSB in light of current events. If you decide to change or withdraw any of your donations, please let us know.

▶ Continue to reach out to Cleveland State University and Ideastream - encourage them to restore our station to the airwaves: who and how to call!