WCBE FM 90.5

A public radio station licensed to the Columbus Board of Education — operating under the Columbus City Schools system — that has served central Ohio since first going to air in 1956. The station launched initially as an educational broadcaster, transmitting locally produced programming designed to connect remote learners to classrooms, with limited broadcast hours. In 1968, the Good Music Advisory Society approached station management to expand its hours and add classical music, resulting in a significant increase in transmitter power from 3,000 to 10,000 watts. WCBE holds the distinction of being the first station in Columbus to affiliate with National Public Radio, inaugurating its NPR broadcasts on May 3, 1971, with the premiere of All Things Considered. Among its early alumni is Michael Feinstein, the archivist and vocal interpreter of the Great American Songbook, who interned at the station as a Columbus Public Schools high school student in the mid-1970s. In 1990, to avoid programming duplication with the classical-focused WOSU-FM, WCBE transitioned to adult album alternative (AAA or Triple-A) format, rebranding as "Your True Alternative" under General Manager Sharon Miller. The station expanded to 24-hour broadcasting and developed a reputation for adventurous music programming alongside NPR news. Its broadcast tower is situated atop the historic LeVeque Tower in downtown Columbus, and the signal is extended via an FM translator at 106.3 MHz serving Newark, Ohio. The station operates a live performance series from Studio A and continues to carry NPR national programming alongside locally produced content.