WUMB - Blues

A non-commercial public radio station affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Boston, broadcasting on 91.9 FM. The station presents a programming mix centered on Americana, blues, roots, and folk music on weekdays, hosted by staff announcers. Weekends feature traditional folk, Celtic, blues, and world music, supplemented by syndicated programming. Overnight hours, typically from midnight through 5 a.m., replay a portion of the prior day's content. The station has received recognition for its folk music programming. WSUMB operates at 160 watts, a modest power level necessitated by the crowded noncommercial FM spectrum in New England. To extend its geographic reach, it operates a network of eight repeater stations across eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. HD Radio technology is employed to transmit a high-quality digital signal. The station also streams online at multiple bit rates. Since 1998, WUMB sponsored an annual live music festival, originally named the Boston Folk Festival and later rebranded as WUMB Music Fest. The event was held on the UMass Boston campus for many years and the station continues to participate in regional music festivals including the Lowell Summer Music Series and the New Bedford Folk Festival. The station also organizes acoustic music camps and maintains an audio archive of past broadcasts and performances.