CSU Shuts Down Student Radio Overnight, Hands Control to Ideastream

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland State University on Oct. 3 ended nearly five decades of student- and volunteer-led programming on WCSB (89.3 FM) and entered a partnership transferring programming control to Ideastream Public Media. The station's format shifted to JazzNEO, a 24/7 jazz service that had previously aired only on HD radio and online. CSU retains the FCC license and the WCSB call letters, but Ideastream now manages all content aired on 89.3 FM.

The CSU Board of Trustees and Ideastream’s board approved the change early that morning. By late morning, student programming had ceased and JazzNEO was live on the air. Students and community DJs were escorted from the station by university police, as the change coincided with National College Radio Day, intensifying the public backlash. Many former staff and listeners said the shift occurred with little or no advance notice.

University officials said the partnership expands “paid, for-credit” opportunities for students through internships in journalism, broadcasting, marketing, and design at Ideastream’s Idea Center near campus. Ideastream positioned the change as a benefit for jazz enthusiasts, citing the broader accessibility of JazzNEO on a traditional FM frequency.

Longtime WCSB participants reacted with anger and disbelief. Alison Bomgardner, the station's general manager at the time of the transition, said, “We had less than 24 hours of notice to pack up 50 years of history, and now they’re going to kick us out of the station.” Liam Main, who served as business manager, said the staff had suspected something was changing due to unexplained delays in funding, broken equipment, and revoked keycard access, but the sudden elimination of student-run programming came as a shock. “We had felt that something was coming … I just did not imagine this is the direction it was going and how abrupt it was going to happen,” he said.

WCSB began broadcasting in 1976 as a student and community radio station, offering a platform for experimental music, local culture, and alternative voices not typically represented in mainstream media. The format included punk, noise, global music, underground hip-hop, and community-driven talk shows. The switch to jazz programming effectively ended that tradition overnight.

Many questions remain unanswered, including the fate of WCSB’s archives and whether any legacy programming will continue via digital platforms or limited time slots. The university has not outlined plans to include student-produced content within the JazzNEO schedule, focusing instead on experiential learning opportunities off-air.

The move illustrates a broader shift in how universities approach media education, with some opting for professional partnerships over student autonomy. For listeners across Northeast Ohio, the change provides expanded access to jazz but eliminates a rare outlet for niche programming and community engagement.

“We’re grieving the loss of a giant community … WCSB was the outlet … the creative jumping off point for so many,” Bomgardner said.