The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has announced $1.3 million in grants will be given to Radio Milwaukee, WJSU Jackson MS, and Minnesota Public Radio to develop “Urban Alternative” programming.

Radio Milwaukee, operators of AAA “88Nine” WYMS Milwaukee intends to use a multi-platform content strategy that includes some FM broadcast, a dedicated 24-hour digital channel and multiple streaming platforms.

WJSU will revise the programming of Jazz 88.5 WJSU Jackson MS, to “reflect the changing interests of students and younger listeners” with a multi-platform strategy including some FM programming, a 24/7 digital stream, and mobile app.

Minnesota Public Radio will transition their Prince focused Funk/Soul “The Purple Current” stream into the new format in collaboration with Center For Communication & Development’s Adult R&B 88.9 KMOJ Minneapolis and their “The Ice” KMOJ-HD2. Minnesota Public Radio intends to launch their new streaming brand in mid-2022 and will hire multiple new staffers including a content director, community engagement manager, and on-air host.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced grants totaling $1.3 million for three public radio stations to implement the Urban Alternative format to connect with young, multicultural audiences. The grants to Radio Milwaukee, WJSU (Jackson, MS), and Minnesota Public Radio will support transitions to locally customized formats using local and national Hip Hop and R&B. Jacquie Gales Webb, CPB Vice President, Radio, announced the grants today at the virtual Public Radio Program Directors Conference.

CPB support for research and development in 2015 enabled Chicago Public Media to transform its Vocalo online music service into Chicago’s Urban Alternative. The research created a model format that borrows from the popularity of urban contemporary music while remaining true to public radio’s values, connecting urban audiences through music discovery and community engagement. With CPB support, the Urban Alternative format has been adopted by Rocky Mountain Public Media’s THE DROP in Denver, KTSU/The Vibe in Houston and WNSB/Blazin’ Hot 91 in Norfolk, VA.

“The Urban Alternative format has been built by and for a new generation of public radio listeners — a younger, multicultural community that is creating its own public media sound,” said Kathy Merritt, CPB Senior Vice President of Radio, Journalism and CSG Services. “CPB is proud to support the expansion of this format, in which the stations are meeting the music and information needs of young, diverse audiences as trusted partners.”

Under the two-year grants:

• Radio Milwaukee will provide an eclectic radio experience that serves all of Milwaukee’s constituents, celebrates the spectrum of Black music, provides opportunities for audiences to discover authentic DJs and local musicians and amplifies the power of community-centric public radio. Radio Milwaukee will use a multi-platform content strategy that includes some FM broadcast, a dedicated 24-hour digital channel and multiple streaming platforms, including smart speakers and the station’s website and mobile app.
• WJSU, a public radio station licensed to Jackson State, a historically Black university in Jackson, Mississippi, will refresh its programming to reflect the changing interests of students and younger listeners, provide a path to long-term sustainability, and increase community collaborations and digital engagement. WJSU will also pursue a multi-platform strategy including some FM broadcast, a dedicated 24-hour digital channel and a mobile app.
• Minnesota Public Radio will collaborate with KMOJ, a community-licensed public radio station that focuses on Minneapolis’ communities of color, to amplify the format’s reach, cultivate new talent, create engagement opportunities, and develop co-branded content to be shared across airwaves and digital platforms. MPR will launch the format across its streaming service, broadcast and HD2 channels, and smartphone App.

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The Current, Minnesota Public Radio’s adult album alternative (AAA) station, has been named a recipient of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s (CPB) 2021 Urban Alternative format grant. The news was announced today at the Public Radio Program Directors Association annual conference.

CPB’s Urban Alternative grant will provide resources to support The Current’s expansion into a new format to serve more of Minnesota’s younger and more diverse music fans. The expansion will include a partnership with KMOJ and The ICE, Minneapolis’ go-to urban adult contemporary station and stream. The Current will build on the success of its Purple Current stream, which was established in 2018 as a source for funk, soul, R&B, and hip hop music, celebrating the Minneapolis Sound following the death of Prince.

The $400,000 grant, with additional contributions from MPR, will allow The Current to transform the Purple Current into a standalone urban alternative stream. This will also carry over to The Current’s FM airwaves, with dedicated crossover programming across multiple dayparts, hosted by new talent. The Current and KMOJ will work closely on content sharing, developing new talent and building social media capacity between the two stations.

The Current, along with Radio Milwaukee and WJSU at Jackson State University in Mississippi, received 2021 grants from CPB to develop the Urban Alternative format for the rising generation of public radio listeners, connecting diverse audiences through music discovery and community engagement. Previous CPB grantees include Texas Southern University’s KTSU (Houston); Norfolk State University’s WNSB (Norfolk, VA); Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Network’s THE DROP (Denver), and Chicago Public Radio’s Vocalo.

“Our public media mission calls on us to serve all Minnesotans, and we recognized an opportunity to provide a service that better represents the diverse music tastes in our region,” said Duchesne Drew, President of Minnesota Public Radio. “We’re pleased to be part of this movement in public media to better connect with the younger generation of listeners and to provide a platform that engages them with their local music scene.”

With recent changes in the local music market, The Current identified a significant need for a new music source in the Twin Cities with a focus on new and local hip hop and R&B. Station leadership also saw a significant opportunity to reach local diverse communities and music fans ages 18-44, both growing populations in the region.

“We’re excited to be working closely with The Current on this exploration of a new service for our community,” said Freddie Bell, General Manager of KMOJ. “CPB’s meaningful support will help us launch the process to bring this standalone stream and all its components to life, all to the benefit of our listeners.”

The Current will hire additional talent to support this new endeavor, including an on-air host, content director and host, and community engagement manager. These new roles will be critical to the founding of The Current’s new stream and will collaborate closely with KMOJ.

“We’re honored to have this opportunity to connect with and better serve a more diverse audience,” said David Safar, Managing Director of The Current. “We know this project will only be successful with strong partnership of music leaders in our community, especially KMOJ, and we hope this is a first step in much more community collaboration to serve our audiences.”

The Current’s urban alternative stream is expected to launch by mid-2022, with an announcement regarding the name and brand to come prior to launch. Once launched, the new brand and its team will build partnerships with local non-profits, festivals, music venues and more, and will regularly be a part of community events and sponsorships.