WSLR is a low-power radio station in Sarasota, FL, that features original music and public affairs shows programmed by community volunteers.
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03/07/2025
Big news! 🎉🍦
Ben & Jerry's on St. Armands Circle is reopening this weekend!
Owner Rick has been a dedicated supporter of Sarasota’s community radio station—even before we made it on the air over 20 years ago! He has always believed in the power of independent media and has been a true ally to WSLR. Last year, we honored him with our Community Partner Award at our Rooted in Community Celebration for his unwavering support, and he continues to embody that spirit of community.
After last year’s hurricanes devastated the shop, forcing over five months of repairs and renovations, Rick and his team have worked tirelessly to rebuild. Now, they’re finally reopening this weekend!
Let’s show up for a business that’s always shown up for us. Spread the word, stop by, and grab a scoop (or two)! 🍦❤️
03/06/2025
📡WSLR News intern Alex Lieberman just filed their first story. Alex is a high school student and we think they did a tremendous job interviewing demonstrators and taking photos!
U.S., rainbow and Ukrainian flags, homemade signs feature prominently at Five Points Park.
03/05/2025
🪕TODAY from 4-6 p.m. on Broken REEL: Leon Kerber will bring you a conversation with old-time banjo player Jonas Friddle, who plays Fogartyville this Saturday.
Tune in as they discuss the resurgence of old-time music, the power of intimate performances, finding inspiration in collaborations, and winning the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
🎬March is Women's History Month, which means locally it's time for the Reel Equals Film Festival produced by Through Women's Eyes.
E. Scott Osborne, president of Through Women's Eyes, will be the featured guest on tomorrow's ArtBeat on WSLR to discuss the March 6-11 festival dedicated to showcasing diverse voices, especially women's voices and perspectives.
ArtBeat features one-on-one conversations with artists, curators, gallerists and arts educators and includes the music that is fueling each guest's creative practice.
Listen live Monday from 9-11 a.m. locally on 96.5 FM in Sarasota, 100.1 FM in Bradenton, stream at wslr.org or listen on the free WSLR app.
02/28/2025
🎙On air now: Discovery Road Live! from Fogartyville featuring Phil Roy.
🎨We’re at ArtWalk at Ringling College Galleries until 8 pm! Stop by and say hi to Jamee of Broken Reel, Sheila Jane of INDIE-licious, and Becce and Cece of Femininomenon!
02/20/2025
📻Our stream will be back online by 11 a.m. Friday so please listen to Mark Markus's fantastic all-vinyl program on your radio! You might want to put on a flannel for tonight's show ...
02/20/2025
UPDATE: we are back on the airwaves at 96.5FM in Sarasota/100.1FM in Bradenton. Our stream should be back online by 11 a.m. Friday. So until then, please tune in to us old school on your radio!
📡Broadcast interruption: We are in the midst of an IT infrastructure overall, which is disrupting our broadcast. We will update this post when we are back on the air.
02/17/2025
🎧The Music Museum airs until 6 pm today and today’s gallery is “Just the bass-ics” — Ed is playing music from Beulah, Lovejoy, Earlimart, Permer, The Black Keys, and so much more!
02/13/2025
Liana Gabel is on the “Out of the Basement, On the Road” program with Purple Mike to give listeners a sneak listen ahead of her Feb. 28 concert at Fogartyville.
02/12/2025
Tune in to WSLR News at 6 p.m.!
02/06/2025
🎸Singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston, whose “This Perfect World” album was a fixture of 1990s alternative rock, including the hit, “Bad Reputation,” plays Fogartyville next Thursday, Feb. 13! We can’t wait to hear his new music (and late-night coffeehouse hits)!
📡New show launching Sunday at 10 a.m. The Best of Us: Being Human in Sarasota, which explores how the practice of repairing, making, or even viewing artworks is elemental to our human capacity for resilience proving that the arts run deeper than superficial luxury.
Host Bethany Ritz will be joined by Emily Brown, conservator of sculpture and decorative arts at The Ringling and George Prochik, a Guggenheim Fellow and author of five nonfiction books, including "Stranger in a Strange Land."
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Videos
🎸The Kennedys joined Seany G on "Second Wind" ahead of tonight's concert at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center.
It's patio season here and Fogartyville is opening the patio for general admission seating!: https://wslrfogartyville.ticketspice.com/1282025-the-kennedys-ga-patio
🍅🥬🍠Andrew Hudson is the featured guest on this morning's The Healthy Living Hour on WSLR. Andrew is a Mennonite pastor and farmer with Jessicas Organic Farm. He supports congregations by sharing the concept of “Sabbath Gardening," biblically-informed gardening to deepen their relationship with the land where they worship.
Listen now until 10 a.m. at 96.5 FM in Sarasota or stream from anywhere at wslr.org
🐦Are you concerned about the fate of the Celery Fields? Cathy Atunes of The Detail - On Sarasota Politics is speaking with Sarasota Audubon Society President Sara Reisinger and Our Changing Environment's Jono Miller about the proposed Raymond Road development.
Call 941-894-6469 to donate in support of The Detail or become a member here: wslr.org
Main Street in downtown Sarasota at 5 pm Tuesday
This Main Street view-from-a-bicycle video was sent in from a citizen reporter.
'Friday Happy Hour' w/ Bartender Tommy D ~ Special Guest Trey Wanvig!
Today!! Trey Wanvig LIVE in studio w/ Bartender Tommy D. 4-6pm. #WSLR #supportlocalmusic #sarasota
In 2000, five non-profit groups filed applications for low power frequency 96.5 during the FCC’s four day window.
In 2003, Bo Bentele and Sarah Kell, acting on behalf of the New College Student Alliance (NCSA) negotiated a settlement agreement with David Beaton, acting on behalf of the Gulf Coast Sanctuary. In this agreement, the Gulf Coast Sanctuary agreed to withdraw their application in exchange for creation of a governing Board that would consist of community members and student representatives. This settlement agreement allowed the NCSA application to prevail.
In February 2004, the NCSA was awarded a construction permit for a low power station.
An interim board was established consisting of community representatives David Beaton, Robert Salzberg, Darlene Sparks, Jason Boehk and Arlene Sweeting and New College representatives Bo Bentele, Sarah Kell, Rebecca Nelson (NCF) and David Bryant (head of Alumni Assn). It was agreed that we would form a new 501c3 organization, WSLR, and that the WSLR board would be the governing board for the station.
The board met for a year and a half establishing bylaws and procedures by which the station would be governed and raising money to get the station on the air. The bylaws approved on 10/20/2004 called for a simple majority of the Board seats to be reserved for New College affiliates – students, alumni, faculty or staff.
WSLR applied for and received 501c3 status in June 2005. Until we were formally recognized as a 501c3, the New College Foundation set up a Radio Fund where people could make tax-deductible contributions to the station.
Bo Bentele formed a Radio Club on campus to generate interest in the station. The relationship of New College Radio Club and the station continued to be discussed. At no time was anyone officially connected with the NCSA on the governing board. The NCSA was approached and did fund several purchases for the New College Studio. These purchases have since been reclaimed for use by student bands.
At the end of July 2005, Prometheus Radio sent three technical people down from Philadelphia to help us get the station on the air. With the help of 20 volunteers, the studio and the transmission site were constructed in one weekend.
In August 2005, WSLR tested their first live broadcast and filed for a license to cover.
From August 2005 – May 2006, we ran two studios – one at New College and one at Royal Palm. Due to technical issues and lack of consistency and New College concerns with community members coming on campus late at night, this studio was shut down and New College students became one with community members in operating out of the same studio. We also eliminated specific slots for New College students in the programming schedule; opening up any slot for them. Because of the elimination of the ‘us’ and ‘them’ mindset, the requirement that a majority of the Board be New College Representatives was also dropped.
October 2009 – The New College student body voted to transfer the station license to WSLR, Inc. An ‘unofficial’ license transfer ceremony was held at New College to complete the paperwork and the application was filed online with the FCC. An agreement was reached between the station and the New College students, whereby students would retain a seat on the WSLR Board and on the programming committee; the station would continue to offer student internships; and the station would remain in geographical proximity to the college. The FCC approved the license transfer in February 2011.
In October 2011 WSLR moved into its new digs at 525 Kumquat Court in downtown Sarasota.
WSLR is a low-power radio station in Sarasota, FL, that features original music and public affairs shows programmed by community volunteers.
