WSLR 96.5 Community Radio

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Sarasota, FL
WSLR 96.5 Community Radio

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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12/14/2024

🥳 Happy birthday Jonah Ray! The Saturday Morning Gospel Beat is on live until 9 a.m. Tune in!

12/13/2024

Looking for artists interested in collaborating across disciplines and engaging the public in meaningful dialogue on how marginalized communities thrive amidst challenges. Deadline extended to Dec. 19th.

12/05/2024

🎙We had a fun morning with students and faculty from NewGate School, who toured our community radio station and performance venue. They learned about what we do and volunteer opportunities. You’ll hear some of their voices on the WSLR airwaves in the near future!

12/04/2024

☮️⚖️Coming up at 9 a.m. on the WSLR Peace and Justice Report: The Nation's John Nichols will provide analysis of the 2024 elections.

Nichols will be speaking at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center this Saturday: https://wslrfogartyville.ticketspice.com/12072024-john-nichols-speaks

11/29/2024

Reverend Billy C. Wirtz of The Rhythm Revival with Rev. Billy C. Wirtz (Saturdays at 2 p.m. on WSLR) will be performing at Fogartyville with Steve Arvey Music on Saturday! https://wslrfogartyville.ticketspice.com/11302024-rev-billy-c-wirtz-w-steve-arvey

11/19/2024

😍Help us meet our $10K Board challenge!
Call 941-894-6469 or donate at wslr.org

WSLR+Fogartyville Board President Paul Scire, host of "Soul Kitchen" on Sundays, met General Manager Jesse Coleman at our studios to share inspiring news: the Board of Directors will match every donation made today up to $10,000 until the Fall Membership Drive concludes at 1 a.m.!

This is the final day of our drive. You still have time to become a member of your independent community radio station and favorite listening room!

11/19/2024

🤩FINAL DAY of our Fall Membership Drive!
Call 941-894-6469 or donate at wslr.org

Ted of Ted's Head joined DJ The Beach Comber for this morning's Corduroy! The donor who makes the largest gift to Corduroy gets a Palma Coffee (gift card, bag of beans and a co-branded coffee bean canister) as a thank you; the first five new Evergreen (sustaining) donations for Corduroy get a vinyl / CD combo of their choice from Polyvinyl Records; and the first 10 non-Evergreen donations to the show get a Corduroy branded vanity license plate!

Listen to Corduroy until 9 a.m., become a member of WSLR+Fogartyville, and unlock those thank you gifts!

11/18/2024

🎙Ruth and Sierra of The Ruthless Truth on WSLR 96.5 Community Radio are asking for your membership in support of independent news and public affairs programming. Call 941-894-6469 or donate at wslr.org

11/18/2024

💓Call 941-894-6469 or donate online at wslr.org

Sarah Wertheimer of Embracing Our Differences joined Andy Ensign, Kathleen Murray and Shannon Fortner for a Voices Up / ArtBeat on WSLR mashup in honor of our Fall Membership Drive.

Shannon and Kathleen announced a $5000 matching gift from the Marilyn G. Harwell Fund, which supports the arts and social justice organizations. If we can bring in a total of $5000 by 6 p.m. today, we will unlock those matching funds and get an extra $5000! Let's go!

11/17/2024

🎸Grammy-nominated guitarist Diego Figueiredo stopped by the studio to join Louise Coogan and Mark Gruder for a special Fall Membership Drive edition of Discovery Road!

Show your appreciation for new music from the very best artists by calling in your membership at 941-894-6469 or donating online at wslr.org

11/17/2024

🎙Compelling conversations and great music made for an awesome Saturday at WSLR. But we are still far away from our Fall Membership Drive goal, which will help close the gap left by thousands in funding cuts from the county and state.

Call 941-894-6469 or donate online at wslr.org — your community radio station and favorite listening room need your financial support!

11/16/2024

🎙There’s no better way to start your day than with the voice of Jonah Ray! Support his show, “Saturday Morning Gospel Beat,” and Sharon Preston-Folta’s show, “Radio Reset,” by calling 941-894-6469 or donating online at wslr.org.

It’s Day 4 of our Fall Membership Drive and we need your financial support!

11/16/2024

Call 941-894-6469 to become a member or donate online: wslr.org

🥰Thanks to everyone who has volunteered and donated during our vital Fall Membership Drive! Here are some highlights from Friday.

11/15/2024

🎸Russ “The Ripper” Yodice is ready for a 4-hour “Ripper’s Rarities” Fall Membership Drive extravaganza. 4 hours of Ripper Staples~Please call and donate~Keep us Rocking!

We know his fans will be giving generously by calling 941-894-6469 or donating online at wslr.org

11/15/2024

Very demure. Very mindful. Very complex.

The Ho-Dad (Longboat Luau) and Seany G. (Second Wind) joined Mark Zampella on Complex Waveforms today.

If you dig Mark’s mystical mix of mid-century jazz, ambient, and world music, call 941-894-6469 or donate online at wslr.org — it’s our Fall Membership Drive!

Address

525 Kumquat Court
Sarasota, FL
34236

Telephone

(941) 894-6469

Website

http://www.wslr.org/, https://bit.ly/SubscribeToWSLRNewsletter

Alerts

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Videos

🐦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.

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WSLR History

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 96.5 Community Radio

12/14/2024

12/13/2024

12/05/2024

12/04/2024

11/29/2024

11/19/2024

11/19/2024

11/18/2024

11/18/2024

11/17/2024

11/17/2024

11/16/2024

11/16/2024

11/15/2024

11/15/2024

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Videos

Main Street in downtown Sarasota at 5 pm Tuesday

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WSLR History