Cleveland State University and Ideastream Public Media Announce Partnership to Oversee Programming of WCSB

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Oct. 3, 2025) - Cleveland State University (CSU) and Ideastream Public Media are excited to announce a new partnership for the University's public radio station WCSB.

Ideastream operates several public radio stations broadcasting regional and national news, educational programming, and jazz, folk and classical music. With this partnership, WCSB becomes Northeast Ohio's jazz radio station, JazzNEO, expanding its reach with the addition of an analog broadcast signal, ensuring that listeners across the region can enjoy a 24/7 jazz format radio station on conventional broadcast radio.

Jointly, Ideastream and CSU will develop paid and for-credit learning opportunities - including a wide selection of internships in journalism, television and radio production, marketing and graphic design - at a convenient and accessible location from our campus. At the Idea Center, students will be able to engage with local industry professionals and gain a deeper understanding of their commitment to community service and cultural enrichment.

"The decision to have Ideastream oversee WCSB programming is one step forward in our Cleveland State United vision, the strategic plan for our university launched earlier this year," says Dr. Laura Bloomberg, president of Cleveland State University. "CSU is uniquely embedded within the city of Cleveland, which provides students with opportunities to benefit from strategic partnerships like this one. We look forward to working with Ideastream to expand access to experiential and work-based learning."

Ideastream has been a vital news outlet for Northeast Ohio for more than 20 years. Its headquarters is located just steps away from the CSU main campus, and it currently shares space with CSU's School of Film & Media Arts.

"Jazz is one of America's most original art forms - and by expanding its reach on the airwaves, we're ensuring this music remains vibrant, accessible, and part of the cultural fabric of our community," said Kevin Martin, CEO and President, Ideastream Public Media. "We are deeply grateful to Cleveland State University's partnership in making this possible."

The CSU Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of the Ideastream Public Me

dia Board of Trustees both approved the agreement for Ideastream to oversee programming of the station at their respective meetings earlier today. The station retains its call letters, and CSU continues to maintain the Federal Communications Commission license.

CSU has identified a small number of WCSB nationality programs and is working with Ideastream so that these programs can continue to serve their communities on a near-term basis until they find new platforms for broadcast.

This new collaboration is the latest in a long line of formal and informal partnerships between Cleveland State University and Ideastream Public Media and its constituent stations - from CSU's Tower Music series on WCLV in the 1970s, to the years-long agreement between WCPN and CSU when the Cole Center housed WCPN's studios, to Ideastream's recently-instituted instruction for students attending CSU's School of Film & Media Arts.

Listeners can access the JazzNEO broadcast at 89.3 FM and ideastream.org. The expanded service is an extension of the February 2024 launch of JazzNEO on 90.3 HD2 and via online streaming at jazzneo.org. The service has quickly become a home for jazz lovers throughout the region. With the new analog signal, the station will now reach thousands more listeners who rely on traditional radio access.

Listeners can tune in to the new analog frequency at 89.3 effective Oct. 3, 2025. More information is available at ideastream.org/JazzNEO.

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About Cleveland State University
Founded in 1964, Cleveland State University is a public research institution located in the heart of Northeast Ohio with 14,000-plus students, eight colleges and more than 175 academic programs. Find more information at csuohio.edu.

About Ideastream Public Media
Ideastream Public Media serves as Ohio's largest independent, publicly supported media organization. Ideastream is the home of Northeast Ohio's PBS, NPR, and classical and jazz music public broadcasting stations: WVIZ, WKSU, WCLV and JazzNEO. Free programs and services are made available to 3.6 million people in 22 counties across radio, TV, and digital platforms. For more information, visit ideastream.org.