The Improper Bostonian - July 2005
BEST USE OF LOCAL AIRWAVES
WUMB-FM, UMass Boston

"The year was 2001, and Christopher Lydon was shopping for a new home for his talk show. Following a very public dismissal as host of WBUR's The Connection, Lydon pitched a number of stations, including WUMB, a public radio station at UMass Boston, which turned him down. As media critic Dan Kennedy wrote in the Boston Phoenix in 2001, WUMB's general manager had concerns about disrupting the station's format. "With no disrespect for folk music," Lydon said, his show would've "put that station and that university into the general conversation, where some people think it belongs." Apparently, some people thought it was already there. With a passionate on-air staff and an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary acoustic music, WUMB has carved out a niche as America's only full-time folk station, while live streaming has extended its reach to an international audience. And Lydon? He finally returned to public radio with Open Source on WGBH-FM. Guess it's all a matter of the right connection."

WUMB is proud to be the recipient of The Improper Bostonian's 2005 Best of Boston Award for "Best Use of Local Airwaves."