Chicago Public Media (CPM) today announced the launch of “The Vocalo Hotline,” a new weekly radio show designed to bring Chicago’s music culture to life through listener participation, artist interviews, and curated music discovery. Hosted by Nudia Hernandez, the show premieres Friday, May 29 at 8 p.m. on WBEZ 91.5 FM and Vocalo 91.1 FM, with a rebroadcast on Sundays at 10 p.m. on WBEZ.
With nearly two decades of deep community roots supporting the Chicago cultural scene, Vocalo is stepping into a new phase as Chicago’s trusted destination for music discovery, one that prioritizes people over algorithms. As the station continues on 91.1 FM, it is reinvesting in the brand and expanding across digital platforms, reaffirming its role as a hub for the sounds and music culture that define the city.
The launch is part of a broader investment in Vocalo’s future, supported in part by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
At the center of this evolution is “The Vocalo Hotline,” an interactive, one-hour broadcast built around listener requests, shout-outs, and conversation. The show is designed to come to life across digital experiences as well, capturing the energy of each episode through video, social clips, artist moments and real-time audience interaction. Each episode will feature a curated mix of genres spanning pop, hip-hop, R&B, house, dance and independent music, alongside artist interviews, emerging local talent and a roundup of cultural events across Chicago. This expansion also breathes new life into the Vocalo newsletter, recently redesigned to extend Vocalo’s brand to digital-first audiences. The newsletter will serve as a key touchpoint for episode highlights, featured playlists and exclusive interview content.
“It was a dream of mine to finally bring this show to life,” said Nudia Hernandez, host of “The Vocalo Hotline”. “This show is powered by our listeners. Their calls, their stories, their songs. We’re turning Chicago into a living mixtape.”
These initiatives are the latest expression of the impact Vocalo has been building since its inception. As the nation’s first 24/7 non-profit radio station dedicated to R&B, hip hop and jazz, Vocalo has long occupied a space no other station could. Where commercial radio overlooked Chicago’s richest sounds, Vocalo consistently elevated and amplified them. Vocalo has been an early champion of many artists who have gone on to national and international recognition, spotlighting and elevating homegrown talent. Its model proved so vital that it inspired similar non-profit radio formats across the country, including Denver and Milwaukee. Vocalo has done more than play music, it has built careers and become a launching pad for Chicago artists to expand their reach beyond the city limits.
With the reinvestment, that legacy gets a bold new platform. The launch will be supported by a marketing campaign centered on the idea that “Our playlist is human.” Building on its legacy as a local tastemaker, Vocalo will continue to be a destination where listeners hear something that resonates and think, “This is what Chicago sounds like.” For more information and to listen on demand, visit Vocalo.org.
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