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On a personal note, before I moved to this state, I met a bookseller who recommended WCSB to me and was instantly delighted by the range and unique array of genre and programming. WCSB became one of the reasons I was excited to move to Cleveland.
Learning that Cleveland State abruptly handed over WCSB’s programming to Ideastream’s JazzNEO, with solely smooth jazz 24/7, felt like betrayal — especially to the students who poured so much of their hearts into that place.
It was said that this “move will bring more opportunity to the students.” But look at what they’ve done:
-They silenced their creative freedom.
-They stripped away the diversity of voices and genres that defined WCSB.
-They replaced a dynamic, community-rooted learning ground with something bland and sterile.
-They delivered this change with no notice, no real consultation, and no apparent respect.
This is not transformation. This is confiscation. Do you know what they’ve taken from Cleveland? They’ve taken a platform for voices nobody else would hear. They’ve taken a space where students could experiment, fail, learn, push boundaries, and connect with the city. They’ve taken a bridge between campus and community. They’ve taken history.
I understand that universities must evolve, and that financial concerns and strategic shifts are real. But they do not have to throw the baby out with the bathwater. They do not have to silence thousands to “modernize.” They can preserve the station’s soul and explore new paths.
Here’s what I hope will happen:
They’ll reverse the takeover, or at least restore a portion of the student-run freeform programming.
Establish real, binding guarantees — in writing — that the students will retain control over content and scheduling.
Reopen channels of dialogue: host public forums, involve students, alumni, and community members in deciding the station’s future.
Commit to transparency about how this decision was made, who benefited, and how “opportunity” will be real and meaningful (not just lip service).
If they want to talk about “shared governance,” “equity,” or “community engagement,” start by restoring WCSB. Let the people they claim to serve have a voice again. I and many others in Cleveland will be watching and waiting. I hope they do the right thing. Return our radio station. Don’t let this legacy be erased by bureaucratic indifference.
Sincerely,
Erika Karl
Cleveland resident
Proposing to leave the City of Cleveland for a mixed-use development immediately adjacent to the airport, Haslam Sports Group (HSG) sends a clear message: Cleveland, the battered but still beating heart of Northeast Ohio, isn't worth visiting, and isn't worth investing in. Fly in, eat at HSG-owned restaurants, stay in an HSG-owned hotel, go to a game, and fly out the next day. All without ever setting foot in a single one of Cleveland's vibrant neighborhoods, or experiencing what this great city has to offer. Cleveland's best sales pitch is the experience people have here, but if people never set foot in the city, it is a hard sell due to uninformed national narratives.
There are two equitable options for settlement of this case. First, very simply, HSG abandons all plans to relocate the stadium development outside of the City of Cleveland. The stadium belongs in an accessible, densely populated area, where the investment complements and enhances attractions and amenities, not detracts from them. The City has already agreed to massive contributions, perhaps there are additional incentives that would make this settlement more enticing to HSG? Any urban planner will tell you, this is how revitalization and economic growth begins (Reference Arena District, Columbus). Burke Airport is the obvious solution to the issue of space and parking concerns if the existing land is unsuitable, but there are various other locations throughout downtown and the inner neighborhoods that would be appropriate as well.
The second equitable alternative would be for the City leverage the precedent set in '95/'96 where the City was granted rights to the team's identity prior to the franchise's move to Baltimore. In this scenario, Cleveland would "license" the name "Cleveland Browns" to HSG for (in my opinion) no less than $50M/year as long as the team plays outside the City of Cleveland. That money would be channeled directly into an infrastructure fund to be accessed by developers and companies looking to redevelop areas within the city, particularly downtown and on the lakefront, with special emphasis placed on attraction larger corporations looking to relocate. This scenario, if managed properly, would foster growth and development for decades rather than just a few years, and would go a long way change the current narrative that HSG doesn't believe Cleveland is worth investing in.
Again, I urge the Mayor and Council to reconsider and fight for an outcome that will benefit our city for decades.
Thank you for your consideration.
People from the east side will not want to travel to Brook Park. Downtown was the PERFECT in between for east and west siders. Real fans do NOT want this.
Turning the airwaves of WCSB over to Ideastream to be run as a pre-programmed jazz station is a terrible idea. I can’t imagine that those involved really thought it through before going ahead with this deal, or that they knew what they were doing. I understand that Ideastream seems to just want to take over as many FM radio stations as it can get its hands on, without regard to the impact on the local community. But this is not serving the public interest. And what is the long-term goal, here? WCSB as a student and community-run station has built up an incredibly loyal listening base over these 50 years. Have Ideastream and CSU thought about how long the Jazz-Neo station will run? How much of the community will be served? Will this station still be running in 50 years? Or even 20 years? While there may be a segment of the public who will listen to a pre-programmed jazz station, I can guarantee that no one will love this new station, no one will be passionate about it, and it will never have the life-changing impact on anyone that the real WCSB has had on so many people over the years.
I support the Cleveland City Council Resolution to urge CSU and Ideastream to return radio station WCSB to the students and communities that have built and run it for the past 50 years, to support the station so that it can continue in its mission of serving our diverse communities, and I would like to see a pledge in place that CSU will never again make a decision for the station that leaves the station members out of the process. I look forward to the next 50 years of our beloved WCSB!