Stay Informed: The Top Public News Radio Stations in the USA
Senior Editor and Researcher
If you want to catch up on the latest news, tune your radio to a public news station.
However, unlike other radio stations, where many have a similar format, news radio channels can vary significantly depending on various aspects.
For that reason, picking the right radio station can be tricky, especially with all the available options.
This guide will help you choose the ideal station by taking you through the USA’s top public news radio stations.
1. Bloomberg Radio – WBBR
Available: Online or at 1130 kHz (New York, New York)
Let’s start with one of the most reliable and popular radio stations regarding the news and talk format.
WBBR, also known as Bloomberg Radio or Bloomberg Eleven Three O, is an AM radio station that serves the New York metropolitan area.
The radio station is the flagship of the Bloomberg L.P. radio service, offering all kinds of radio news programming, including general news reports all day.
Besides general news, Bloomberg is an excellent news source for those with a particular interest in business and finance.
The station also airs special financial news reports and local interviews with economists, industry analysts, experts, and corporate executives.
The radio station is a great information resource if you’re a stock market investor or want to keep up with general news while maintaining neutrality and authenticity.
WBBR is also one of the oldest stations still running today, as the independent radio station was established over a century ago!
Besides the AM radio frequency, you can also listen to Bloomberg radio via Audacity or iHeartRadio.
2. WAMU
Available: Online or at 88.5 MHz (Washington, D.C.)
WAMU is one of the most popular public radio stations to adopt a news/talk format.
The station serves the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and is considered one of the most reliable general news sources.
The station is rated a left-center biased station by Media Bias Fact Checker with high factual reporting.
The radio station was established in July 1951 as a carrier current station, meaning it wasn’t recognized by the FCC back then.
After a decade of its first launch, it aired as an FM station for the first time.
The radio station is owned and operated by the board of trustees of the American University.
The station’s schedule includes a range of news and talk format programming, mainly aired on weekdays, including many National Public Radio syndicated shows.
However, the station breaks away from the conventional news/talk format on weekends, focusing more on entertainment programming. This makes it perfect for those looking for a more diverse radio experience.
3. WJR
Available: Online or at 760 kHz (Detroit, Michigan)
Another radio station that has been around for over a decade is WJR, which first aired in May 1922.
The privately-owned radio station is licensed to Detroit and serves Southeast Michigan.
Cumulus Media owns WJR, which is a conservative-leaning company that manages many radio stations all over the country.
Besides its original AM frequency, the station is simulcast on 96.3 Mhz via WDVD FM, and you can also listen to the station online through the official website.
Although WJR broadcasts public news, it also adopts a talk radio format, including talk shows about politics and local sports.
The station airs local shows from popular radio personalities, including Paul W. Smith, Mitch Albom, Kevin Dietz, and Tom Jordan.
WJR also broadcasts nationally syndicated radio shows, such as Red Eye Radio.
4. WFSX FM
Available: Online or 92.5 MHz (Estero, Florida)
Next, we have WFSX FM, a radio station licensed to Estero, Florida, serving the Fort Myers-Naples area of Southwest Florida.
Unlike the previously-mentioned radio station, WSFX FM is a relatively new player in the public news/talk radio scene, as the station used to focus on oldies and country music until 2009.
The station is part of Fox News Network and owned by Sun Broadcasting, and it airs Fox News updates regularly around the clock.
Throughout the rest of the day, the station airs talk shows, including local and nationally syndicated ones.
The station broadcasts special talk shows, such as Daybreak with Drew Steele, which airs every morning on weekdays, and the afternoon drive show, The Drive with Trey Radel.
5. WXJB
Available: Online or at 99.9 MHz (Homosassa, Florida)
WXJB is a commercial radio station licensed to Homosassa, Florida, serving the Nature Coast area.
The station adopts a news/talk format and is privately owned by Hernando Broadcasting Company, Inc.
The station was established in February 2007 by radio personality George S. Flinn, Jr.
Like WFSX FM, WXJB is also affiliated with Fox News Radio, which is why the two stations share a variety of syndicated radio shows from popular hosts.
WXJB is known for its popular local news/talk show, The Nature Coast Morning News with Mike Reeves, as well as airing local and public news updates throughout the day.
Besides news and local programming, the station features a variety of syndicated shows, such as Wall Street Journal This Morning and Coast to Coast AM, and shows hosted by Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, and Brian Kilmeade.
6. WCBS Newsradio 880
Available: Online or at 880 kHz (New York, New York)
WCBS is a private radio station owned and operated by Audacity, serving the New York Metropolitan Area, with the signal heard throughout most of the eastern United States and eastern Canada.
The radio station is directly affiliated with CBS News Radio and is the network’s flagship radio station.
The station was launched in 1924, broadcasting yacht events and horse races.
However, the station shifted its format multiple times during its early years, including music and talk formats, until it settled on the all-news format in the early 1950s.
Besides general news, WCBS broadcasts sports news and has been the flagship station of MLB’s New York Mets on multiple occasions.
7. KLIF
Available: Online or at 570 kHz (Dallas, Texas)
KLIF is one of the oldest commercial news stations licensed to Dallas, Texas, as it was established over 100 years ago as KGKO and several other call signs.
Back then, the station wasn’t mainly focused on news but switched to its current format in the early 1980s.
The station swapped between news/talk and all-news format several times later.
Cumulus Media has owned the station since 2005, which maintains its affiliation with Fox News Radio to this day.
Serving the Dallas metroplex, the station mainly airs nationally syndicated programs from hosts like Ben Shapiro, Michael J. Knowles, and George Noory. It also has a local morning news show co-hosted by Amy Chodroff and Dave Williams.
Besides news, the weekend includes various shows about other topics, such as home improvement, cars, and economics, making it suitable for those who prefer variety.
8. WNYC FM
Available: Online or 93.9 MHz (New York, New York)
WNYC is a non-commercial news radio station from New York City and serves the entire New York metropolitan area.
The station was launched in March 1943 when it started as an AM station but later switched to its current radio frequency while keeping the AM one.
WNYC FM is also known for hosting one of the earliest quiz radio shows in the US.
New York Public Radio owns the station, which includes broadcasting professionals and journalists. That allows the station to host local shows along with nationally syndicated ones.
The station also airs other local and syndicated shows tackling topics such as politics, economics, culture, etc.
9. WBBM
Available: Online or at 780 kHz – 105.9 MHz (Chicago, Illinois)
This one is also known as Newsradio 105.9 WBBM.
As the name suggests, the station specializes in the news format, airing an hourly news wheel all day long that includes various segments about breaking news, weather, traffic, business updates, and sports.
The class A station was first licensed around a century ago and is owned by Audacity Inc, mainly serving the Chicago metropolitan area.
Many notable radio figures are considered WBBM alums, such as Mal Bellairs, Harry Caray, Brian Davis, Chris Berry, and more.
The station has both AM and FM radio frequencies, and you can also listen to it online on the Audacity app.
10. WBUR
Available: Online or 90.9 MHz (Boston, Massachusetts)
Last but not least, we have one of the most popular NPR news radio stations in the United States.
WBUR mainly serves the Greater Boston area, but most of its programming is not locally oriented.
The station specializes in the news/talk format, running a wide range of nationally syndicated shows, such as Here and Now, On Point, and Open Source.
Additionally, the station has produced several local shows over the years, including Car Talk and Only a Game.
The station also broadcasts a Boston-oriented talk show called RadioBoston since 2007.
WBUR was launched in March 1950 by the Trustees Board of Boston University, and its call sign is an abbreviation for Boston University Radio.
The Best News Radio Station in the United States
We hope this guide helps you pick the right radio channel to keep you updated with all the latest news all day.
Keep in mind that these stations may have different political agendas and different balances between local and nationwide news, so it might take you some trial and error before settling on the one that suits you best.
