There's a particular kind of morning in New Orleans that only locals really know. You're stuck in traffic on I-10, the lake is doing that silver thing it does when the sun hits just right, and coming through the speakers is a voice telling you about a proposed wetlands restoration project south of Lafourche Parish. You didn't plan on caring about coastal sediment diversion at 7:45 a.m., but here you are, completely hooked. That's WWNO 89.9 FM, New Orleans' public radio station, doing what it has done since 1972: making you smarter about the place you love while you sit in traffic that hasn't improved since 1972 either.
Born on the Lakefront: WWNO and the University of New Orleans
WWNO signed on the air on February 20, 1972, broadcasting from the campus of what had just been renamed the University of New Orleans (previously Louisiana State University in New Orleans, because apparently the original name wasn't enough of a mouthful). The station was the brainchild of UNO Chancellor Homer Hitt and history professor Dr. Joseph G. Tregle Jr., who convinced Congressman Hale Boggs to help secure a broadcast license. From day one, WWNO was an NPR affiliate, connecting a city that has always done things its own way to the wider world of national news and public affairs.
The UNO connection isn't just a licensing technicality. The station lives on the Lakefront campus, and that relationship has given generations of students hands-on experience in journalism and broadcasting. It's the kind of real-world training you can't get from a textbook, much like you can't learn to pronounce Tchoupitoulas from a textbook either.
Your Morning Companion: NPR Meets New Orleans
As New Orleans' NPR affiliate, WWNO is the bridge between our peculiar little city and the rest of the planet. Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Fresh Air: the national programming that millions of Americans rely on comes through 89.9 here. But what makes WWNO special isn't just that it carries NPR. It's what happens in between, when local reporters turn the mic toward the stories that shape life in Southeast Louisiana.
The station broadcasts local newscasts throughout the weekday at 6 a.m., 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. And beyond the flagship 89.9 signal, WWNO operates Classical 104.9 FM and KTLN 90.5 FM serving the Houma-Thibodaux area, plus jazz on the HD3 channel. If you believe that a city's radio dial says something about its soul, New Orleans is doing just fine.
Journalism That Hits Home: Covering the Stories That Matter
This is where WWNO really earns its keep. The station's reporting covers the issues that define life in New Orleans and coastal Louisiana with a depth that daily deadline journalism often can't match. Their Coastal Desk has been documenting Louisiana's land loss crisis for years, telling the story of a coastline that disappears at the rate of a football field every hour. If you've ever worn a Make Wetlands Not War shirt and had someone ask what it means, WWNO's reporting is the long answer.
Beyond the coast, WWNO covers criminal justice reform, education policy, public health, racial and economic equity, and the politics of a state that keeps things interesting whether you want it to or not. Their commitment to illuminating power structures and addressing the region's stark disparities has made them essential reading (well, listening) for anyone who wants to understand how New Orleans actually works, not just how it looks on a postcard.
TriPod, Louisiana Considered, and the Local Programming That Sets WWNO Apart
WWNO has built a roster of local shows and podcasts that are genuinely worth your time. TriPod: New Orleans at 300, produced in collaboration with the Historic New Orleans Collection and UNO's Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies, is a history podcast that treats the city's past with the curiosity and care it deserves. Each episode is its own micro-documentary, exploring everything from Haiti's influence on the city to the lost stories buried in the back pages of 300 years of history. For anyone who wears a Fleur de Lis and wants to know the deeper story behind it, TriPod delivers.
Then there's Louisiana Considered, the daily show that airs at noon and serves as South Louisiana's conversation with itself. It's a collaboration between WWNO and WRKF in Baton Rouge, featuring interviews with journalists, newsmakers, and artists. Monday through Friday, it's the show that tells you what's actually happening in your state right now.
Two Pillars of Public Radio: WWNO and WWOZ
You can't talk about WWNO without talking about its sibling on the dial, WWOZ 90.7 FM. Together they form the two pillars of New Orleans public radio, and the division of labor is beautiful. WWOZ is the city's musical soul, broadcasting jazz, brass band, R&B, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, and everything else that makes New Orleans the music capital of the world. WWNO is the city's informed conscience, delivering the news and analysis that helps us understand the forces shaping our home. One feeds your spirit; the other feeds your mind. Both are listener-supported. Both are irreplaceable. If you've ever rocked a Listen To Your City tee, you already get it.
When the Storm Came: WWNO During Hurricane Katrina
When Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005, WWNO's role as a community lifeline was put to the ultimate test. Before the storm, General Manager Chuck Miller called in extra staff, dropped the regular programming, and broadcast nothing but evacuation routes, traffic updates, and emergency information to the 86,000 weekly listeners who depended on the station. Four staff members rode out the early hours of the storm at the station before Miller ordered evacuation.
Katrina destroyed nearly 200 feet of WWNO's transmission line and flooded the UNO campus. The station went dark. But Miller, Music Director James Arey, and a skeleton crew refused to let the silence last. They broadcast via satellite from Georgia Public Broadcasting's studios, working double shifts for three months. Program Director Fred Kasten set up a makeshift studio in his damaged Uptown home, assembling a team of reporters who helped paint an authentic picture of the city's slow, painful, and ultimately triumphant recovery. In a city that was telling the world Be A New Orleanian Wherever You Are, WWNO was the station that kept being New Orleans, even when New Orleans was underwater.
Why Local Public Radio Still Matters in New Orleans
In a media landscape where local newsrooms keep shrinking, WWNO's commitment to deep, accountable journalism about Southeast Louisiana is more important than ever. This is a city dealing with rising seas, a complicated criminal justice system, an education landscape that was rebuilt from scratch after Katrina, and cultural traditions that need thoughtful coverage from people who actually understand them. WWNO provides all of that, free and over the air, funded by members who believe that good local journalism is worth supporting.
New Orleans has always been a city that runs on conversation, on knowing your neighbors and understanding the forces that shape your block, your parish, your coast. WWNO is part of that conversation. It's the station that makes you late for work because you had to hear the end of a story about a second line parade route dispute, or a segment on how Vietnamese fishermen in eastern New Orleans rebuilt their community after the oil spill. It's public radio in the truest sense: radio that belongs to the public, made for a public that cares about this strange, beautiful, maddening, irreplaceable city.
Turn the dial to 89.9. Or stream it on your phone while you're making groceries. Either way, you'll be a little more informed about this place, and a little more grateful to call it home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What frequency is WWNO in New Orleans?
WWNO broadcasts at 89.9 FM in New Orleans. The station also operates Classical 104.9 FM and KTLN 90.5 FM in the Houma-Thibodaux area.
Is WWNO an NPR station?
Yes, WWNO has been an NPR affiliate since it first signed on in 1972. It carries national NPR programming like Morning Edition and All Things Considered alongside its own local journalism and shows like Louisiana Considered.
What is the difference between WWNO and WWOZ?
WWNO (89.9 FM) is New Orleans' NPR news and information station, covering local and national news, while WWOZ (90.7 FM) is the city's community music station, broadcasting jazz, brass band, R&B, and other genres rooted in New Orleans' musical traditions. Together they form the two pillars of public radio in the city.
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