I HEAR IT. I LIKE IT. WHAT IS IT?
99.1 FM WQRT-LP is a non-commercial, experimental on-air home for contemporary art, music, and community. Licensed by the FCC with a reach of most of the city of Indianapolis, Indiana (500,000+ people), WQRT is owned and managed by Big Car Collaborative — a nonprofit arts organization and cross-discipline collective of artists. With the help of volunteers, we broadcast from Listen Hear — our sound-art space and audio studio in the Garfield Park neighborhood.
LP (low-power) means that this is a short but impressive terrestrial radio signal traveling on the airwaves. WQRT is designed to reach our local community and to be small on purpose. With the added bonus of streaming worldwide, by popular demand. We're looking forward to learning and growing together in creative ways.
While the music rolls, you'll notice that we're adding more educational, cultural and community programming. As it ramps up, we hope that it will include YOU. Contact us if you'd like to be involved, become a sponsor or underwriter, or have ideas to share.
WHAT'S PLAYING?
Here's what kinds of music (local and otherwise) you can expect to hear on WQRT, with community programs added in as available:
WEEKDAYS
Rhinestone Country | overnight until 9am
classic country for walkin' after midnight and sitting in rush hour traffic
In the Gnosis | 9am to 11am
ambient, experimental, & classical
Utopia & Visions | 11am to 2pm
a musical odyssey that blurs the lines between jazz, ambient, electronic, & experimental
Jazz Odyssey | 2pm to 4pm
a rich blend of classic, contemporary, and experimental jazz
Evening Radio | 4pm to 8pm
Mondays: Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio - a wild ride with the trailblazers of rock
Tuesdays: VIBE - rhythms from around the globe
Wednesdays: Global Drift - avant pop, krautrock, tropicalia, and more
Thursdays: Soul Glow - boost of classic soul, funk, and jazz
Fridays: The Vault - golden era of hip-hop from ‘85 through ‘90s
Cruise Control | 8pm to overnight
big time mix of local bands, rock, electronic, hip hop, & more
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SATURDAY
Saturday Volunteer Curated Block (In Development) | 8am to midnight
as many NEW locally curated shows as we can fit in, mixed with soul, rock, & hip hop
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SUNDAY
Sounds Mass | 12am - 2am
electro-acoustic, musique concrete, drone, and experimental classical
Furniture Music | 2am - 11am
ambient & classical
Rhinestone Country | Sunday 11am to overnight
classic country for walkin' after midnight and sitting in rush hour traffic
EXAMPLES OF PAST & PRESENT SHOWS ON WQRT
Community-produced programming is our jam. Check out what your friends and neighbors are putting on the air. Let us know if you want to get in on that, too.
Community Conversations
As part of Big Car Collaborative, we get to meet a lot of amazing people doing amazing things. We’ll share those conversations every chance we get! Previous interviews and specials are archived here.
Inter-Dimensional Music by Daniel Chamberlin
Fridays @ noon + Mondays @ 8 p.m.
ID Music is heavy music for mellow people that travels from yin to yang and back again. Dig psychedelic dirges and long-form heavy metal combos with Cosmic Chambo. Previous episodes here.
Jazz Perspective with Ralph Adams
Fridays at 2 p.m.
Let Ralph guide you through America's great art form honoring legends like Freddy Hubbard, J.J. Johnson, Wes Montgomery, and more. PLUS a whole second hour of Rob Dixon's Mayor's Ball— packed with incredible Indy musicians—recorded at The Mousetrap.
A Vagrant Hum with Pete Iverson
Biweekly Monday @ 11 a.m. and the following Tuesday @ 8 p.m.
Your xenial xenagogue on a less-travelled path to music that is strange, wonderful, and obscure.
Previous episodes here.
Local Music Hour by Musical Family Tree
Local non-profit and Indiana music archive spotlighting musicians, interviews, and events across Indiana.
Visit MFT’s site here.
Flick Fix with Anne Laker
Some Fridays @ 11:30 a.m. + Saturdays @ 3 p.m.
You know you need it. Get your flick fix with Anne Laker and guests as they muse on movies new and old. Previous episodes here.
Mass Exodus by Joel Adams
Pulsating rhythms for the drive home—gothic, industrial, new wave, retro wave, Ital disco, and more with your host who’s lived it all. Previous episodes here.
The Purple Crown Show with Mr. Kinetic
Saturdays @ 9 p.m.
Exist in the infinite with a solid dose of multigenerational funky soul music featuring hits, album cuts, and special gems for you to add to your crown.
Club Plex Radio
Design Minded by Lee Alig and Steve Mannheimer
Monthly
Exploring how design impacts our physical environment and quality of life in Indianapolis — sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
Previous episodes here.
Chreece Radio
The Indianapolis Hip Hop festival is now on the airwaves playing nothing but Indiana Hip Hop and R&B. More here.
WQRT coverage in Indianapolis
(100 watts, concentrated in
Center Township)