Outside the Loop RADIO
Local Music
Outside the Loop RADIO is Chicago's Almost Above-Ground Audio Magazine. Founded as a podcast in September 2006 and picked up for broadcast by Chicago Sound Alliance WLUW 88.7-FM in March 2007, "OTL" now airs on Chicago's Very Own 50,000-watt heritage powerhouse station WGN Radio 720-AM. Storyteller and urbanologist Mike Stephen hosts this weekly program featuring fun segments and interviews with local newsmakers, artists, musicians, and others doing cool stuff around the greater Chicago area. The show covers topics stories that don't always get mainstream media attention... and it's all presented with a strong and independent Chicago slant. http://outsidetheloopradio.com
Location:
United States
Description:
Outside the Loop RADIO is Chicago's Almost Above-Ground Audio Magazine. Founded as a podcast in September 2006 and picked up for broadcast by Chicago Sound Alliance WLUW 88.7-FM in March 2007, "OTL" now airs on Chicago's Very Own 50,000-watt heritage powerhouse station WGN Radio 720-AM. Storyteller and urbanologist Mike Stephen hosts this weekly program featuring fun segments and interviews with local newsmakers, artists, musicians, and others doing cool stuff around the greater Chicago area. The show covers topics stories that don't always get mainstream media attention... and it's all presented with a strong and independent Chicago slant. http://outsidetheloopradio.com
Twitter:
@outsidetheloop
Language:
English
Contact:
Outside the Loop WGN Radio 435 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611
Episodes
OTL #927: Injustice Watch’s judicial election guide, Revisiting Chicago Rents, The Secret History of Avondale Electric
7/20/2024
Mike Stephen learns about the upcoming judicial election guide from Injustice Watch with senior reporter Carlos Ballesteros, revisits an initiative that provides housing opportunities for Chicagoans, and discovers the Secret History of North Side rockers Avondale Electric.
Duration:00:42:28
OTL #926: Remembering the Chicago Race Riot of 1919, Police settlement transparency ordinance, Removing lead pipes in Chicago
7/13/2024
Mike Stephen discusses the significance of the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 with Peter Cole, founder and co-director of the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project, learns about a proposed ordinance aimed at improving police settlement transparency from Tracy Siska, executive director of the Chicago Justice Project, and gets an update on Chicago’s effort to remove lead water service lines from local writer Miles MacClure.
Duration:00:44:03
OTL #925: Local metalpoint art, New music from Joe Di Zillo, The Secret History of Jackie DeShannon
7/6/2024
Mike Stephen chats with local metalpoint artist D. Lammie-Hanson, gets the lowdown on new tunes from Chicago musician Joe Di Zillo, and discovers the Secret History of local singer Jackie DeShannon.
Duration:00:37:53
OTL #924: The impact of Hope Chicago
6/29/2024
Mike Stephen visits the Hope Chicago Goal Getters 2024 Conference at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Hope Chicago is a scholarship-focused non-profit designed to provide students and their parents/guardians with the support they need to graduate from college debt-free. We learn about the amazing work of this local nonprofit from program manager Joeysha Dobbins, scholar Diana Solano, and parent of a scholar April Kern.
Duration:00:38:10
OTL #923: Tutoring and tech’s impact in schools, The Secret History of Motorhome
6/22/2024
Mike Stephen learns about the latest education research showing the benefits of tutoring combined with educational technology in schools from John Wolf and Monica Bhatt of the University of Chicago Education Lab and then discovers the Secret History of 1990s Chicago fuzzy pop-rockers Motorhome.
Duration:00:39:01
OTL #922: Illinois’ hands-off approach to homeschooling, The legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks
6/15/2024
Mike Stephen explores the impacts of the lack of homeschooling regulation in Illinois with Capitol News investigative reporters Beth Hundsdorfer and Molly Parker and then discusses the legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks with her daughter and president of Brooks Permissions: Nora Brooks Blakely.
Duration:00:37:22
OTL #921: How do Chicagoans consume their news?, Plant-based school lunch options, The Secret History of The Pearl Handle Band
6/8/2024
Mike Stephen dives into a new report about how Chicagoans consume and perceive their local news with Tim Franklin, director of the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University, learns about the option for plant-based school lunches in Illinois with Balanced founder Audrey Lawson-Sanchez, and discovers the Secret History of The Pearl Handle Band.
Duration:00:47:52
OTL #920: Why did Bring Chicago Home fail?, Jerry Smith on The Flock reunion
6/1/2024
Mike Stephen talks to Roberta Garner, professor emerita of sociology at DePaul University, about why the Bring Chicago Home initiative failed and then chats with Jerry Smith of The Flock about that band’s upcoming reunion show. Jerry shares some great stories about his time in the music business.
Duration:00:46:46
OTL #919: A local education update, The Secret History of the Drew-Vels
5/25/2024
Mike Stephen welcomes Chalkbeat reporter Reema Amin to discuss the latest on Chicago Public Schools’ position on police officers in schools and how schools are funded and then discovers the Secret History of the 1960s soul group from Evanston: The Drew-Vels.
Duration:00:37:12
OTL #918: A failure of local government, Simon’s Tavern turns 90, New local music from Brett Ratner
5/18/2024
Mike Stephen learns how the Chicago Housing Authority allows for nefarious deeds on some of its vacant properties from Block Club Chicago investigative editor and reporter Mick Dumke, celebrates 90 years of Andersonville’s Simon’s Tavern, and chats with local musician Brett Ratner about his new instrumental rock.
Duration:00:37:32
OTL #917: The Takeout 25 Effect, Chicago Truck Data Portal, The Secret History of Charlie Schmidt
5/11/2024
Mike Stephen learns about a new book about the impact of the local nonprofit Takeout 25 called The Takeout 25 Effect: Mobilizing for Positive Change with author Ravi Parakkat, explores a project mapping high concentration of truck traffic in Chicago called the Chicago Truck Data Portal with Jose Acosta Cordova of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, and discovers the Secret History of local fingerpicking guitar master Charlie Schmidt.
Duration:00:48:07
OTL #916: Should Chicago lower its speed limit?, Is Mayor Johnson incompetent or inexperienced?, Revisiting Chicago as a cycling city
5/4/2024
Mike Stephen discusses the possibility of Chicago lowering its speed limit with Active Transportation Alliance managing director of advocacy Jim Merrell, explores the debate around Mayor Johnson’s possible incompetence or inexperience with Chicago Magazine contributing editor Ted McClelland, and revisits the topic of Chicago’s bikeability.
Duration:00:39:10
OTL #915: Unpacking Chicago’s community map, The West Side Spring Book Fair, The Secret History of Plastics Hi-Fi
4/27/2024
Mike Stephen learns about the significance of Chicago’s community map from and explores the possibility of updating it with Emily Talen, professor of urbanism and director of the Urbanism Lab at the University of Chicago, discusses the importance of literacy on the West Side of the city with founder of The Queen Within, Bridgett McGill, and discovers the Secret History of 1990s psychedelic rockers Plastics Hi-Fi.
Duration:00:42:23
OTL #914: Women Employed fighting for workplace equity, Arionne Nettles’ new book on Black culture in Chicago
4/20/2024
Mike Stephen discusses the gender pay gap and efforts to combat it with Ibie Hart, director of business development at Women Employed, and then chats with local journalist Arionne Nettles about her new book entitled We Are the Culture: Black Chicago's Influence on Everything.
Duration:00:39:03
OTL #913: Unsafe water in Illinois prisons, The work of the Uptown People's Law Center, The Secret History of E. Parker McDougal
4/13/2024
Mike Stephen learns about the deteriorating conditions inside Illinois prisons from Alan Mills, executive director of the Uptown People's Law Center, and then discovers the Secret History of Chicago tenor sax player E. Parker McDougal.
Duration:00:37:46
OTL #912: Paid Chicago school board members?, HelloBaby’s great work, Mark Lofgren’s new music
4/6/2024
Mike Stephen discusses the possibility of paying Chicago school board members with Becky Vevea, bureau chief of Chalkbeat Chicago, learns about the important work of HelloBaby on the South Side from founder and executive director Debbie Frisch, and chats with local musician Mark Lofgren about his new album.
Duration:00:42:10
OTL #911: Vacant land near local transit, Preserving local history, The Secret History of Hip Linkchain
3/30/2024
Mike Stephen learns about the significance of vacant land near local transit hubs from Geoff Smith, executive director of the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University, discusses the historical significance of Stateville Correctional Center with Leila Wills, executive director of the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party, and discovers the Secret History of local blues guitar powerhouse Hip Linkchain.
Duration:00:43:06
OTL #910: The future of journalism, Share Our Spare helping families in Chicago and beyond
3/23/2024
Mike Stephen discusses the future of journalism at the Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association conference with Jason Block, multimedia communications teacher at Prospect High School, and learns about the important work of the Chicago-based organization called Share Our Spare. This organization helps families in need and executive director Alex Goodfellow discusses their efforts.
Duration:00:36:45
OTL #909: A new music venue in Forest Park, Dolph Chaney’s new music, The Secret History of Shanta Nurullah
3/16/2024
Mike Stephen explores Robert's Westside, a new music venue in Forest Park, and talks to venue founder Donnie Biggins, learns about local musician Dolph Chaney’s new music, and discovers the Secret History of local sitar player Shanta Nurullah.
Duration:00:42:45
OTL #908: From prison to Ph.D, The challenges of keeping community media afloat
3/9/2024
Mike Stephen learns about the incredible story of Dr. Stanley Andrisse, endocrinologist and assistant professor at the Howard University College of Medicine, who was formerly incarcerated and is now a scientist and executive director of From Prison Cells to Ph.D and then discusses the challenges of local community media with Justin Kerr, publisher of the McKinley Park News.
Duration:00:42:47