Listener Powered, Rule Free

Welcome to Bare Wires—where we trace the signals that keep culture human. Today we’re talking with Ken Freedman, the longtime steward of WFMU, ​the oldest freeform radio station in the ​United States: 100% listener-supported, zero corporate sponsors, and DJs who play whatever the hell they want. For ​over 40 years, Ken has helped build not just a station, but a community—an oasis for ​e​ccentrics, artists, and curious minds chasing ​frequencies beyond the norm. We’ll dig into how he found his way into radio, what shaped his restless creativity, and why—now more than ever—live human DJs matter in a world run by algorithms.