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 #934: The future of Chicago newsracks, Chicago Style celebrates local fashion history
9/7/2024
Mike Stephen learns about the disappearance of downtown newspaper racks from Brian Hieggelke, editor and publisher of Newcity and the chair of the Chicago Newsracks Task Force, and then talks to Illinois Humanities executive director Gabrielle Lyon and author Ayana Contreras to get a preview of an event that celebrates local fashion history called Chicago Style.
Duration:00:39:13
OTL #933: Illinois’ air pollution, Saxman Billy Harper’s story, Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition
8/31/2024
Mike Stephen discusses a new report about Illinois' air pollution with Julian Reif, professor at the University of Illinois, discovers saxman Billy Harper’s story, and learns about the good work of the Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition with executive director Dora Dantzler-Wright.
Duration:00:38:43
OTL #932: The Neighborhood Bridge, New music from Max McGathey, The legacy of the Uptown People’s Law Center
8/24/2024
Mike Stephen visits with Prentice Butler, executive director of a local organization that provides a bridge to success for Chicago families called The Neighborhood Bridge, gets the lowdown on local musician Maxx McGathey’s new music, and discusses the legacy of the Uptown People’s Law Center with retiring executive director Alan Mills.
Duration:00:37:57
OTL #931: The Tenant Trap, The Secret History of Fred Holstein
8/17/2024
Mike Stephen talks to Injustice Watch senior reporter Alejandra Cancino about how some Chicago renters are trapped in unsafe buildings while forced to pay rising rents and then dives into the Secret History of local folk legend Fred Holstein.
Duration:00:35:51
OTL #930: No Games Chicago, Inequities in mental health services for justice-involved youth
8/10/2024
Mike Stephen talks to community organizer Tom Tresser about his new book on the history of No Games Chicago and then talks to Maria Jose Luna, doctoral candidate in the clinical psychology program at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, about a new study that examines the inequities in mental health services for justice-involved youth.
Duration:00:38:38
OTL #929: Preserving Illinois wetlands, Red Spot Rhythm Section’s new music, The Secret History of William Warren
8/3/2024
Mike Stephen learns about efforts to preserve Illinois wetlands from Jennifer Bamberg, investigative reporter at Investigate Midwest, gets into Red Spot Rhythm Section’s new music with band founder Josh Siegal, and discovers the Secret History of Chicago blues drummer William Warren.
Duration:00:40:07
OTL #928: The future of additional dwelling units in Chicago, Money in the Chicago school board election, Hope for Homes Day
7/27/2024
Mike Stephen learns about Chicago City Council action regarding additional dwelling units from Cityscape Chicago founder and CEO Steven Vance, discusses the money flowing through the upcoming Chicago School Board election with Chalkbeat Chicago bureau chief Becky Vevea, and chats with La Case Norte executive director Jose Munoz about Hope for Homes Day: a day of giving to help end homelessness.
Duration:00:40:10
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