Listeners to WBEZ-FM 91.5 may have noticed an abrupt change in the programming schedule Wednesday morning after a power outage shut down operations at the Chicago public radio station’s Navy Pier studios.
The outage occurred around 9:30 a.m. during the “In the Loop” program with Sasha-Ann Simons. The station was able to continue broadcasting its local programming on a backup power system, but the outage also knocked off the heat, forcing the on-air staff to vacate as the temperatures in the studios began to drop.
At about 10 a.m., WBEZ switched to a network feed from the BBC, unable to air the regularly scheduled “Say More” show with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith.
“We kept things on until we realized we had to leave the studios,” WBEZ spokesperson Victor Lim told the Tribune. “We had to leave the office for safety concerns.”
ComEd was still investigating the ongoing outage as of 2 p.m., with no projection as to when employees would be able to return to the studios to resume local programming, Lim said.
WBEZ, the highly rated NPR station, offers a mix of local and network programming throughout the day. It normally airs NPR syndicated shows such as “Fresh Air,” “Here and Now” and “All Things Considered” in the afternoon, but with regular local news inserts.
BBC was still airing on WBEZ as of 2 p.m., with no local news, Lim said.
WBEZ sent an email to listeners this afternoon about the “disruption” and power outage, thanking them for staying with the station during the temporary switch to BBC programming.
“We’ll keep you updated as soon as we’re back up and running,” the station told listeners via email.
WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times are co-owned by Chicago Public Media, after the radio station and newspaper merged under the nonprofit organization in January 2022.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/10/wbez-power-outage-navy-pier/
