Radio Milwaukee’s (WYMS-88.9FM) new Urban Alternative channel will be called HYFIN, a name that signals the full spectrum of Black music that will be played, the station announced Friday.

“A hyphen is a connector that bridges the gap between words or parts of words, bringing them together,” HYFIN Program Director Tarik Moody said. “That’s how HYFIN will function – as a bond between multiple styles of Black music, connecting the culture.”

“The name also represents the many  identities within our community. Like the music we will play, our community cannot fit neatly into a single box. We are artists-mothers-dancers and friends-foodies-gamers. Rather than trying to find a name that encapsulates all of our hopes for this channel, we embraced an identity that emphasizes the multitude of the Black experience.”     

HYFIN will offer an eclectic radio experience, celebrating the full spectrum of Black music and the power of public radio. It will have an on-air presence and use a multi-platform digital approach online. Radio Milwaukee’s current programming on 88.9FM will also continue on-air and on its digital platforms.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is providing a $450,000 grant to Radio Milwaukee to help create the new channel. HYFIN is slated to launch on June 19, which is Juneteenth Day, a holiday commemorating the emancipation of slaves in the U.S.

Radio Milwaukee partnered with creative director DeChazier Pykel on the name and brand identity for the channel. A Milwaukeean with his own multi-hyphenated background, DeChazier has 18 years of experience helping to build more socially conscious and culturally relevant brands.

In building the brand identity for HYFIN, Radio Milwaukee was mindful of the ways the mark can be creatively adapted by artists in the future. Additional colors and textures will be added to the brand as HYFIN prepares for launch.

HYFIN is intentionally written in all capital letters to emphasize that “FIN” is also an acronym for “Future is Now.”

“As Radio Milwaukee celebrates its 15th birthday, we are incredibly thankful for the supportive community that has given us the opportunity to launch another channel of music for Milwaukee and listeners anywhere,” Radio Milwaukee Interim Executive Director Danae Davis said. “And we are unapologetic in our desire for HYFIN to be a channel that amplifies and celebrates all that’s good in Milwaukee’s Black community.”

Community members interested in staying up-to-date on HYFIN news and announcements are encouraged to join the HYFIN FAM, an early-adopter brand ambassador program. The first 100  people to join at hyfin.org will receive a complimentary HYFIN t-shirt.

Throughout 2022, Radio Milwaukee is celebrating its 15th year on-air, online and in the community. Radio Milwaukee launched in 2007 and is operated by a non-profit organization that was formed to use the frequency as a community asset. The organization operates WYMS through an operating agreement with Milwaukee Public Schools, which owns the frequency.  

HYFIN can be found on Facebook (@hyfinmke), Twitter (@hyfinmke), and Instagram (@hyfin.mke); or online at hyfin.org.