Dave Chappelle Spent $13 Million to Save His Hometown Radio Station

In April 2026, Dave Chappelle showed up with a pair of scissors and cut the ribbon on something he had quietly spent four years building - a future for his hometown radio station.

A Station on the Edge

WYSO Public Radio had been broadcasting from Antioch College in Yellow Springs for decades. But as the college struggled, the station needed a new home. Leaving Yellow Springs was a real possibility - until Chappelle stepped in.

In 2020, his real estate company, Iron Table Holdings, purchased the Union Schoolhouse and an adjacent lot for $550,000. The building dated to 1872 and had once served as the first integrated school in the village of Yellow Springs - a piece of history Chappelle wanted to preserve.

Four Years and $13 Million

The renovation took more than four years. Chappelle invested nearly $13 million through Iron Table Holdings, while WYSO contributed approximately $4 million toward equipment, wiring, and furniture. The result is a 19,000 square foot multiuse facility with nine recording studios, a 110-seat performance space, and room for the station's nine local reporters to cover 14 counties across southwest Ohio.

WYSO aired its first broadcast from the new building on March 18, 2026. Chappelle celebrated the ribbon-cutting with over 200 residents on April 9.

Church and State

Chappelle described his role carefully. "In my mind, I'm just the landlord," he said. "It's a church and state-type thing." Station manager Luke Dennis confirmed that Chappelle has never made a suggestion about WYSO's programming. "Our politics are our own and Dave has his," Dennis said. "Our independence is our most important asset."

"The Greatest Investment I've Ever Made"

At the ceremony, Chappelle described WYSO as "like our lifeblood in the community" and "a beacon for sanity." He said he hoped his example would encourage others. "If you have the opportunity like I did, to invest in your community," he told the crowd, "then it's one of the greatest investments I've ever made."

The station reaches around 65,000 listeners across southwest Ohio. The schoolhouse it now calls home has been part of Yellow Springs for 154 years - and, thanks to Chappelle, it should be there for a good while longer.