WABE Public Broadcasting vs WCBE
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WABE Public Broadcasting
Stream live radio and TV programming, and access on-demand content from your favorite shows. Features include DVR-like controls for live and on-demand playback, parental controls for kids' content, and a sleep timer.
- Live radio streaming
- On-demand TV and radio programs
- DVR-like playback controls
- PBS Kids content with parental controls
- Program schedule access
- Sleep timer and alarm clock
Read full descriptionHide full description
WABE Public Broadcasting App: The WABE Public Broadcasting App allows you to watch and listen to all of WABE’s programs, Radio and TV! The app provides On-Demand content of all your favorite TV and radio shows, live streaming of the radio channels, PBS Kids! content with parental controls, easy access to the live radio and TV program schedule plus the ability to explore additional content! Live Radio Streaming • DVR-like controls (pause, rewind, and fast forward). You can pause the live stream to have a conversation and pick up right where you left off! Or rewind to catch a comment you just missed. • Listen to live streams from WABE even while traveling! Open the app and your favorite station starts playing – no matter where you are. • Listen to WABE in the background while browsing the web or catching up on your emails! On Demand • Access WABE past radio and TV programs easily and quickly. • DVR-like controls. Pause, rewind and fast forward your program with ease. • When listening to or watching programs, individual segments (when available) are listed so you can review and choose one, or listen/watch the entire program. Additional features • Easily share stories and programs with family and friends. • A built in Sleep Timer and Alarm Clock allows you to go to sleep and wake up to your favorite station. The WABE Public Broadcasting App is brought to you by the people at WABE and Public Media Apps. We work to provide our valued listeners with great solutions to find what you want, when you want it, and where you want it. Please support WABE Public Broadcasting by becoming a member today! http://www.wabe.org http://www.publicmediaapps.com
WCBE
Stream live radio and local podcasts, view program schedules, and set alarms. Enjoy DVR-like controls for live broadcasts, background listening, and send messages to the station. Access news stories and archived content.
- Live stream listening
- Podcast playback
- Program schedule
- Alarm clock functionality
- DVR-like controls (pause, rewind, fast forward)
- Background audio playback
- Send voice/video messages
Read full descriptionHide full description
The WCBE App allows you to listen to the WCBE live stream and local podcasts, view the program schedule, and wake up to WCBE with the alarm clock! App Features • DVR-like controls (pause, rewind, and fast forward). You can pause the live stream to have a conversation and pick up right where you left off! Or rewind to catch something you just missed! • Listen to the live stream from WCBE even while traveling! • Integrated program schedule for the WCBE stream! • Listen to WCBE in the background while browsing the web or catching up on your emails! • Send the station a voice mail or video message via the Send Message feature! • Listen to WCBE podcasts and archived content! • Read or listen to WCBE news stories. The WCBE App is brought to you by the great people at the Columbus City School District and Public Media Apps. We work to provide our valued listeners with great mobile solutions. https://www.wcbe.org/ http://www.publicmediaapps.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: WCBE at 100% against WABE Public Broadcasting's 57%. WCBE also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). WABE Public Broadcasting's advantage is ratings volume (216 vs 35). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
WCBE holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WABE Public Broadcasting has 216 ratings behind it against 35, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of WABE Public Broadcasting's written reviews are positive against 100% of WCBE's.
WABE Public Broadcasting ships an update every 3 months, WCBE every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WABE Public Broadcasting | WCBE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (216 ratings) | 4.9 (35 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 216 — better | 35 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | ATLANTA EDUCATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS COLLABORATIVE, INC. | Columbus City School District |
Customer experience
WABE Public Broadcasting
WCBE
Bugs and requests
WABE Public Broadcasting
Reported bugs
10 issues- App hangs when pressing 'listen live' button
- Continuous looping of 15-30 second audio segments
- Dead air followed by repeated content
- Ads play over stories instead of pausing them
- App crashes when switching between apps
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Streaming stops after 1-2 minutes of playback
- Requires multiple restarts to begin streaming
- App freezes during WiFi to cellular network transitions
- Stories fail to load properly
- Random app crashes and unexpected closures
Requested features
8 requests- Cleaner, less cluttered interface design
- Autoplay feature to resume last stream on opening
- Keyboard shortcuts for launching streams
- Easy in-app donation functionality
- Access to archived/previously aired segments
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Better tech support and customer service
- Improved background app functionality on iPad
- Easier method to switch between station channels
WCBE
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
WABE Public Broadcasting
No in-app purchases
WCBE
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is WABE Public Broadcasting free?
Is WCBE free?
Which has better reviews, WABE Public Broadcasting or WCBE?
Do WABE Public Broadcasting or WCBE have ads?
Which is updated more often, WABE Public Broadcasting or WCBE?
Other comparisons
