WKU Public Radio

WKU Public Radio

Bowling Green, Kentucky
Frequency	88.9 MHz
Branding	WKU Public Radio
Programming
Format	Public radio
Affiliations	American Public Media, National Public Radio, Public Radio International, Kentucky Public Radio
Ownership
Owner	Western Kentucky University
Sister stations	WKYU-TV
Technical information
Repeater(s)	WKPB 89.5, Henderson WDCL-FM 89.7, Somerset WKUE-FM 90.9, Elizabethtown W277AA-FM 103.3, Somerset
Links
Website	wkyufm.org

WKU Public Radio is the public radio service of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is a division of the Department of Information Technology at WKU, and a member of National Public Radio.

Stations

The network consists of four full-power stations and a translator, all located in Kentucky and simulcasting the same programming at all times:

Location	Callsign	Frequency	Class	Sign on date	Notes
Bowling Green	WKYU-FM	88.9 FM	C1	January 14, 1980 (1980-01-14)	Flagship station of WKU Public Radio; also serves north-central Tennessee
Elizabethtown	WKUE	90.9 FM	C3	October 15, 1990 (1990-10-15)	Grade B coverage available in Louisville
Henderson / Owensboro	WKPB	89.5 FM	C2	April 1, 1990 (1990-04-01)	Also serves southwest Indiana and southeast Illinois, including Evansville and Carmi
Somerset	WDCL-FM	89.7	C1	July 1985
	W277AA	103.3 FM	D	1993	Translator of WDCL-FM

WKU Public Radio's network coverage area.

Together, the five stations reach 65% of Kentucky, including the fringes of the Louisville and Lexington areas. The stations also serve portions of Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee. Much of this area is composed of rural areas and small towns; Evansville is by far the largest city in the region.

History

WKYU-FM signed on for the first time on January 14, 1980. WDCL followed on February 22, 1983; WKPB on April 20, 1989, WKUE on June 1, 1990, and W277AA in 1993. Prior to Western Public Radio's sign-on, the only portion of the coverage area that had a clear signal from an NPR station was Henderson and Owensboro, which received NPR programming from WNIN-FM in Evansville.

Until August 2009, the network was known as Western's Public Radio, airing mostly classical music during the day. However, on August 31, it rebranded itself as WKU Public Radio, and began airing mostly news and talk during the day.

Sometime in 2016, WKYU-FM signed on a new service on a new FM translator station, W248CF. That translator airs classical music 24 hours a day. Since its signal doesn't reach too far outside of Warren County, it is repeated on WKYU-FM's second HD channel, and also streams live on the Internet.

External links

• wkyufm.org