WKU Public Radio

{{Short description|Regional network of public radio stations in Kentucky, United States}}

{{Infobox radio station

| name = WKU Public Radio

| logo = WKUPR Logo.png

| logo_size = 200px

| area = WKYU-FM: Bowling Green
WKPB: Henderson/Owensboro
WDCL-FM: Somerset/Campbellsville
WKUE-FM: Elizabethtown

| branding = WKU Public Radio

| frequency = WKYU-FM: 88.9 MHz
WKPB: 89.5 MHz
WDCL-FM: 89.7 MHz
WKUE-FM: 90.9 MHz

| repeater = WDCL-FM:
W277AA 103.3, Somerset
WKUE:
W275BT 102.9, Frankfort

| airdate = January 14, 1980

| format = Public radio (News, Information, Classical Music)

| power =

| erp = see below

| haat = see below

| class = see below

| facility_id = see below

| coordinates = see below

| callsign_meaning = see below

| former_callsigns =

| owner = Western Kentucky University

| licensee =

| sister_stations = WKYU-TV, WWHR

| webcast =

| website = [http://www.wkyufm.org wkyufm.org]

| affiliations = National Public Radio
American Public Media
Public Radio International
Kentucky Public Radio
Public Radio Exchange

}}

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. The network consists of four FM radio stations and one FM translator. Combined, the stations cover most of Western Kentucky and parts of Indiana and Tennessee, reaching into the northern suburbs of Nashville.

History

WKYU-FM signed on for the first time in November 1980 as the first public radio station for south central Kentucky. The station was spearheaded by Dr. Chuck Anderson, who had experimented with a carrier current station on-campus at WKU since 1975.

The inception of WKYU-FM, broadcasting at 88.9 megahertz, did not come without controversy; in its first several months on the air, the station's airwaves caused some local residents to experience the station's audio overlaying with the visual reception of Nashville, Tennessee's "Big 3" television stations (ABC affiliate WNGE (now WKRN-TV), NBC affiliate WSM-TV (now WSMV-TV) and CBS affiliate WTVF), which all broadcast on the lower-VHF band. It even prompted residents of nearby Butler County to file a class-action federal lawsuit against the university in February 1981;{{cite news|title=Butler residents sue WKU|work=Park City Daily News|date=February 12, 1981|page=2A|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pAIdAAAAIBAJ&dq=residents+sue+WKU&pg=PA32&article_id=6643,1624148|via=Google News Archive|access-date=July 26, 2023}} the suit was dismissed in June of that year due to insufficient evidence.{{cite news|title=WKYU-FM suit dismissed|work=Park City Daily News|date=June 24, 1981|page=2A|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2uEeAAAAIBAJ&dq=wkyu-fm+1981+lawsuit&pg=PA15&article_id=6423,4593450|via=Google News Archive|access-date=July 26, 2023}}

Over the next ten years, WKYU would expand its coverage through three satellite stations. WDCL-FM signed-on in 1985 to serve areas around Somerset and Campbellsville from a tower in Adair County.{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tPAaAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA41&dq=WKYU&article_id=3197,453409&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjTw6SKpMCNAxW_v4kEHS-OPUU4MhDoAXoECAcQAw#v=onepage&q=WKYU&f=false|title=WDCL-FM joins WKYU-FM to expand service atea|date=July 5, 1985|work=Park City Daily News|page=6-B|access-date=May 25, 2025|via=Google News Archive}} WDCL obtained its calls from longtime public radio supporter Daniel Cole. In 1990, two more stations were launched to joined the network: WKUE-FM in Elizabethtown{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nPoaAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA84&dq=WKUE&article_id=6962,2396653&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi1gseoqMCNAxWGrYkEHSSaE5kQ6AF6BAgLEAM#v=onepage&q=WKUE&f=false|title=WKU public radio adds new station|work=Park City Daily News|date=October 14, 1990|page=12A|access-date=May 25, 2025|via=Google News Archive}} and WKPB for the Ohio River communities of Henderson and Owensboro.{{cite book|last=Nash|first=Francis M.|title=Towers Over Kentucky: A History of Radio and Television in the Bluegrass State|date=1995|publisher=Kentucky Broadcasters Association & Host Communications|location=Lexington, KY|page=140|isbn=1-879688-93-X|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/History/Towers-Over-Kentucky-Nash-1995.pdf|access-date=March 10, 2023}}{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_xUhAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA2&dq=WKYU-FM&article_id=6805,3586557&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj5rK6apsCNAxWPCnkGHX5WNvkQ6AF6BAgLEAM#v=onepage&q=WKYU-FM&f=false|title=WKU's public radio station now largest system in state with Henderson repeater|last=Bauer|first=David C.L.|date=May 16, 1990|page=2A|work=Park City Daily News|access-date=May 25, 2025|via=Google News Archive}}

The network was known as Western's Public Radio, airing mostly classical music during the day. However, on August 31, 2009, it rebranded itself as WKU Public Radio, and began airing mostly news and talk during the day. Prior to the sign-on of WKYU-FM, the only portions of the coverage area that had a clear signal from an NPR station were Henderson and Owensboro, which received NPR programming from WNIN-FM in Evansville, Indiana, and some southern Kentucky counties along the Kentucky–Tennessee state line, where WPLN-FM is received from Nashville.

In 2016, WKYU-FM signed on a new service on a new FM translator station, W248CF, broadcasting at 97.5 megahertz. That translator airs classical music 24 hours a day. Since its signal does not reach too far outside of Warren County, it is repeated on WKYU-FM's second HD channel, and also streams live on the Internet.

Programming

WKU Public Radio airs news and informational programming on weekdays, with classical music heard at night. Weekends feature informational shows by day, with jazz on Saturday nights and specialty music programs Sunday evenings. Saturdays and Sundays at noon, Erika Brady hosts the "Barren River Breakdown" show. WKU Public Radio is an affiliate of National Public Radio, with shows from American Public Media and the Public Radio Exchange also heard.

Stations

The network consists of four full-power stations and two FM translators, all located in Kentucky and simulcasting the same programming at all times. Together, the five main 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, Indiana is by far the largest city in the region.

class="wikitable sortable"

! Location !! Callsign !! Frequency !! Sign on date !! Callsign meaning !! Class !! ERP (watts) !! HAAT !! Facility ID !! Transmitter coordinates !! Notes

Bowling Green

| WKYU-FM

| 88.9 FM

| {{start date and age|1980|1|14}}

| Western Kentucky University{{cite web|url=https://www.oldradio.com/archives/nelson/origins.call-list.html|title=Call Letter Origins: Key and Listing|work=Nelson, Bob|publisher=The Broadcast Archive|access-date=10 March 2023}}

| C1

| 98,000

| {{convert|219|m|ft|2|abbr=on}}

| 71856

| {{coord|37|5|23|N|86|38|5|W|region:US_type:city}}

| Flagship station of WKU Public Radio; also serves north-central Tennessee

Henderson / Owensboro

| WKPB

| 89.5 FM

| {{start date and age|1990|4|1}}

| Western Kentucky Public Broadcasting

| C2

| 43,000

| {{convert|115|m|ft|2|abbr=on}}

| 71864

| {{coord|37|51|6.1|N|87|19|43|W|region:US_type:city}}

| Also serves southwest Indiana and southeast Illinois, including Evansville and Carmi

Somerset / Campbellsville

| WDCL-FM

| 89.7 FM

| July 1985

| W Daniel CoLe

| C1

| 100,000

| {{convert|174|m|ft|2|abbr=on}}

| 71857

| {{coord|37|9|29.9|N|85|9|49.8|W|region:US_type:city}}

Elizabethtown

| WKUE

| 90.9 FM

| {{Start date and age|1990|10|15}}

| Western Kentucky University Elizabethtown

| C3

| 5,200

| {{convert|190|m|ft|2|abbr=on}}

| 71860

| {{coord|37|44|42.2|N|85|53|21.9|W|region:US_type:city}}

| Grade B coverage available in Louisville

Somerset

| W277AA

| 103.3 FM

| 1993

| FCC assigned

| D

| 250

| {{convert|89|m|ft|2|abbr=on}}

| 71859

| {{coord|37|7|3.3|N|84|36|41.8|W|region:US_type:city}}

| Translator of WDCL-FM

Frankfort

| W275BT

| 102.9 FM

| 2017

| FCC assigned

| D

| 250

| {{convert|56|m|ft|2|abbr=on}}

| 153212

| {{coord|38|15|35.2|N|84|51|20.8|W|region:US_type:city}}

| Translator of WKUE

Image:WesternPublicRadioLogo.png

References

External links

[http://www.wkyufm.org wkyufm.org]

Category:Radio stations in Kentucky

Category:Western Kentucky University

Category:NPR member networks