){kind=logo} | |
| City | WGVU-FM: Allendale, Michigan WGVS-FM: Whitehall, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | WGVU-FM: Grand Rapids, Michigan WGVS-FM: Muskegon, Michigan |
| Frequency | WGVU-FM: 88.5 MHz (HD Radio) WGVS-FM: 95.3 MHz |
| Branding | WGVU Radio |
| Slogan | Your Local NPR Station |
| Programming | |
| Format | Public: News/Talk, Jazz (nights) |
| Affiliations | NPR Public Radio International |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Grand Valley State University |
| History | |
First air date | WGVU-FM: July 17, 1983 WGVS-FM: unknown |
Former call signs | WGVU-FM: WGVC-FM (1/19/83-12/14/87) WSRX (10/74-7/82) WGVS-FM: WKBZ-FM (3/19/93-3/1/99) WMHZ (?-?) WRNF (?-?) WLRQ (?-?) |
Call sign meaning | Grand Valley State University |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | WGVU-FM: 4174 WGVS-FM: 33696 |
| Class | WGVU-FM: A WGVS-FM: A |
| ERP | WGVU-FM: 4,000 watts WGVS-FM: 2,000 watts |
| HAAT | WGVU-FM: 90 meters WGVS-FM: 110 meters |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wgvunews.org |
WGVU-FM is a radio station that serves that Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area. Owned by Grand Valley State University, it is simulcast in West Michigan. The main broadcast frequency is 88.5 MHz, which is licensed to Allendale, the Grand Rapids suburb that is home to Grand Valley State's main campus. It is simulcast on WGVS-FM 95.3 MHz, which is licensed to Whitehall and serves Muskegon. The format is Talk radio from NPR, along with jazz. They are sister stations to WGVU-AM and WGVS-AM (which feature an oldies format).
WGVU-FM began broadcasting on July 17, 1983 as WGVC-FM to reflect the school which was known at that time as Grand Valley State College. The station had originally operated (1974-1982) as student-run WSRX, with an alternative rock format.
95.3 FM in Whitehall began as Top 40 station WLRQ ("Super Q") in the late 1970s. In the mid-1980s, the station bore the WRNF ("We're Rock Ninety Five") calls while continuing with a Top 40 format. By the mid-1990s, 95.3 FM had the WKBZ-FM calls and was airing an urban contemporary format as "Power 95.3." Station owners Robert Jewell and Daniel Thill donated WKBZ-AM 850 and WKBZ-FM 95.3 to Grand Valley in 1995, but the following year the stations were sold to WLC Broadcasting, and it was not until November 1998 that WLC returned the stations to Grand Valley and the university began using them as simulcasts of WGVU-AM/FM.
WGVU-FM 88.5 broadcasts in HD Radio and operates two side channels. WGVU-HD2 is a simulcast of "Real Oldies" 1480 WGVU-AM/850 WGVS, and WGVU-HD3 is all jazz. Additionally the station's audio simulcasts on the digital subchannels of WGVU/WGVK-TV on channel 35.4/52.4 via the secondary audio program of that station (WGVU/WGVS is on the main audio channel), which features scrolling television schedules along with visual song/artist information for the radio audio.
WGVU-FM was the 2011 Michigan Association of Broadcasters Public Radio Station of the year among stations with a $2 million plus budget. This ended the winning streak of Michigan Radio, with which WGVU-FM competes.
Sources
External links
- WGVU in the FCC's FM station database
- WGVU on Radio-Locator
- WGVU in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- WGVS in the FCC's FM station database
- WGVS on Radio-Locator
- WGVS in Nielsen Audio's FM station database