WBHM
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WBHM-FM, 90.3, is a National Public Radio-affiliated station in Birmingham, Alabama. It primarily features classical music programming, except for several weekly feature shows from NPR, Public Radio International, and American Public Media on weekends. WBHM-FM serves a territory extending for about a 50-mile radius from Birmingham; a translator relay station, WSGN-FM, 91.5, broadcasts in and around the city of Gadsden, about 45 miles to the northeast (that particular callsign, coincidentally or not, had been used by a Birmingham AM station for many years). The station maintains studios in the city's Southside neighborhood near Interstate 65, close to the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which is WBHM's licensee. Much of the listening area is also served by the Alabama Public Radio network (via its Tuscaloosa translator).
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[edit] History
Even though Huntsville beat Birmingham, the state's largest city, in getting Alabama's first public radio station in October 1976, WBHM did not follow far behind, beginning operations on December 5. Several of the original announcers had hosted classical music programs on local commercial stations such as WAPI-AM in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Except for the expansion of nationally-distributed weekend feature shows like Car Talk, A Prairie Home Companion, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, and This American Life, WBHM's schedule has largely remained constant over its nearly three decades of broadcasting. As with most other markets in the country, the drive-time NPR newscasts have become the most-listened-to programs on the station's daily lineup. WBHM augments the national coverage with frequent local features from its news staff.
Some jazz and folk music programs aired on Saturday evenings during the 1980s, but only Echoes and Music From the Hearts of Space, both experimental music programs, represent non-classical genres these days. Central Alabama listeners can hear various types of music on Alabama Public Radio (Tuscaloosa translator) instead.
[edit] Local Hosts
Steve Chiotakis--"Morning Edition"
Rosemary Pennington--"All Things Considered"; late afternoons
Except for a half-hour Mondays through Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. hosted by Pennington or Lissa LeGrand, another staff member, WBHM no longer has local hosts for classical music. Since the early 2000s, it has exclusively relied on the Classical Public Radio Network feed from KUSC-FM in Los Angeles to provide programming in the middle of the day, evenings, and overnight.
[edit] Weekly Local Programs
Tapestry--heard Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m., the show spotlights aspects of Birmingham's local artistic and musical scene, with an emphasis on avant-garde and unusual expressions. Greg Bass hosts. Tapestry is produced by Tanya Ott, Michael Krall, and Hunter Bell. The show is also rebroadcast Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. and available as a podcast.
[edit] Miscellanea
On a sub-carrier channel, WBHM operates the Alabama Radio Reading Service, which broadcasts readings from the Birmingham News and popular magazines for blind and visually-impaired residents of the Birmingham area. The other public radio stations in Alabama also offer the service, provided through a grant by the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services.
Perhaps the station's most accomplished alumnus is John Lemley, who announced on WBHM in the mid-1990s. He now supplies the voice for afternoon drive-time on Atlanta's WABE-FM, that city's main NPR outlet. Lemley was further known an as amateur actor while residing in Birmingham.
[edit] External links
- WBHM
- Alabama Radio Reading Service
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WBHM
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WSGN
| FM Radio stations serving the Birmingham / Anniston/ Gadsden area (Arbitron #56) | |
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WBRC 87.7¹ | WLJR 88.5 | WBFR 89.5 | WBHM 90.3 | WJSR 91.1 (covers the northern half of the city) | WVSU 91.1 (covers the southern half of the city) | WGIB 91.9/101.5 | WPHC 92.5 | WDJC 93.7 | WYSF 94.5 | WBHJ 95.7 | WMJJ 96.5 | WNCB 97.3 | WKLD 97.7 (Oneonta: covers northern suburbs) | WHPH 97.7 (Jemison: covers southern suburbs) | WBHK 98.7 | WZRR 99.5 | WJOX 100.5 | WYDE 101.1 | WDXB 102.5 | WQEN 103.7 | WZZK 104.7 | WENN 105.5 | WBPT 106.9 | WUHT 107.7 ¹ Audio for TV channel 6 (Fox) |
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WJCK 88.3 | WKNG 89.1 | WGRW 90.7 | WTBJ 91.3 | WPIL 91.7 | WLJS 91.9 | WTDR 92.7 | WHMA 95.5 | WVOK 97.9 | WTRB 98.3 | WRHY 105.9 | |
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WTBB 89.9 | WSGN 91.5 | WGMZ 93.1 | WKXX 102.9 | WQSB 105.1 | |
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