WEGL

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WEGL (91.1 FM) is a Class A, non-commercial, FM, college radio station located on the campus of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. The station's programming is broadcast at 3,000 Watts from a tower situated atop Auburn University's tallest building, Haley Center.

WEGL's listening area includes the Alabama counties of Lee, Chambers, Macon, Russell, Tallapoosa, plus Muscogee County, Georgia.

The bulk of funding for the operation of WEGL 91 is allocated by Auburn University's Student Government Association and comes directly from Auburn's students' Student Activity Fees.

WEGL's all-volunteer DJ staff includes various members of the Auburn University student, faculty, and staff populations.

[edit] History

WEGL was not the first radio station at Auburn University. In 1922, WMAV began broadcasting from Broun Hall with a 1,500 watt homemade transmitter. It became part of the University’s Extension Service and received a new name, WAPI-AM (WAPI) (for the school’s name at the time: Alabama Polytechnic Institute.) WAPI was later moved to Birmingham, Alabama.

WEGL began as a project of the Student Government Association, which established a one person task force to study the concept of a radio station. The concept was opposed by the dean of students and others in the administration. Accordingly, the University's President, Harry Philpott, appointed a committee, which included the member of the task force and the Dean of Students and faculty from the Speech and Engineering Departments. After several contentious sessions,the proposal was submitted to the Board of Trustees.

On June 1, 1970, the Board of Trustees authorized, then University President, Harry Philpott to submit an application on behalf of the Board of Trustees to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a permit to construct and operate an FM radio station. The Student Government Association then funded the operation of the station. The member of the task force chose the name for the station.

On April 25, 1971, WEGL Radio signed on the air with 10 watts of power and began broadcasting at 91.1 MegaHertz (MHz), as assigned by the FCC with music donated by the task force member. The studios were located in room 1239 of Haley Center, where they stayed for nearly twenty years. After one year of operation, a student committee submitted a proposal to the Auburn University Board of Student Communication requesting a power increase. With the support of the University’s President, WEGL’s effective radiated power (ERP) increased to 380 watts in 1975. In June 1977, the station began broadcasting in stereo.

WEGL 91's broadcasting studio in its current location in the basement of The Foy Student Union.

In 1988, the station upgraded its power to 3,000 watts and became a Class A Non-Commercial radio station. During the 1989-1990 school year, plans were finalized to move WEGL Radio from its home in the Haley Center to its current location in Foy Student Union with other student media groups and projects. On October 8, 1990, then university president James E. Martin officially signed WEGL on for the first time from its current location in Foy Student Union.

[edit] Format

WEGL 91 is a traditional "College Radio" station in that the station's programming consists of an eclectic mix of genres including, but not limited to: Rock, Hip-Hop, Pop, Blues, Jazz, Country & Bluegrass, Soul, Dance & Techno, R&B, Reggae, World Music, Oldies, and Gospel.

In addition to music, WEGL 91 also has a Sports department. The Sports Department oversees the athletic-themed talk shows.

WEGL reports its charts to the College Music Journal.

[edit] External links

Official websites

• WEGL 91's Official Site
• WEGL 91's Program Schedule
• The WEGL 91 MySpace Page
• Query the FCC's FM station database for WEGL
• Radio Locator information on WEGL