WUKY

WUKY (91.3 FM) is the flagship National Public Radio station in Lexington, Kentucky. Owned by the University of Kentucky, it is an Adult Album Alternative (Indie Rock) station that airs over 100 hours of music a week, in addition to programming from NPR, Public Radio International, the BBC, and American Public Media.

History

WUKY began broadcasting on October 17, 1940 as WBKY, a 100-watt station in Beattyville. However, it has always been owned by UK. It was the first university-owned FM radio station in the United States, as well as the first public radio station in Kentucky. In 1945, the operation moved to Lexington. The station helped create NPR, and was one of the 90 stations that carried the inaugural broadcast of All Things Considered when it debuted in 1971. On October 1, 1989; WBKY changed its call letters to WUKY to better reflect its affiliation with UK.^[1]

Longtime All Things Considered host Noah Adams began his career at WBKY.

WUKY is supported by its listeners, who give regularly to the station. It also receives funding from UK, as well as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and its underwriters. Its main competition is WEKU, owned by Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. Lexington is one of the smallest markets with two competing full NPR member stations.

In 2006, WUKY built a new HD Radio-capable tower at Clays Ferry on the Kentucky River. It is the first HD Radio station in Lexington, and the first to multi-cast. It now streams three digital channels. The first is a simulcast of the analog signal, the second airs an extended schedule of NPR news and talk, and the third simulcasts the Jazz 24 all-jazz service from KPLU in Tacoma, Washington. In 2007, WUKY debuted its online-only arts and music magazine, tonic. It, along with all three digital streams, can be heard at the station's website, wuky.org.

Programming

WUKY carries shows from NPR, including All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, and Fresh Air. The station is well known for its eclectic music mix, "Rock & Roots," which airs from 9-4 weekdays, as well as late nights and Saturday afternoons. WUKY also airs A Prairie Home Companion, Car Talk, This American Life, On The Media, Whad'Ya Know, and other syndicated shows, and diverse, locally-produced programs for fans of Blues, female rock, Americana and World music. The combination of news programming and Indie Rock is expressed in the station's slogan: "NPR Rocks @ 91.3."

The station reports its music airplay to Friday Morning Quarterback's Triple A panel and to TripleARadio.com.

References

1. ↑ "History". WUKY. Retrieved July 24, 2012. 

External links

• WUKY official site
• University of Kentucky

• Query the FCC's FM station database for WUKY
• Radio-Locator information on WUKY
• Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WUKY

Coordinates: 37°52′44″N 84°19′34″W / 37.879°N 84.326°W / 37.879; -84.326