WPRB

WPRB
City of license Princeton, New Jersey
Broadcast area Delaware Valley
Frequency 103.3 MHz (also on HD Radio)
103.3 HD-2 for Radio Asia
First air date December 6, 1940 (campus AM broadcast)
November 10, 1955 (FM broadcast)
Format Variety
ERP 14,000 watts
HAAT 222 meters
Class B
Owner Princeton Broadcasting Service, Inc.
Webcast Listen Live
Website http://www.wprb.com/

WPRB (103.3 FM) is a commercial broadcasting, non-profit 14,000 watt college radio station, once part of Princeton University, broadcasting from Princeton, New Jersey. The majority of on-air and management staff consists of Princeton University students, in addition to a board of trustees comprising Princeton University alumni. Its broadcast consists mostly of independent rock, classical, news, jazz, and world music; WPRB also provides coverage of many of Princeton University's varsity sporting events and is in the process of restarting its news department. One of its disc jockeys, Jon Solomon, has hosted a 24-hour Christmas music marathon every year but one since 1988.

WPRB was founded as WPRU in 1940 by H. Grant Theis, a Princeton University student at the time. It often is cited as the oldest commercially licensed campus radio station in the United States.[1] WPRU became WPRB in 1955, and in that same year became an FM station, making it the first college FM station in the United States. WPRB was a pioneer in FM Stereo broadcasting, transmitting a stereo signal beginning in 1964. In 1986, Spin Magazine named WPRB the best commercial college station in the country.

WPRB is a full class B signal that covers part of both the Central New Jersey and Philadelphia markets. The close proximity to 103.5 WKTU in New York may cause reception interference in the New Brunswick/Edison areas and farther north/east. To the west, interference may occur between WPRB and another station in the Lancaster/Harrisburg area: 103.3 WARM.

After decades of operation under an advertising-supported business model, in 2006 WPRB switched to a listener-supported model (although it remains a commercially licensed station). This proved to be successful enough that in 2009 WPRB was able to acquire a Princeton student magazine, the Nassau Weekly. Nassau Weekly was founded in 1979 by Princeton students including David Remnick, who later became the editor of The New Yorker.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 W. Raymond Ollwerther (March 18, 2009). "WPRB acquires Nassau Weekly". Princeton Alumni Weekly 109 (10): 11.

External links

Coordinates: 40°16′58″N 74°41′10″W / 40.2829°N 74.6860°W