WKU Public Radio
 | |
| City | Bowling Green, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Branding | WKU Public Radio |
| Frequency | 88.9 MHz |
| Repeater(s) |
WKPB 89.5, Henderson WDCL-FM 89.7, Somerset WKUE-FM 90.9, Elizabethtown W277AA-FM 103.3, Somerset |
| Format | Public radio |
| Affiliations | American Public Media, National Public Radio, Public Radio International, Kentucky Public Radio |
| Owner | Western Kentucky University |
| Sister stations | WKYU-TV |
| Website | wkyufm.org |
WKU Public Radio is the public radio service of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is a division of the Department of Information Technology at WKU, and a member of National Public Radio.
Stations
The network consists of four full-power stations and a translator, all located in Kentucky and simulcasting the same programming at all times:
| Location | Callsign | Frequency | Class | Sign on date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | WKYU-FM | 88.9 FM | C1 | January 14, 1980 | Flagship station of WKU Public Radio; also serves north-central Tennessee |
| Elizabethtown | WKUE | 90.9 FM | C3 | October 15, 1990 | Grade B coverage available in Louisville |
| Henderson / Owensboro | WKPB | 89.5 FM | C2 | April 1, 1990 | Also serves southwest Indiana and southeast Illinois, including Evansville and Carmi |
| Somerset | WDCL-FM | 89.7 | C1 | July 1985 | |
| W277AA | 103.3 FM | D | 1993 | Translator of WDCL-FM | |
Together, the five stations reach 65% of Kentucky, including the fringes of the Louisville and Lexington areas. The stations also serve portions of Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee. Much of this area is composed of rural areas and small towns; Evansville is by far the largest city in the region.
History
WKYU-FM signed on for the first time on January 14, 1980. WDCL followed on February 22, 1983; WKPB on April 20, 1989, WKUE on June 1, 1990, and W277AA in 1993. Prior to Western Public Radio's sign-on, the only portion of the coverage area that had a clear signal from an NPR station was Henderson and Owensboro, which received NPR programming from WNIN-FM in Evansville.
Until August 2009, the network was known as Western's Public Radio, airing mostly classical music during the day. However, on August 31, it rebranded itself as WKU Public Radio, and began airing mostly news and talk during the day.
Sometime in 2016, WKYU-FM signed on a new service on a new FM translator station, W248CF. That translator airs classical music 24 hours a day. Since its signal doesn't reach too far outside of Warren County, it is repeated on WKYU-FM's second HD channel, and also streams live on the Internet.