WERN (88.7 FM) is a non-commercial public radio station in Madison, Wisconsin. It is part of Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), and is the flagship of WPR's News Network along with AM sister station WHA. The studios are at 821 University Avenue in Madison.
 | |
| Broadcast area | Madison, Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 88.7 MHz |
| Branding | Wisconsin Public Radio |
| Programming | |
| Format | Public radio - News and Talk |
| Subchannels | HD2: WPR Music |
| Affiliations | NPR American Public Media Classical 24 |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Wisconsin Educational Communications Board |
| WHA | |
| History | |
First air date | March 30, 1947 |
Former call signs | WHA-FM (1947–1974) |
Call sign meaning | Wisconsin Educational Radio Network (early branding for network) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 63030 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 20,500 watts |
| HAAT | 385 meters (1,263 ft) |
| Translator(s) | HD2: 90.5 W213CE (Madison) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wpr.org |
WERN is a Class B FM station, with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 20,500 watts. The transmitter is off South Pleasant View Road on Madison's southwest side in the Junction Ridge neighborhood, on a tower shared with WIBA-FM.[2] WERN broadcasts using HD Radio technology.[3] Its HD-2 digital subchannel carries all classical nusic. Its HD-2 signal serves as the flagship of the WPR Music network and feeds FM translators W213CE at 90.5 MHz and W300BM 107.9 both in Madison.[4]
History
editThe station signed on the air on March 30, 1947.[5] It was the first FM station in the network that would become Wisconsin Public Radio. The call sign was WHA-FM, co-owned with its sister station, WHA 970 AM. At first, the two stations simulcast their programming, a mix of classical music, news, university lectures and public affairs shows. Originally WHA 970 was a daytimer station. When it had to go off the air at night, 88.7 WHA-FM continued its programming.
By the late 1960s, WHA-FM began airing some programming that was separate from 970 AM. Eventually, simulcasting was reduced and the FM station sought its own identity. The call letters became WERN in 1974.[6]
Because WHA-FM/WERN began broadcasting before current maximum levels were set by the Federal Communications Commission, the station's signal is grandfathered. It runs at a higher power for its height above average terrain (HAAT) than would be permitted today. It covers a large area which affords WPR's "News and Classical Network" a strong signal across Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois including the Rockford area and Metro Milwaukee.
As part of a major realignment of WPR's offerings to take effect on May 20, 2024; WHA and WERN became the flagships of the WPR News Network, successor to the Ideas Network. Two low-powered translators that served to improve WHA's coverage when that station dramatically reduces its power at sunset aired the all-classical WPR Music network after this realignment occurred.[7] The change substantially improved coverage of NPR news programming in Madison, since WERN penetrates further into south-central Wisconsin than the two translators.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WERN". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WERN
- ^ "HD Radio Guide for Madison, Wisconsin"
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/W213CE
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-233, Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved Aug. 25, 2023.
- ^ http://www.wpr.org/about/hd_innovation.cfm [dead link]
- ^ "Welcome to the new WPR!". WPR. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
External links
edit- Wisconsin Public Radio
- Facility details for Facility ID 63030 (WERN) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WERN in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 83023 (W213CE) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- W213CE at FCCdata.org