WOSU-FM
WOSU-FM (89.7 FM) is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to Columbus, Ohio, featuring a public radio format known as "89.7fm NPR News". Owned by The Ohio State University, the station serves the Columbus metro area and has multiple repeaters throughout Ohio, making the station a multiple transmitter station.
 | |
| City | Columbus, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Columbus metro area |
| Frequency | 89.7 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 89.7fm NPR News |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format | Public radio/talk |
| Subchannels | HD2: Classical music (WOSA) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | The Ohio State University |
| WOSU-TV, WOSA | |
| History | |
First air date | December 13, 1949 |
Call sign meaning | "Ohio State University" |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 66191 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 40,000 watts |
| HAAT | 168.2 meters (552 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 40°01′02.6″N 83°01′11.7″W |
| Repeater(s) | 89.3 W202CE (Coshocton) |
| Links | |
Public license information | Profile LMS |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | news |
History
WOSU-FM signed on for the first time on December 13, 1949. It initially simulcast its AM sister from sign-on until 6:45 pm, then broadcast separate programming until signing off at 7:30 pm. In 1950, the broadcast day was extended to 9:15 pm. It began 24-hour operation in 1960, and began airing a fully separate schedule on October 1, 1968. The station broadcast an all-classical format from 1980 until 2008.
It was the first station in Columbus to broadcast using HD Radio, beginning on April 5, 2004, at 3:30 p.m. It was also the first station in the United States to begin full-time multicast broadcasting when its HD-2 channel debuted on October 15, 2004.
From January 14, 2008, WOSU-FM switched to a mixed news/classical format, introducing NPR news magazines during morning and evening drive-times along with several popular NPR weekend programs such as Weekend Edition, Car Talk, and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, plus This American Life from Public Radio International. Many of these programs were simulcast with its AM sister station WOSU-AM. The station now features a 24-hour-a-day classical music service on its HD-2 HD Radio stream as well as on its web site.
Format change
In Fall 2010, The Ohio State University purchased commercial station WWCD; that station was soon given new call letters – WOSA – and switched to a full-time classical music station. WOSU-FM then began simulcasting the NPR news and talk format on WOSU-AM, though the FM station was now branded as the main station. WOSU also converted four of its satellite stations, WOSB in Marion, WOSE in Coshocton, WOSP in Portsmouth and WOSV in Mansfield, to repeaters of WOSA. In particular, WOSB and WOSV serve areas north of Columbus that are not served well by the new 101.1 frequency.[1]
Original programming on WOSU-FM includes daily two-hour public affairs program All Sides with Ann Fisher[2][3] and weekly music program Bluegrass Ramble.
References
External links
- WOSU in the FCC FM station database
- WOSU on Radio-Locator
- WOSU in Nielsen Audio's FM station database