WERN (original) (raw)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Public radio station in Madison, Wisconsin

This article is about the American FM radio station. For the German river, see Wern.

WERN
Madison, Wisconsin
Broadcast area Madison, Wisconsin
Frequency 88.7 MHz
Branding Wisconsin Public Radio
Programming
Format Public radio - News and Talk
Subchannels HD2: WPR Music
Affiliations NPRAmerican Public MediaClassical 24
Ownership
Owner Wisconsin Educational Communications Board
Sister stations WHA
History
First air date March 30, 1947; 77 years ago (1947-03-30)
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 Public fileLMS
Webcast Listen Live
Website wpr.org

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.

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]

The station signed on the air on March 30, 1947; 77 years ago (1947-03-30).[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.

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WERN". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WERN
  3. ^ "HD Radio Guide for Madison, Wisconsin"
  4. ^ Radio-Locator.com/W213CE
  5. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-233, Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved Aug. 25, 2023.
  6. ^ http://www.wpr.org/about/hd_innovation.cfm [_dead link_]
  7. ^ "Welcome to the new WPR!". WPR. Retrieved 2024-04-10.

43°03′22″N 89°32′06″W / 43.056°N 89.535°W / 43.056; -89.535