WFIU

WFIU is a public radio FM station broadcasting from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The station is a member station of NPR, Public Radio International and American Public Media. Its program schedule consists of classical music, jazz, and news and information, with specialty programming on the weekends. WFIU's broadcast signal, and those of its translators, reaches portions of central, western, and southern Indiana.

WFIU
CityBloomington, Indiana
Broadcast areaAreas around Indiana surrounding Bloomington, Terre Haute, Columbus, French Lick/West Baden, Greensburg, and Kokomo
BrandingWFIU
Frequency103.7 MHz (HD Radio)
Translator(s)see below
First air date1950
FormatClassical music, jazz, and news and information
ERP29,000 watts
HAAT197 meters
ClassB
Facility ID68269
Call sign meaningW F Indiana University
OwnerIndiana University
WebcastListen Live
Websiteindianapublicmedia.org/radio/

WFIU broadcasts in the HD Radio format.[1][2]

History

WFIU began broadcasting on September 30, 1950, building upon efforts by IU to produce radio programming since 1937. Originally broadcasting on 90.9 MHz, WFIU moved to 103.7 MHz in 1951. 103.7 had been WSUA-FM, a commercial station, between 1948 and 1950. The owners of WSUA donated the 103.7 transmitter to Indiana University after their station went out of business.

This move was required to prevent interference with the audio channel of WFBM-TV (now WRTV) Channel 6 in nearby Indianapolis, which was the CBS affiliate for central Indiana at the time. The poor-quality tuners of early TVs weren't selective enough to prevent the strong 90.9 MHz signal emanating from the Indiana University campus in central Bloomington from overriding the much-weaker Channel 6, which transmitted from about 50 mi (80 km) away.

This makes WFIU one of the very few public stations in the US to transmit on a frequency other than those between 88.1 and 91.9 MHz, the US Federal Communications Commission reserved part of the FM band for non-commercial use.

WFIU transmitted with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 75,000 watts from the center of the IU campus until 1971. It moved to the tower of sister-station WTIU Channel 30 on the south side of Bloomington that year. The move not only increased its range, even with a lower ERP, but it cured another problem. Inexpensive FM radios in central Bloomington picked up the station all over the FM dial when it transmitted from campus. The move to the Channel 30 tower fixed that.

WFIU claims to have adopted in 1970 an almost entirely all-classical music format, featuring national programs as well as locally produced content. However, some long-time WFIU staff have stated that it was never a strictly classical station until the mid-1970s or later. It was one of the first 90 NPR affiliates to broadcast All Things Considered upon its debut in 1971.

The combined WFIU-WTIU news team has won numerous journalism awards including Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Awards for its local television, radio and web reporting in Indiana.[3][4][5]

Nationally syndicated programs

  • Afterglow - One hour program of jazz and American popular songs.
  • Earth Eats - Hosted by Kayte Young with Daniel Orr
  • Harmonia - A one-hour weekly program featuring early (e.g., Renaissance, medieval) music. Hosted by musician Angela Mariani and written by harpsichordist Bernard Gordillo.
  • Kinsey Confidential - three-minute weekly program of sexual health information in partnership with the Kinsey Institute.
  • A Moment of Science - Daily two-minute modules on various scientific topics.
  • Night Lights - A one-hour weekly program of classic jazz hosted by David Brent Johnson.

Local programs

  • Art Works - Weekly program focusing on upcoming arts and cultural events and profiling local artists.
  • Ask the Mayor - Each week, a mayor from WFIU's listening areas takes your calls and discusses community concerns.
  • The Big Bands - The Big Bands celebrates the Swing Era of the 30s and 40s as well as post-World War II and modern big-band jazz.
  • Classical Music with George Walker - Classical music hosted by George Walker
  • Ether Game - 2-hour weekly mix of music quiz show
  • Focus on Flowers - 2 minute modules hosted by gardener Moya Andrews
  • Hometown - Weekly 5-minute program hosted by Tom Rosnowski about some of the history of Terre Haute
  • Just You & Me with Joe Bourne - Afternoon jazz and interviews hosted by Joe Bourne
  • Noon Edition - weekly public affairs call-in program
  • The Poets Weave - Weekly five-minute program of poetry reading
  • Profiles - Weekly biographical program profiling local and national figures
  • Saturday Afternoon Opera

Translators

WFIU-FM, broadcasting at 103.7 MHz in Bloomington, also broadcasts via the following translators:

The following translators rebroadcast WFIU-HD2:

References

  1. http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news-archive/8552.html
  2. https://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?latitude=39.8646455&longitude=-86.1039189 HD Radio Guide for Indianapolis
  3. Witzke, Scott (13 May 2014). "WFIU-WTIU News Team Wins 25 SPJ Awards". Indiana Public Media. Archived from the original on 25 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018. Reporters of the WFIU-WTIU news bureau were recognized with prestigious awards for their on-air and online work by fellow professionals in their field.
  4. "WFIU and WTIU Earn 50 Awards in Recent Competitions". Indiana Public Media. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018. WFIU Public Radio and WTIU Public Television earned a combined total of 50 awards in regional contests this month.
  5. "WTIU Earns Two Lower Great Lakes Chapter Emmy Awards". Indiana Public Media. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2018. WTIU Public Television’s cultural affairs program The Weekly Special earned two Lower Great Lakes Chapter Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at its 48th annual awards gala on Saturday in Cleveland.
  6. http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?facid=77911
  7. http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?facid=155958
  8. http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?facid=84366
  9. http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?facid=156008
  10. http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?facid=84805
  11. https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?facid=155991
  12. https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?facid=150676

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