WERN

This article is about the American FM radio station. For the German river, see Wern.
WERN
Broadcast areaMadison, Wisconsin
Frequency88.7 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingWisconsin Public Radio
Programming
FormatPublic radio - News and Talk
SubchannelsHD2: WPR Music
AffiliationsNPR
American Public Media
Classical 24
Ownership
OwnerWisconsin Educational Communications Board
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 ID63030
ClassB
ERP20,500 watts
HAAT385 meters (1,263 ft)
Translator(s)HD2: 90.5 W213CE (Madison)
HD2: 107.9 W300BM (Madison)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitewpr.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]

History

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.

See also

References

  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