WVUD

WVUD (91.3 FM) is a non-commercial educational FM radio station owned by University of Delaware and licensed to serve Newark, Delaware. The station is student-run and broadcasts a freeform format. Studios are located in the Perkins student center at the University of Delaware and the transmitting antenna is located on the top of the Christiana East Tower residence building.[4]

WVUD
CityNewark, Delaware
Broadcast areaNewark, Delaware
Frequency91.3 MHz (HD Radio)
Programming
FormatFreeform
SubchannelsHD2: Freeform ("The Basement")
Ownership
OwnerUniversity of Delaware
History
First air date
October 4, 1976 (as WXDR)[1]
Former call signs
WXDR (1976-1992)
Call sign meaning
Voice of the University of Delaware[2]
Technical information
Facility ID69439
ClassB1
ERP790 watts horiz. (analog)
6,800 watts vert. (analog)
272 watts (digital)[3]
HAAT37 meters (121 ft) (horiz.)
41 meters (135 ft) (vert.)
Transmitter coordinates
39°41′26.4″N 75°45′21.8″W
Links
Websitewww.wvud.org

WVUD uses HD Radio[3] and broadcasts freeform programming on its HD2 subchannel branded as "The Basement".[5]

On May 8, 2017 three veterans of WVUD were enshrined in its Hall of Fame. Ellen Ellis, Dr. Gloria James and Michael Tsarouhas were the three inductees for 2017.[6][7]

History

University of Delaware Radio was originally broadcast from East Hall via AM carrier current at 640 kHz from 1968[1] until 1976, with the WHEN call sign as a Top 40 formatted station. The station changed call signs to WDRB with a format change to alternative rock when the station's studios were moved to the third floor of the Perkins Student Center.

The FM station that would later become WVUD signed on for the first time on October 4, 1976 with the WXDR call sign.[1][8] The station's first permanent license was granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on April 6, 1977.[9] The new station broadcast a block format that included jazz, folk, classical, ambient, college alternative, and experimental music. Local news was presented each day and the students presented a weekly news magazine show and community oriented public affairs shows.

On April 8, 1983 WXDR resumed broadcasting after being off the air for five months during which time the station installed new equipment to increase its effective radiated power from 10 watts to 1,000 watts and to convert from mono to stereo.[10] Studios were moved to the lower level of the Perkins Student Center Annex building at that time.

The station's call sign was changed to WVUD on October 19, 1992.[11] University President David Roselle had requested that the call sign be changed to WVUD to reflect the station's university ownership. This call sign had recently been ceded by an easy listening station, Lite 100 FM, which had been owned by the University of Dayton, but had been sold off by the university and had subsequently changed call signs to WLQT.

WVUD was granted an increase in effective radiated power to 6,800 watts in August 2011.[12][13] HD Radio was added two months later beginning on October 31, 2011.[3]

Programming
  • Hip City (Saturday night) A fixture featuring classic soul and rhythm & blues as presented by Jerry Grant.
  • Red, Hot & Blue (Friday night) Featuring blues hosted by Ron Smith.
  • Crazy College (Sundays) Featuring "all musics odd, silly or forgotten. Anything from Stan Freberg, Allan Sherman, Billy Murray, Cole Porter, George Formby, if it's odd or funny, it's in!" hosted by Geo. Stewart.
  • Java Time & Roots (Weekday mornings) features Roots and Folk music.
  • Classical music (Weekdays at lunchtime)
  • Scratchy Grooves' & In a Mist (Sunday nights) Big Band and popular music of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
  • Ruffage (Saturdays) Delaware's longest running and only Heavy Metal/Hard Rock radio show. Beginning over 21 years ago, the show was originally hosted by Rich Grafstein (its originator) and has since been hosted by Traci, Metallikate, The Tink, Josh and Stefanie Best, among others. Currently the show is being once again hosted by Metallikate and Traci.
  • Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: live radio play (Annual live radio broadcast of Charles Dickens' classic holiday ghost story.) A Delaware tradition since 2004. Performed by a small cast of professional actors, featuring music and sound effects. Directed by Sara Valentine. Scripted and created by Sara Valentine and Michael Boudewyns.

References
  1. "WVUD 2009 Hall of Fame Induction" (PDF). wvud.org. May 5, 2009. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  2. "Call Letter Meanings". americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  3. "FCC 335-FM Digital Notification [WVUD]". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. October 31, 2011. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  4. "WVUD Station Information". wvud.org. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  5. "The Basement". wvud.org. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  6. "Hall of Fame 2017". WVUD.org. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  7. Balderston, Michael (May 12, 2017). "WVUD Inducts Trio into Hall of Fame". Radio World. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  8. Simon, Pete (September 19, 2014). "Radio Matters: Pete Simon on "My Passion for Radio and Starting WXDR"". radiosurvivor.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  9. "FM Query Results for WVUD". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  10. Everhart, Bill (April 8, 1983). "WXDR returns to the airwaves". The Review. 107 (19). Newark, DE. p. 1.
  11. "Call Sign History [WVUD]". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  12. "APPLICATION FOR FM BROADCAST STATION LICENSE [WVUD]". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  13. Firestone, Greer (January 22, 2012). "UD's Radio Station WVUD goes HD with 6,800 watts". hockessincommunitynews.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
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