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WKAR (AM)
Encyclopedia
WKAR is a National Public Radio member station in East Lansing, Michigan
; broadcasting at 870 kHz. It is owned by Michigan State University
, and carries news and talk shows from NPR. It is part of MSU's Broadcasting Services Division, and is a sister station to the FM radio and television
stations with the same call letters. Its studios and offices are located in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building, at the southeast corner of Wilson and Red Cedar Roads on the MSU campus.
The station dates to experimental broadcasts at Michigan State, then known as Michigan Agricultural College, beginning in 1917. WKAR-AM's first official broadcast was a
"Founder's Day" speech on May 13, 1922. MAC was granted a full license on August 18, 1922. The station's call letters were assigned randomly by Herbert Hoover, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce (which was the sole radio licensing authority). It was the only radio station in the Lansing area until 1934.
Originally broadcasting at AM 1050, it moved to 1080 in 1928. It moved to 1040 in 1930 to alleviate interference with KRLD in Dallas, but had to move to its current home on 870 in 1939 (some sources say 1936).
WKAR-AM and WKAR-FM were among the original "public" radio stations to join the then-newly formed NPR network. The debut on May 3, 1971 of NPR's "All Things Considered" connected for the first time nearly 100 non-commercial public radio stations in a nationwide network.
The only local programs heard on WKAR AM are a weekday one-hour sports-talk show hosted by Earle Robinson (Monday-Friday 1-2pm) and the long-running Spanish-language "Ondas en Espanol" hosted by Tony "El Chayo" Cervantes on weekends.
The station is one of the few NPR stations that does not operate 24 hours a day. It must sign off at sundown to protect WWL-AM in New Orleans. During the winter months, it generally signs off between 5 pm and 6 pm, returning to the air at 8 am. During the summer months, it generally signs off at 8 pm and returns to the air at 6 am. WKAR AM programming is simulcast on the HD2 channel of WKAR-FM 90.5 during the AM station's hours of operation. The NPR news and talk format continues after AM signoff, making WKAR AM and NPR programming available 24 hours a day to listeners with HD radio
s tuned to WKAR-FM. This feed is also streamed via the station's website.
Its 10,000-watt signal reaches as far east as Flint
and Ann Arbor, and as far west as Grand Rapids.
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
; broadcasting at 870 kHz. It is owned by Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, and carries news and talk shows from NPR. It is part of MSU's Broadcasting Services Division, and is a sister station to the FM radio and television
WKAR-TV
WKAR-TV is a PBS-member station serving the Lansing, Michigan area. It is owned by Michigan State University. The station broadcasts on digital channel 40, which redirects to its former analog channel 23 via PSIP). Its studios are located on MSU's campus in East Lansing, its city of license...
stations with the same call letters. Its studios and offices are located in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building, at the southeast corner of Wilson and Red Cedar Roads on the MSU campus.
The station dates to experimental broadcasts at Michigan State, then known as Michigan Agricultural College, beginning in 1917. WKAR-AM's first official broadcast was a
"Founder's Day" speech on May 13, 1922. MAC was granted a full license on August 18, 1922. The station's call letters were assigned randomly by Herbert Hoover, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce (which was the sole radio licensing authority). It was the only radio station in the Lansing area until 1934.
Originally broadcasting at AM 1050, it moved to 1080 in 1928. It moved to 1040 in 1930 to alleviate interference with KRLD in Dallas, but had to move to its current home on 870 in 1939 (some sources say 1936).
WKAR-AM and WKAR-FM were among the original "public" radio stations to join the then-newly formed NPR network. The debut on May 3, 1971 of NPR's "All Things Considered" connected for the first time nearly 100 non-commercial public radio stations in a nationwide network.
The only local programs heard on WKAR AM are a weekday one-hour sports-talk show hosted by Earle Robinson (Monday-Friday 1-2pm) and the long-running Spanish-language "Ondas en Espanol" hosted by Tony "El Chayo" Cervantes on weekends.
The station is one of the few NPR stations that does not operate 24 hours a day. It must sign off at sundown to protect WWL-AM in New Orleans. During the winter months, it generally signs off between 5 pm and 6 pm, returning to the air at 8 am. During the summer months, it generally signs off at 8 pm and returns to the air at 6 am. WKAR AM programming is simulcast on the HD2 channel of WKAR-FM 90.5 during the AM station's hours of operation. The NPR news and talk format continues after AM signoff, making WKAR AM and NPR programming available 24 hours a day to listeners with HD radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
s tuned to WKAR-FM. This feed is also streamed via the station's website.
Its 10,000-watt signal reaches as far east as Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
and Ann Arbor, and as far west as Grand Rapids.