WGVU-FM
Public radio station in Allendale–Grand Rapids, Michigan
title: "WGVU-FM" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["radio-stations-in-michigan", "jazz-radio-stations-in-the-united-states", "grand-valley-state-university", "allendale,-michigan", "npr-member-stations", "radio-stations-established-in-1983", "1983-establishments-in-michigan", "college-radio-stations-in-michigan"] description: "Public radio station in Allendale–Grand Rapids, Michigan" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WGVU-FM" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Public radio station in Allendale–Grand Rapids, Michigan ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox radio station dual"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name1 | WGVU-FM |
| name2 | WGVS-FM |
| city1 | Allendale, Michigan |
| city2 | Whitehall, Michigan |
| country | US |
| area1 | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| area2 | Muskegon, Michigan |
| branding | WGVU Radio |
| airdate1 | |
| airdate2 | |
| frequency1 | 88.5 MHz |
| frequency2 | 95.3 MHz |
| coordinates1 | |
| coordinates2 | |
| translators | |
| format | |
| erp1 | 4,000 watts |
| erp2 | 2,000 watts |
| haat1 | 90 m |
| haat2 | 110 m |
| class1 | A |
| class2 | A |
| facility_id1 | 4174 |
| facility_id2 | 33696 |
| licensing_authority | FCC |
| callsign_meaning | Grand Valley State University |
| former_callsigns1 | |
| former_callsigns2 | |
| affiliations | |
| owner | Grand Valley State University |
| webcast | |
| website | |
| :: |
| name1 = WGVU-FM
| name2 = WGVS-FM
| logo =
| logo_size =
| city1 = Allendale, Michigan
| city2 = Whitehall, Michigan
| country = US
| area1 = Grand Rapids, Michigan
| area2 = Muskegon, Michigan
| branding = WGVU Radio
| airdate1 =
| airdate2 =
| frequency1 = 88.5 MHz
| frequency2 = 95.3 MHz
| coordinates1 =
| coordinates2 =
| translators =
| format =
| power =
| erp1 = 4,000 watts
| erp2 = 2,000 watts
| haat1 = 90 m
| haat2 = 110 m
| class1 = A
| class2 = A
| facility_id1 = 4174
| facility_id2 = 33696
| licensing_authority = FCC
| callsign_meaning = Grand Valley State University
| former_callsigns1 =
| former_callsigns2 =
| affiliations =
| owner = Grand Valley State University
| webcast =
| website =
WGVU-FM is an NPR member station serving Grand Rapids, Michigan. Owned by Grand Valley State University, it is simulcast in West Michigan. The main broadcast frequency is 88.5 MHz, which is licensed to Allendale, the Grand Rapids suburb that is home to Grand Valley State's main campus. It is simulcast on WGVS-FM 95.3 MHz, which is licensed to Whitehall and serves Muskegon. The format is talk radio from NPR, along with jazz.
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/WGVU_Logo.png" caption="Former logo"] ::
WGVU-FM began broadcasting on July 17, 1983, as WGVC-FM, owned by what was then Grand Valley State College. The station had originally operated (1974–1982) as student-run WSRX, with an alternative rock format. It was the first locally-focused NPR station in Grand Rapids. It was West Michigan's fourth full NPR member, joining WVGR, a repeater of WUOM-FM in Ann Arbor, WMUK in Kalamazoo, and WBLV in Twin Lake. As a legacy of its time as a campus radio station, WGVU-FM operates with an effective radiated power of 4,000 watts from its transmitter near Coopersville. This is fairly modest for a full NPR member on the FM band; most of Grand Rapids and its inner-ring suburbs only get a marginal signal. To make up for this shortfall, Grand Valley operates a translator in Grand Rapids proper, W237CZ on 95.3 FM.
WGVS-FM in Whitehall began as Top 40 station WLRQ ("Super Q") in the late 1970s. In the mid-1980s, the station bore the WRNF ("We're Rock Ninety Five") calls while continuing with a Top 40 format. By the mid-1990s, 95.3 FM had the callsign WKBZ-FM and was airing an urban contemporary format as "Power 95.3". Station owners Robert Jewell and Daniel Thill donated WKBZ-FM, along with WKBZ (850 AM), to Grand Valley in 1995, but the following year the stations were sold to WLC Broadcasting, and it was not until November 1998 that WLC returned the stations to Grand Valley and the university began using them as simulcasts of WGVU-AM/-FM. WGVS's transmitter is south of Whitehall. While the main signal at 88.5 decently covers Muskegon itself, it is spotty in areas north of the city.
WGVU-FM 88.5 formerly broadcast in HD Radio and operated two side channels. and WGVU-FM HD3 was all jazz. Additionally the station's audio simulcasts on the digital subchannels of WGVU/WGVK-TV on channel 35.4/52.4 via the secondary audio program of that station (WGVU/WGVS is on the main audio channel), which features scrolling television schedules along with visual song/artist information for the radio audio.
WGVU-FM was the 2011 Michigan Association of Broadcasters Public Radio Station of the year among stations with a $2 million plus budget. This ended a long winning streak by Michigan Radio (now Michigan Public).
Translator
| call1 = W237CZ | freq1 = 95.3 | watts1 = 120 | haat1 = 55.1 | class1 = D | fid1 = 147577 | city1 = Grand Rapids, Michigan | coord1 = | notes1 = Relays WGVU-FM
References
- WGVU-FM History, Michiguide.com
- WGVS-FM History, Michiguide.com
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