WHPK
Radio station in Hyde Park, Chicago
title: "WHPK" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["radio-stations-established-in-1968", "radio-stations-in-chicago", "university-of-chicago", "college-radio-stations-in-illinois", "1968-establishments-in-illinois", "community-radio-stations-in-the-united-states"] description: "Radio station in Hyde Park, Chicago" topic_path: "society/education" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHPK" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Radio station in Hyde Park, Chicago ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox radio station"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | WHPK |
| logo | Whpk.png |
| city | Chicago, Illinois |
| country | US |
| frequency | 88.5 MHz |
| airdate | |
| format | College radio, community radio |
| erp | 100 watts |
| haat | 37 m |
| class | A |
| facility_id | 69000 |
| callsign_meaning | Woodlawn/Hyde Park/Kenwood |
| former_callsigns | WHPK-FM (1968–2016) |
| former_frequencies | 88.3 MHz (1968–1985) |
| owner | University of Chicago |
| licensing_authority | FCC |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = WHPK | logo = Whpk.png | city = Chicago, Illinois | country = US | branding = | frequency = 88.5 MHz | translator = | repeater = | airdate = | format = College radio, community radio | language = | erp = 100 watts | haat = 37 m | class = A | facility_id = 69000 | coordinates = | callsign_meaning = Woodlawn/Hyde Park/Kenwood | former_callsigns = WHPK-FM (1968–2016) | former_frequencies = 88.3 MHz (1968–1985) | affiliations = | owner = University of Chicago | licensee = | licensing_authority = FCC | sister_stations = | webcast = | website =
WHPK (88.5 FM) is a student-run college radio station owned by the University of Chicago in Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois.
Established in 1968, the station is and operated by volunteer students and community volunteers. WHPK's station manager and program director are elected by the station's student members and must be students themselves. The station's broadcast engineer is paid by the university.
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Reynoldsclub.JPG" caption="Mitchell Tower, [[University of Chicago]] Reynolds Club building where the station's studios are located."] ::
In 1968, WHPK-FM was established when the campus secret Society of the Owl and Serpent disbanded, donating its funds and Reynolds Club office space to a student radio group. WHPK-FM started broadcasting as a 15-watt FM station at 88.3 MHz on March 22, 1968. In 1985, WHPK-FM upgraded to a 100-watt transmitter and moved to the current frequency of 88.5 MHz.
WHPK-FM was the first radio station to broadcast hip hop music in Chicago, and would become home to aspiring rappers throughout the years, including Common and Kanye West.
The station changed its call sign to the current WHPK on February 26, 2016.
Content
Programming blocks are divided into classical, folk, international, jazz, public affairs, rap, rock, and specialty show formats.
Notable
In 1984, WHPK-FM's first rap show was established by Ken Wissoker. DJ JP Chill has had a rap and hip hop show on WHPK since 1986.
A long-running Saturday night show, The Blues Excursion, is hosted by a widely received radio personality named Arkansas Red.
Recognition
In 2008, WHPK-FM was awarded "Best College Radio Station" by Chicago Reader.
References
References
- (December 7, 1995). "WHPK: Still spinnin' {{sic". University of Chicago Chronicle.
- Austen, Jake. (April 27, 2011). "Chicago memories: Common".
- Drapa, Michael. (December 5, 2011). "WHPK hosted Common/Kanye faceoff—before they were stars". University of Chicago.
- "About". WHPK.
- Obaro, Tomi. (December 5, 2011). "Pioneering WHPK keeps Chicago rap fresh". University of Chicago.
- Sisson, Patrick. (July 16, 2006). "Chicago Hip-hop History ... A Tour". [[Chicago Tribune]].
- Terry, Clifford. (May 30, 1993). "Arkansas Red's House Party: Weekly Blues, Talk Show Has South Side Listening". Chicago Tribune.
- (2008). "Best of Chicago 2008 - Reader's Choice: WHPK". [[Chicago Reader]].
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::