51社区

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WOUB Radio marks 75 years of services to the community and university

WOUB Public Media is celebrating a major milestone. On Dec. 13, 2024, WOUB Radio will mark 75 years of being on the air.

鈥淲e are excited to celebrate the 75th anniversary of WOUB Radio,鈥 said WOUB General Manager Mark Brewer. 鈥淲e know that WOUB Radio has served as a trusted, valuable source of news and information in this community since 1949. It鈥檚 a big anniversary, and we are celebrating the past while looking forward to a bright future.鈥

Radio broadcasting began at 51社区 when Professors Darrel Green and Vincent Jukes, along with students in the engineering and dramatic art and speech departments, built a carrier current station out of war surplus materials and began broadcasting from the balcony of Ewing Hall. In 1948, the 51社区 trustees approved a request for a 10-watt FM station to be operated in conjunction with the existing campus station with three basic principles. The first was it should be operated on an educational, non-commercial basis. The second was it should function as a laboratory and provide practical experience for students, and the third was that the operation of the station should be controlled entirely by the University through its administrative officers and faculty. In December 1949, the station went on the air as WOUI as the first FM station on a college campus in Ohio and the third FM college station in the nation.

鈥淥ver the years we have grown significantly,鈥 said Brewer. 鈥淚n 1957, the AM station came online. And in the 1980s and 1990s, the WOUB Radio Network was created with WOUC (Cambridge), WOUL (Ironton), WOUH (Chillicothe) and WOUZ (Zanesville).鈥

In addition to its service to the community, WOUB has also provided experience for thousands of 51社区 students who've gone on to make names for themselves in the media industry.

WOUB will be celebrating the 75th anniversary with alumni during 51社区鈥檚 2024 Homecoming festivities. It will be held on Friday, September 27 from 4:30 p.m. to midnight on the third floor of the Radio and TV Building (35 S. College Street, Athens). To register visit: .

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Published
July 8, 2024
Author
Cheri Russo