WGUC
Encyclopedia
WGUC is a public radio
station serving Cincinnati, Ohio
. It is owned by Cincinnati Public Radio
. It broadcasts at 90.9 FM and features classical music. WGUC also has HD Radio capability and broadcasts jazz
on WGUC-2. When Cincinnati Public Radio purchased Xavier University
's "X-Star Network" (a group of stations headed by WVXU
-FM) in 2005, WGUC moved its National Public Radio news and talk programming, including All Things Considered
, which had aired on WGUC since the 1970s, to WVXU
. The only NPR-produced show still airing on WGUC is the youth classical performance program From the Top
, while the news and information programming on WVXU has been expanded from previously. WGUC and WVXU share a building with WCET-TV in central Cincinnati.
, broadcasting mostly classical music and All Things Considered. However, the creation of additional NPR programming in the 1980s created the need for an additional NPR outlet in Cincinnati, at which time WVXU (then licensed to Xavier University
) became a member of NPR. While the two stations together provided most of the NPR programs available to a single market, the two NPR daily flagship newsmagazines aired separately; specifically, WVXU carried Morning Edition
, while WGUC carried All Things Considered. With both stations now under the same licensee, program duplication, sometimes a problem in markets with more than one public radio station, could be eliminated. This means that WGUC broadcasts almost exclusively classical music, while WVXU carries news and information programming, including both NPR flagship newsmagazines.
in Columbus
. The University of Cincinnati, then a municipally-governed institution, responded to the demand. WGUC was one of the first stations in the nation to meet the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's qualification standards; a charter member of NPR; and a founder of another network, American Public Radio (now Public Radio International
). WGUC also had one of the first NPR satellite uplinks, the first digital west-to-east transatlantic broadcast, and is the only U.S. public radio station with an ongoing program to commission new music. In 2003, WGUC became the first public radio station in Ohio to broadcast a digital HD Radio
signal. In June 2005, WGUC became one of the first stations in the nation to receive FCC authorization to experiment with FM multicasting. In 2006, the station added a second digital channel of full-time jazz music (formerly heard over the air on WVXU), along with a classical music service on its primary digital channel.
In 1994, UC decided to discontinue holding the station's license; it transferred WGUC to an ad hoc community non-profit group, Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc.
, and southeastern Indiana
. The station claims that almost 140,000 listeners tune to the station each week. WGUC broadcasts many local musical events, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
concerts, the Cincinnati May Festival
, and the Cincinnati Opera
season. The station currently produces and distributes The 90 Second Naturalist and Classics for Kids nationally. Holiday programs, such as Tunes From the Crypt (Halloween), A Feast For the Ears (Thanksgiving), and Love Greetings (Valentine's Day) have also had national carriage. One weekday feature, Cincinnati Spotlight, which airs weekdays during the 9:00 a.m. hour, highlights events in the listening area, local artists and musicians, and national and international performers who visit greater Cincinnati.
(RRS) on its alternate band. RRS serves more than 8,000 listeners, according to the station.
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
station serving Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. It is owned by Cincinnati Public Radio
Cincinnati Public Radio Inc.
Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc. is the broadcast license holder for WGUC and WVXU , two FM radio stations serving the Greater Cincinnati area with classical music, news, information, and entertainment programming...
. It broadcasts at 90.9 FM and features classical music. WGUC also has HD Radio capability and broadcasts jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
on WGUC-2. When Cincinnati Public Radio purchased Xavier University
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
's "X-Star Network" (a group of stations headed by WVXU
WVXU
WVXU is a public radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is owned by Cincinnati Public Radio, which also operates station WGUC and WMUB. It broadcasts at 91.7 FM and airs public radio news/talk syndicated programming from National Public Radio, American Public Media and Public Radio...
-FM) in 2005, WGUC moved its National Public Radio news and talk programming, including All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
, which had aired on WGUC since the 1970s, to WVXU
WVXU
WVXU is a public radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is owned by Cincinnati Public Radio, which also operates station WGUC and WMUB. It broadcasts at 91.7 FM and airs public radio news/talk syndicated programming from National Public Radio, American Public Media and Public Radio...
. The only NPR-produced show still airing on WGUC is the youth classical performance program From the Top
From the Top
From the Top is a national program and initiative to develop and showcase young classical musicians. It is best known for its NPR radio and PBS television programs hosted by pianist Christopher O'Riley, which celebrate the passion, dedication and personal stories of America's best young classical...
, while the news and information programming on WVXU has been expanded from previously. WGUC and WVXU share a building with WCET-TV in central Cincinnati.
Format
The station was originally licensed to the University of CincinnatiUniversity of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
, broadcasting mostly classical music and All Things Considered. However, the creation of additional NPR programming in the 1980s created the need for an additional NPR outlet in Cincinnati, at which time WVXU (then licensed to Xavier University
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
) became a member of NPR. While the two stations together provided most of the NPR programs available to a single market, the two NPR daily flagship newsmagazines aired separately; specifically, WVXU carried Morning Edition
Morning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
, while WGUC carried All Things Considered. With both stations now under the same licensee, program duplication, sometimes a problem in markets with more than one public radio station, could be eliminated. This means that WGUC broadcasts almost exclusively classical music, while WVXU carries news and information programming, including both NPR flagship newsmagazines.
History
WGUC was founded in 1960 by a group of local citizens who wanted a radio station devoted to cultural and public affairs programming similar to WOSUWOSU (AM)
WOSU WOSU WOSU (820 AM is a National Public Radio news and talk radio station located in Columbus, Ohio and serving the Columbus metro area. WOSU is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission as a daytime and nighttime radio station, operating with a non-directional power of 5 kW...
in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. The University of Cincinnati, then a municipally-governed institution, responded to the demand. WGUC was one of the first stations in the nation to meet the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's qualification standards; a charter member of NPR; and a founder of another network, American Public Radio (now Public Radio International
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
). WGUC also had one of the first NPR satellite uplinks, the first digital west-to-east transatlantic broadcast, and is the only U.S. public radio station with an ongoing program to commission new music. In 2003, WGUC became the first public radio station in Ohio to broadcast a digital 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...
signal. In June 2005, WGUC became one of the first stations in the nation to receive FCC authorization to experiment with FM multicasting. In 2006, the station added a second digital channel of full-time jazz music (formerly heard over the air on WVXU), along with a classical music service on its primary digital channel.
In 1994, UC decided to discontinue holding the station's license; it transferred WGUC to an ad hoc community non-profit group, Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc.
Currently
WGUC's signal covers a 60-mile radius in southwestern Ohio, northern KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and southeastern Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. The station claims that almost 140,000 listeners tune to the station each week. WGUC broadcasts many local musical events, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
As the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has a legacy of fine music making as reflected in its performances in historic Music Hall, recordings, and international tours...
concerts, the Cincinnati May Festival
Cincinnati May Festival
The Cincinnati May Festival is a two-week annual choral festival, held during the last two weekends in May in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The festival's roots go back to the 1840s, when Saengerfests were held in that city, bringing singers from all over the United States and abroad to perform large...
, and the Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera is an American opera company based in Cincinnati, Ohio and the second oldest opera company in the United States .-History:...
season. The station currently produces and distributes The 90 Second Naturalist and Classics for Kids nationally. Holiday programs, such as Tunes From the Crypt (Halloween), A Feast For the Ears (Thanksgiving), and Love Greetings (Valentine's Day) have also had national carriage. One weekday feature, Cincinnati Spotlight, which airs weekdays during the 9:00 a.m. hour, highlights events in the listening area, local artists and musicians, and national and international performers who visit greater Cincinnati.
Classics for Kids
Classics for Kids debuted December 5, 1998 and is designed to help adults introduce children to classical music. The program, heard Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings, features a composer and his/her music, along with games, quizzes and curriculum materials for primary grade school students and teachers. The show is heard on several other classical-formatted public radio stations in the U.S.Radio Reading Service
WGUC's subcarrier signal has served the local blind and visually impaired community since 1985. Through an agreement with the Cincinnati Association for the Blind, WGUC carries the audio broadcasts for the Radio Reading ServiceRadio reading service
A radio reading service or reading service for the blind is a service of many universities, community groups and public radio stations, where a narrator reads books, newspapers and magazines aloud for the benefit of the blind and vision-impaired. It is most often carried on a subcarrier, with...
(RRS) on its alternate band. RRS serves more than 8,000 listeners, according to the station.