WGVU-FM

WGVU-FM & WGVS-FM
City WGVU-FM: Allendale, Michigan
WGVS-FM: Whitehall, Michigan
Broadcast area WGVU-FM: Grand Rapids, Michigan
WGVS-FM: Muskegon, Michigan
Branding WGVU Radio
Slogan Your Local NPR Station
Frequency WGVU-FM: 88.5 MHz (also on HD Radio)
WGVS-FM: 95.3 MHz
First air date WGVU-FM: July 17, 1983
WGVS-FM: unknown
Format Public: News/Talk, Jazz (nights)
ERP WGVU-FM: 3,000 watts
WGVS-FM: 2,000 watts
HAAT WGVU-FM: 95 meters
WGVS-FM: 110 meters
Class WGVU-FM: A
WGVS-FM: A
Facility ID WGVU-FM: 4174
WGVS-FM: 33696
Callsign meaning Grand Valley State University
Former callsigns WGVU-FM:
WGVC-FM (1/19/83-12/14/87)
WSRX (10/74-7/82)
WGVS-FM:
WKBZ-FM (3/19/93-3/1/99)
WMHZ (?-?)
WRNF (?-?)
WLRQ (?-?)
Affiliations NPR
Owner Grand Valley State University
Webcast Listen Live
Website wgvu.org/radio/

WGVU-FM is a radio station that serves that Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area and is simulcasted throughout Western Michigan. The main broadcast frequency is 88.5 MHz, which is licensed to Allendale, a suburb of Grand Rapids. It is simulcast on WGVS-FM 95.3 MHz, which is licensed to Whitehall/Muskegon. The format is talk/jazz. Both WGVU and WGVS are owned and operated by Grand Valley State University, along with WGVU-AM and WGVS-AM (which feature an oldies format).

WGVU-FM began broadcasting on July 17, 1983 as WGVC-FM to reflect the school which was known at that time as Grand Valley State College. The station had originally operated (1974-1982) as student-run WSRX, with an alternative rock format. The station since its inception has served as a public broadcaster and is NPR affiliate.

95.3 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 WKBZ-FM calls and was airing an urban contemporary format as "Power 95.3." Station owners Robert Jewell and Daniel Thill donated WKBZ-AM 850 and WKBZ-FM 95.3 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.

WGVU-FM 88.5 broadcasts in HD Radio and operates two side channels. WGVU-HD2 is a simulcast of "Real Oldies" 1480 WGVU-AM/850 WGVS, and WGVU-HD3 is 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 the winning streak of Michigan Radio, with which WGVU-FM competes.

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Coordinates: 43°03′25″N 85°57′32″W / 43.057°N 85.959°W / 43.057; -85.959

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