© 2024 MICHIGAN PUBLIC
91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
WUOM, 91.7 FM first signed on the air in July, 1948. One of the first educational institutions in the country to apply for an FM license, the station went on the air on July 5, and has been in continuous operation ever since. At the time, FM radio was extremely new. It was estimated that there were only about fifty FM stations, and only eight other educational FM stations, in operation across the country... with approximately 500,000 FM receiving sets in use in the entire United States.With a full time staff of five people, including Director of Broadcasting Waldo Abbott, the station began broadcasting from temporary studios in Angell Hall on the University of Michigan campus. Students used the space for classes from 8:00am until 2:00pm, and WUOM then went on the air from 2:30pm until 8:00pm. The station was off the air most Saturdays and broadcast for only two hours on Sundays.Much has changed since then. Michigan Public now consists of five stations (WUOM 91.7 FM in Southeast Michigan, WFUM 91.1 FM in Flint, WRSX 91.3 FM in Port Huron, WLNZ 89.7 FM in Lansing and WVGR 104.1 FM in West Michigan), and broadcasts public radio news and information programming 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to an audience of approximately 500,000 listeners across southern Michigan. Even so, Michigan Public still fulfills the original purpose of the University's broadcasting service, to provide "... stimuli for a broader knowledge, fuller understanding, and deeper appreciation of the humanities, of the sciences, and of social, economic and civic problems".We hope you'll enjoy this look at 75 years of public radio at the University of Michigan. Click here to view the history of Michigan Public on Wikipedia

Michigan Public History Timeline

1948: WUOM goes on the air July 5, 1948 from studios in Angell Hall on the University of Michigan campus, broadcasting 20 hours per week, monaural, at 44,000 watts. Among the early programs were Prof. Preston Slosson's commentary on the news, Prof. Warren Good's "Record Collector", and "Hymns of Faith". The policy of originating play-by-play broadcasts of University football games for pick-up by a network of Michigan stations was established.

1949: WUOM moves into new studios and offices of the Administration Building occupying the entire fifth floor, becoming one of the most elaborate educational broadcasting plants in existence. The station originates its' first broadcast of Michigan football, with play-by-play from station sports director Bill Fleming. The first broadcast of Handel's Messiah was made from Hill Auditorium.
View the WUOM program schedule from September, 1949 (PDF)

1950: Official dedication of WUOM. The station joins National Association of Educational Broadcasters and exchanges taped programs with other educational stations throughout the country.
View information from the station dedication (PDF)
1952: WFUM-FM goes on the air serving Flint at 107.1FM, with 400 watts of power.
View the WUOM program guide from December, 1952 (PDF)

1953: WUOM receives its first grant-in-aid to finance production of the series "They Fought Alone" dealing with the fight for academic freedom. This was one of several dramatic series produced by the station.
View the WUOM program schedule from Summer, 1953

1955: Power increased to 115,000 watts, reaching listeners throughout southeast Michigan, northern Ohio and western Ontario. On the air 70 hours per week.

1956: A Saturday afternoon feature, "Panorama" including dramas, documentaries, interviews and music from the BBC, the CBC, and other sources was started.

1958: Due to University budget cuts, WFUM discontinues broadcasting. WUOM celebrates its tenth anniversary. The first WUOM broadcast of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra was carried from Ford Auditorium in Detroit. Station receives a grant-in-aid to produce "One Nation Indivisible", a series of documentaries dealing with the growth of nationalism in the 20th century.
View information from the station's ten year anniversary guide (PDF)

1960: WUOM broadcasts Sen. John F. Kennedy's campaign speech from Ann Arbor that inspires the creation of the Peace Corps.

1961: WUOM power increased to 230,000 watts. Satellite station WVGR (Grand Rapids) goes on the air, increasing station's coverage area to include Southwest Michigan. (The WVGR call letters were tribute to Fred Vogt, who led fundraising efforts for the station.)

1963: Tom Hemingway broadcasts his first Michigan football game for WUOM (UM vs. SMU)
Michigan Football Sticker

1967: First broadcast of Jazz Revisited, the station's long running program featuring music from the early years of jazz, hosted by Hazen Schmacher.

With involvement from WUOM General Manager Edwin Burrow and former Program Director Jerrold Sandler, Congress passes the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, which becomes the financial foundation for public radio across the country.
Read about the creation of the Public Broadcasting Act

1971: WUOM joins National Public Radio, and becomes one of the flagship stations to begin airing All Things Considered. Linked with NPR headquarters in Washington D.C. via monaural land line interconnect, the station is able to broadcast programs from NPR or 75 other member stations. First appeal for listener contributions.

1973: First stereo control board completed; first stereo broadcast. Broadcast day increased to 18 ½ hours.
View the WUOM program schedule from April, 1973 (PDF)

1974: First on-air membership marathon conducted.
View an early membership drive photo

1978: Live music studio and stereo room completed. Site surveys for NPR's satellite interconnect completed.

1985: WFUM-FM goes back on the air serving the Flint area at 91.1 FM, simulcasting programming from WUOM/WVGR.

1988: Weekend Edition debuts on the station.

1989: The Michigan Radio name is adopted, to better reflect the station's large coverage area. Morning Edition and Marketplace debut on Michigan Radio.
Morning Edition Program (PDF)

1995: The BBC Newshour debuts on Michigan Radio. Michigan Radio joins the information superhighway by launching the station's first website.

1996: Michigan Radio inaugurates a new era by adopting a news/talk format, becoming one of the first FM public radio stations to do so. Car Talk, Diane Rehm Show, Fresh Air and Talk of the Nation premiere on the station.

The Great Lakes Radio Consortium (now known as The Environment Report) joins Michigan Radio, providing comprehensive environmental news coverage to public radio stations throughout the Great Lakes region.
View the cover of the September 1996 program guide (PDF)

2003: Michigan Radio moves to the historic Argus Building on West William Street in Ann Arbor.
Photo of Argus Building

2005: Michigan Radio begins HD Radio broadcasting.

2008: Michigan Radio introduces Mobile, an innovative service that allows people to access Michigan Radio and NPR news content on their cell phones and mobile devices. 

2024: Michigan Radio rebrands to Michigan Public. Learn more about the rebrand here.