Broadcast area Louisville ERP 21,000 watts Class B City of license Louisville Owner Louisville Public Media Sister stations WFPK, WUOL-FM | First air date February 18, 1950 HAAT 236 meters Frequency 89.3 MHz Format All-news radio Area Louisville | |
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Callsign meaning Free Public Library (original licensee) Slogan Louisville's NPR News station | ||
89 3 wfpl louisville s news station
WFPL is a 24-hour listener-supported, noncommercial radio station in Louisville, Kentucky, broadcasting at 89.3 MHz and focusing on news. The station is the flagship National Public Radio station for the Louisville market. WFPL is now owned by Louisville Public Media and was originally owned by the Louisville Free Public Library. When the station came on the air in 1950, it was the first library-owned radio station in the country.
Contents
History
WFPL began operating as a public radio station in 1950 under ownership of the Louisville Free Public Library, giving the station the distinction of being the first library-owned radio station in the country. Founded years before the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 and National Public Radio's creation in 1970, the station was made possible by the donation of equipment by the Bingham family, who owned The Courier-Journal and WHAS radio at the time.
In 1993, the library joined with the University of Louisville to form the Public Radio Partnership—now Louisville Public Media—to operate WFPL and the city's other public radio stations, WFPK and WUOL-FM. Since then, WFPL has steered away from music to focus on broadcasting news, general interest, comedy, and drama programming. Like its sister stations, WFPL broadcasts an HD radio signal.
Awards
In 1951 WFPL won a George Foster Peabody award for public service.