Broadcast area Lansing, Michigan Facility ID 41683 City of license East Lansing Area Lansing Slogan NPR and Classical Music | First air date October 4, 1948 HAAT 269.3 meters (884 ft) Frequency 90.5 MHz Branding Michigan State Radio | |
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Callsign meaning Format Public broadcasting, Classical music, Talk radio | ||
WKAR-FM is a public radio station in East Lansing, Michigan, United States; broadcasting on the FM dial at 90.5 MHz. It is owned by Michigan State University, and is sister station to the AM radio and television stations with the same call letters.
The station airs classical music, and several of National Public Radio's more popular programs, such as Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, All Things Considered and Car Talk.
In January 2013, WKAR launched the daily news/arts radio magazine Current State, an hour-long program of interviews and produced reports devoted Mid-Michigan and statewide politics, government, business, education, environment, science, technology, health, medicine and the arts. The program is broadcast Monday through Friday at 9 am and 6 pm on 90.5 FM and weekdays at noon on AM 870. Current State Weekend airs Saturdays and Sundays on both 90.5 FM and AM 870.
The station is also the primary Emergency Alert System (EAS) station for the state of Michigan, relaying emergency messages from the Michigan State Police to all media outlets in Michigan; WKAR-FM hosts statewide tests twice a year. WKAR-FM is also the secondary EAS station for Lansing and the South Central Michigan region (WFMK is the primary station for the region).
The station signed on for the first time on October 4, 1948 as the Lansing area's first FM station. Like most FM stations of the time, it simulcast its AM sister for several years during the AM station's sunrise to sunset broadcast hours. When WKAR-AM concluded its broadcast hours for the day, WKAR-FM would then carry its own signature programming which included classical music and other arts-related programs. The two stations split their broadcasting schedules on March 1, 1965, with the FM station airing fine arts programming.
The station's 85,000-watt signal, combined with a 269.3 meter antenna can be heard as far east as Flint and the Detroit suburbs, and as far west as Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. WKAR-FM is a "Superpower Grandfathered" Class B FM station, providing a signal 7.6 dB stronger than would be granted today under current U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules.
HD programming
WKAR-FM is licensed by the FCC to broadcast in the HD (hybrid) format, on the following HD channels:
HD1 provides a simulcast of the traditional FM analog signal. It is NPR and Classical Music, providing Public Media from Michigan State University.
HD2 is an "All Classical Music" format called Classical 24.
HD3 is a simulcast of WKAR (870 AM), continuing from local sunset to sunrise when WKAR (AM) is not broadcasting. HD3 provides 24-hour service of the News/Talk Format providing Public Media from Michigan State University.
In addition to its HD signals, WKAR-FM also has streams on its website of folk music, jazz, and Radio Reading Service. Its three HD signals are also streaming online.