# WERN

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Public radio station in Madison, Wisconsin

This article is about the American FM radio station. For the German river, see [Wern](/source/Wern).

WERN Madison, Wisconsin United States Broadcast area Madison metropolitan area Frequency 88.7 MHz (HD Radio) Programming Format Public radio and talk Subchannels HD2: WPR Music Network Wisconsin Public Radio Affiliations NPR APM Classical 24 Ownership Owner Wisconsin Educational Communications Board Sister stations WHA History First air date March 30, 1947 (1947-03-30) Former call signs WHA-FM (1947–1974) Call sign meaning "Wisconsin Educational Radio Network" Technical information[1] Licensing authority FCC Facility ID 63030 Class B ERP 20,500 watts HAAT 385 meters (1,263 ft) Translators HD2: 90.5 W213CE (Madison) HD2: 107.9 W300BM (Madison) Links Public license information Public file LMS Webcast Listen live Website wpr.org

**WERN** (88.7 [FM](/source/FM_broadcasting)) is a [non-commercial](/source/Non-commercial_educational_station) [radio station](/source/Radio_station) licensed to [Madison, Wisconsin](/source/Madison%2C_Wisconsin), United States, and serving the [Madison metropolitan area](/source/Madison_metropolitan_area). It is part of [Wisconsin Public Radio](/source/Wisconsin_Public_Radio) (WPR) and the co-[flagship](/source/Flagship_(broadcasting)) of WPR's News Network alongside [WHA](/source/WHA_(AM)). The studios are on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Vilas Communication Hall, 821 University Avenue in Madison.

The transmitter is located at the Madison Community Tower, located adjacent to South Pleasant View Road on Madison's southwest side in the Junction Ridge neighborhood. WERN broadcasts using [HD Radio](/source/HD_Radio) technology;[2] its HD-2 [digital subchannel](/source/Digital_subchannel) carries the WPR Music network and feeds [FM translators](/source/Broadcast_relay_station) W213CE (90.5 FM) and W300BM (107.9 FM).

## History

The station signed on the air on March 30, 1947 as WHA-FM.[3] It was the first FM station in the network that would become Wisconsin Public Radio. It took its call sign Dyk sister station [WHA](/source/WHA_(AM)) (970 AM). At first, WHA-FM simulcast WHA's mix of classical music, news, university lectures and public affairs shows. Originally, WHA was a [daytimer](/source/Daytimer). When it had to go off the air at sunset, WHA-FM continued its programming.

By the late 1960s, WHA-FM began airing some programming that was separate from 970 AM. Eventually, simulcasting was reduced and the FM station sought its own identity. The call letters became WERN in 1974.[4]

Because WHA-FM/WERN began broadcasting before current maximum levels were set by the [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission), the station's signal is [grandfathered](/source/Grandfather_clause). It runs at a higher power for its [height above average terrain](/source/Height_above_average_terrain) (HAAT) than would be permitted today.

As part of a major realignment of WPR's offerings which took effect on May 20, 2024; WHA and WERN became the flagships of the WPR News Network, successor to the Ideas Network. Two low-powered translators that served to improve WHA's nighttime coverage switched to the all-classical WPR Music network after this realignment occurred.[5] The change substantially improved coverage of NPR news programming in Madison. WHA had begun nighttime operations in 1987, but must reduce its power to all-but unlistenable levels at night. For decades, WPR made up for this gap in coverage with translators, fringe coverage from neighboring stations, and later HD Radio subchannels. In contrast, WERN penetrates further into south-central Wisconsin, and into buildings, than the two translators. This allows WPR News to be heard at full power 24 hours a day on a strong signal covering much of Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, including parts the [Rockford](/source/Rockford%2C_Illinois) area and parts of [Metro Milwaukee](/source/Milwaukee_metropolitan_area).

## See also

- [Wisconsin Public Radio](/source/Wisconsin_Public_Radio)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FCC-LMS-63030_1-0)** ["Facility Technical Data for WERN"](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityTechDetails.html?facilityId=63030). *Licensing and Management System*. [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [""HD Radio Guide for Madison, Wisconsin""](https://web.archive.org/web/20161105230002/http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=95). Archived from [the original](http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=95) on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [*Broadcasting Yearbook 1977* page C-233](https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1977/C%20Section%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201977%20P-6.pdf), [Broadcasting & Cable](/source/Broadcasting_%26_Cable). Retrieved Aug. 25, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Wisconsin Public Radio - A History of Broadcast Innovation"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110629160017/http://www.wpr.org/about/hd_innovation.cfm). Archived from [the original](http://www.wpr.org/about/hd_innovation.cfm) on June 29, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Welcome to the new WPR!"](https://www.wpr.org/new). *WPR*. Retrieved April 10, 2024.

## External links

- [Wisconsin Public Radio](https://www.wpr.org/)

- [Facility details for Facility ID 63030 (WERN)](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=63030) in the [FCC](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) Licensing and Management System

- [WERN](https://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SU26&band=fm&callLetter=WERN) in [Nielsen Audio](/source/Nielsen_Audio)'s FM station database

- [Facility details for Facility ID 83023 (W213CE)](https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=83023) in the [FCC](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) Licensing and Management System

- [W213CE](https://fccdata.org/?facid=&call=W213CE&ccode=1&city=&state=&country=US&zip=&arn=&party=&lmspf=&lmspl=&party_type=LICEN&latd=&lond=&lang=en) at FCCdata.org

v t e Radio stations in the Madison metropolitan area, Wisconsin By AM frequency 810 900 940 970 1070 1190 1240 1260 1310 1350 14801 1550 1580 1670 By FM frequency 88.1 88.7 89.5 89.9 90.3 91.3 91.7 92.1 92.7 93.1 93.7 94.1 94.9 95.9 96.3 98.1 99.3 99.9 100.1 100.5 101.5 102.5 104.1 105.1 105.5 105.9 106.3 106.7 106.9 107.3 LPFM 88.1 92.5 95.5 96.9 97.1 98.7 99.1 102.9 103.5 Translators 90.1 90.5 91.1 94.51 95.5 96.7 96.9 96.9 97.3 97.7 98.5 99.5 100.9 101.1 101.9 103.3 104.7 107.9 NOAA Weather Radio frequency 162.45 162.55 Digital radio by frequency & subchannel 970-1 88.7-1 88.7-2 88.7-3 92.1-1 94.9-1 94.9-2 96.3-1 96.3-2 101.5-1 101.5-2 102.5-1 102.5-2 104.1-1 104.1-2 104.1-3 105.5-1 107.3-1 107.3-2 107.3-3 107.3-4 By call sign KHA147 W211AU W213CE W216BL W233CN W238CB W244DR W245DE W247CI W249DH W253DH W255DE W258CM W265CV W270AU W277AE W277DV W284CW W300BM WAUN WBGR-FM WBKY WCNP WDDC WDLS WDMP-FM WEKZ WERN HD2 HD3 WFAW WHA WHFA WHIT WHHI WIBA WIBA-FM WIDE-LP WISY-LP WIXL-LP WJJO WJQM WJVL WJTY WJWD WLMV WLSP-LP WMAD HD2 WMDX WMGN WMHX WMMM-FM HD2 WNNO WNWC WNWC-FM WMUU-LP WOLX-FM HD2 WORT WOZN WQWA-LP WRIS-FM WSJY HD2 HD3 HD4 WSUM WTLX WTMJ WTSO WULD-LP WVMO-LP WWHG WWMV-LP WWQM-FM WXJ87 WXXM WZEE HD2 HD3 WZRK Nearby regions Appleton-Oshkosh DeKalb Dubuque Janesville-Beloit/Jefferson County Milwaukee–Racine Rockford Wisconsin Dells–Baraboo See also List of radio stations in Wisconsin 1 = Broadcast in Spanish (fulltime)

v t e NPR station networks/member stations in the state of Wisconsin Wisconsin Public Radio NPR News & Classical Network WERN Madison WGTD Kenosha/Racine WHND Sister Bay/N. Door County WHRM Wausau WHSA Brule/Hayward WHWA Washburn/Ashland/Bayfield WLSU La Crosse WPNE Green Bay WSSU Superior WSSW Platteville WUEC Eau Claire WVSS Menomonie Wisconsin Public Radio Ideas Network KUWS Superior WHA Madison WHAA Adams/Wisconsin Rapids/Wisconsin Dells WHAD Delafield/Milwaukee W300BM Madison/E. Dane County WHBM Park Falls WHDI Sister Bay/N. Door County WHHI Highland/W. Dane County WHID Green Bay WHLA La Crosse WHWC Menomonie WLBL Auburndale/Stevens Point WLBL-FM Wausau WRFW River Falls WRST-FM Oshkosh/Fond du Lac WSHS Sheboygan WUWS Ashland Wisconsin Public Radio HD2 Classical Network (HD/Internet radio network) KUWS-HD2 Superior/Duluth WERN-HD2 Madison WHAD-HD2 Delafield/Milwaukee WHRM-HD2 Wausau WERN-HD2 Madison WLSU-HD2 La Crosse WPNE-HD2 Green Bay Milwaukee Public Radio WUWM Radio Milwaukee WYMS WXPR Public Radio WXPR Rhinelander WXPW Wausau W265AI Ironwood, Michigan Woodland Community Radio WOJB Reserve/Hayward See also List of NPR stations See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Wisconsin

[43°03′22″N 89°32′06″W / 43.056°N 89.535°W / 43.056; -89.535](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=WERN&params=43.056_N_89.535_W_type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC)

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