# WKAR-FM > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/WKAR-FM > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/WKAR-FM.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKAR-FM > Source revision: 1348263570 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **WKAR-FM** (90.5 [MHz](/source/Hertz)) is a [non-commercial](/source/Non-commercial_educational_station) [public](/source/Public_broadcasting) [radio station](/source/Radio_station) in [East Lansing, Michigan](/source/East_Lansing,_Michigan). It is owned by [Michigan State University](/source/Michigan_State_University), along with [sister stations](/source/Sister_station) [WKAR](/source/WKAR_(AM)) (870 AM) and [WKAR-TV](/source/WKAR-TV) (channel 23). They are owned by [Michigan State University](/source/Michigan_State_University), with [studios](/source/Radio_studio) in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building, at Wilson and Red Cedar Roads on the MSU campus. WKAR-FM has an [effective radiated power](/source/Effective_radiated_power) (ERP) of 85,000 [watts](/source/Watt), [grandfathered](/source/Grandfather_clause) as a "Superpower" FM station. It can be heard as far east as [Flint](/source/Flint,_Michigan) and the [Detroit](/source/Detroit) suburbs, and as far west as [Grand Rapids](/source/Grand_Rapids,_Michigan) and [Kalamazoo](/source/Kalamazoo,_Michigan). The [transmitter](/source/Transmitter) [tower](/source/Radio_masts_and_towers) is off Dobie Road in [Okemos](/source/Okemos,_Michigan), near the [Red Cedar River](/source/Red_Cedar_River_(Michigan)).[1] ## Programming On weekdays, WKAR-FM airs [classical music](/source/Classical_music) in middays and evenings, with news and talk shows heard at other times, including [National Public Radio](/source/National_Public_Radio) programs *[Morning Edition](/source/Morning_Edition)*, *[All Things Considered](/source/All_Things_Considered)* and *[Fresh Air](/source/Fresh_Air)*. On weekends, classical music is heard in middays and overnight, with [folk music](/source/Folk_music) in the evening. Weekend NPR shows include *[This Old House](/source/This_Old_House) Radio Hour*, *[Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!](/source/Wait_Wait..._Don't_Tell_Me!)*, *[This American Life](/source/This_American_Life)*, *[Code Switch](/source/Code_Switch)* and *[Hidden Brain](/source/Hidden_Brain)*. Overnight, WKAR-FM carries [Classical 24](/source/Classical_24). Michigan news updates and NPR News are heard at the beginning of most hours. While WKAR-FM concentrates on classical music, WKAR AM has an all news and talk schedule. *Morning Edition* and *All Things Considered* are heard on both stations. WKAR AM programming is also carried on WKAR-FM's [HD Radio](/source/HD_Radio) [digital subchannel](/source/Digital_subchannel). WKAR-FM is the primary [Emergency Alert System](/source/Emergency_Alert_System) (EAS) station for the state of Michigan, relaying emergency messages from the [Michigan State Police](/source/Michigan_State_Police) to all media outlets in Michigan. It hosts statewide tests twice a year. WKAR-FM is also the secondary EAS station for Lansing and the South Central Michigan region ([WFMK](/source/WFMK) is the primary station for the region).[2] ## History After [World War II](/source/World_War_II), what was then Michigan State College decided to add an FM station to supplement WKAR (870 AM). WKAR-FM [signed on](/source/Sign-on) the air on October 4, 1948.[3] It was the Lansing area's first FM station, although few people owned radios that could receive FM signals then. Like most FM stations of the time, it [simulcast](/source/Simulcast) its AM sister during its [sunrise to sunset](/source/Clear-channel_station#Daytimers) broadcast hours. When the AM station had to sign off at sunset to protect [WWL](/source/WWL_(AM)) in [New Orleans](/source/New_Orleans), 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. The FM station primarily aired fine arts programming, while the AM station concentrated on news and information. The WKAR stations became charter members of NPR in 1971, and were among the 90 stations carrying the inaugural broadcast of *All Things Considered*. WKAR-FM is a "Superpower Grandfathered" [Class B](/source/List_of_broadcast_station_classes) [FM](/source/FM_broadcasting) station, providing a signal 7.6 [dB](/source/Decibel) stronger than would be granted today under current U.S. [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) (FCC) rules.[4] While most stations in this section of Michigan are limited to 50,000 watts, WKAR-FM is powered at 85,000 watts. WKAR-FM went on the air before the [FCC](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) rules on maximum power were established. In January 2013, WKAR-AM-FM launched the daily news/arts radio magazine *Current State*, an hour-long program of interviews and produced reports devoted to Mid-Michigan and statewide politics, government, business, education, environment, science, technology, health, medicine and the arts. The program was broadcast Monday through Friday at 9 am and 6 pm on 90.5 FM and weekdays at noon on AM 870. It was discontinued several years later. ## HD programming WKAR-FM is licensed by the FCC to broadcast using [HD Radio](/source/HD_Radio) (hybrid) technology.[5] Until 2017, its HD signal broadcast on three streams. **HD1** is a simulcast of the analog FM signal's classical music and NPR format. **HD2** is a simulcast of [WKAR](/source/WKAR_(AM)) (870 [AM](/source/AM_broadcasting)), continuing from local sunset to sunrise when the AM station is not broadcasting. It is also simulcast on a low-powered translator at 102.3 FM giving most of the Lansing area access to a locally focused NPR news and talk station. It originally was a simulcast of the *[Classical 24](/source/Classical_24)* music channel. That service airs on the main signal from 7 pm to 5 am. **HD3** was a simulcast of WKAR AM; it was also simulcast on a low-powered translator at 105.1 FM. On June 30, 2017, WKAR-FM ended its HD3 subchannel.[6] The Classical 24 stream is available on the WKAR website, along with streams of the Lansing area's [radio reading service](/source/Radio_reading_service) as well as a [jazz](/source/Jazz) channel. Currently, the HD2 subchannel simulcasts WKAR 870 AM. ## Sources 1. [Radio-Locator.com/WKAR-FM](https://radio-locator.com/info/WKAR-FM) 1. ["Michigan Emergency Alert System (EAS) Regional EAS Test Schedules"](http://www.michmab.com/eas/eastests.html). [Michigan Association of Broadcasters](/source/Michigan_Association_of_Broadcasters) 1. [*Broadcasting Yearbook 1955*](https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1955/All-Radio-1955-BC-YB.pdf), p. 176. Retrieved September 12, 2023. 1. [""Superpower" Grandfathered FM's"](https://web.archive.org/web/20041010222025/http://www.w9wi.com/articles/grand_fm.htm). *www.w9wi.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.w9wi.com/articles/grand_fm.htm) on October 10, 2004. Retrieved December 10, 2014. 1. ["Station Search Details"](http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/sta_det.pl?Facility_id=41683). *licensing.fcc.gov* 1. ["Technote: HD radio service discontinued"](https://www.wkar.org/post/technote-hd-radio-service-discontinued). *wkar.org*. Retrieved 2019-08-30. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [WKAR-FM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKAR-FM) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKAR-FM?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.