WBUR-FM

WBUR-FM is a public radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, and owned by Boston University. Broadcasting at 90.9 MHz with a powerful signal covering Greater Boston, it is a primary member station of National Public Radio and produces several nationally syndicated programs. Its newsroom is a major source of local, national, and international journalism for the New England region.

History

The station first signed on the air in 1950, originally operating from the basement of the College of Communication at Boston University. For its first two decades, programming was largely educational and musical, serving the university community. A significant transformation began in the 1970s under the leadership of general manager Jane Christo, who shifted the focus toward news and talk programming, aligning it with the emerging format of National Public Radio. This era saw the station become a key participant in the creation of iconic programs like All Things Considered and Morning Edition, establishing its reputation for in-depth journalism. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the station expanded its local newsgathering capabilities and began producing its own nationally distributed content, cementing its role as a major program producer for the public radio system.

Programming

WBUR-FM's schedule is dominated by news and talk, featuring flagship National Public Radio programs such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Fresh Air. The station is also a prolific creator of original content, producing the nationally syndicated programs On Point, Here & Now, and Circle Round. Its local news department provides extensive coverage of Massachusetts politics, the Boston city government, and regional issues ranging from education to technology. Other notable programming includes the weekly news quiz Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, the interview show 1A, and the business program Marketplace. The station also airs select content from other distributors, including the BBC World Service and American Public Media.

Technical information

WBUR-FM broadcasts from a transmitter site in Newton, Massachusetts, utilizing an Effective radiated power of 18,000 watts. Its antenna is mounted on a tower shared with other Boston-area stations, including WGBH and WCRB, providing a Class B signal that reaches most of Eastern Massachusetts. The station also streams its broadcast online and offers podcasts of its original programs through major platforms. It is carried on several HD Radio subchannels via its primary signal and through translators to extend its reach, such as in Providence, Rhode Island.

Awards and recognition

The station and its journalists have received numerous prestigious honors, including multiple Peabody Awards, Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Awards, and Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association. Its investigative unit has been recognized by organizations like the Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Associated Press. Individual reporters and programs, such as On Point, have won awards from the National Association of Black Journalists and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The station's overall excellence in journalism has also been acknowledged with repeated honors from the Public Radio News Directors Incorporated.

See also

* WGBH (FM) * National Public Radio * List of NPR stations * Public broadcasting in the United States * Boston University

Category:Radio stations in Boston Category:NPR member stations Category:Boston University Category:Radio stations established in 1950