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Timeline of WDUQ 90.5 FM

Back to WDUQ History

1949

March - Studio space allocated and radio equipment purchased
May - Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approves licensing at 89.3 FM and two studios installed on campus
Nov.
- Power increased from 10 to 2750 watts and frequency changed to 91.5 FM.
Dec. 15 - At 6 pm, WDUQ officially goes on the air with a broadcast schedule from 3 to 9 pm, seven days a week

1950s

1950
- B. Kendall Crane named first Station Manager
- WDUQ music library contains 3,000 records
1952
- Hourly news reports begin
1959
- Broadcast hours expanded during academic year

1960s

1967
- The Carnegie Commission Report recommends the development of a national public broadcasting network and Congress asked to support the system
1969
- FCC approves frequency change to 90.5 FM
- WDUQ record library contains 20,000 selections
- WDUQ airs first jazz program – a live broadcast with Eric Kloss, Walt Harper Quintet, Al Dowe Quintet, Reid Jaynes-Hershey Quintet, Jeanne Baxter, Three Belles & Bobby O’Brien
- Studio moves to West Wing of Administration Building

1970s

1971
- WDUQ joins the new Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and becomes charter member of National Public Radio (NPR)
1972
- Power increases from 2,750 to 25,000 watts
- WDUQ airs first broadcast of "All Things Considered"
1974
- WDUQ broadcasts 16 hours daily, 7 days/week
1975
- Fire due to lightning destroys WDUQ studios & offices
1976
- Radio Information Service for the blind begins broadcasts through WDUQ's subcarrier channel
1979
- WDUQ airs first broadcast of "Morning Edition"
- Listening audience of 30,000 per week

1980s

1980
- New satellite receiving system installed
- Move to current location in Des Places Language Center
1987
- WDUQ airs the new "Car Talk" program
1988
- WDUQ begins airing "Fresh Air with Terry Gross"
- Funding received for National Productions office
1989
- Daytime jazz added to WDUQ programming

1990s

1995
- WDUQ web site launched
1996
- Michael Feldman’s "Whad’ Ya Know" comes to Pittsburgh for national broadcast
- WDUQ begins airing "This American Life"
- Audience grows to 86,000 listeners per week
1997
- WDUQ and BSU launch JazzWorks, a national jazz network
- Audio streaming becomes available on WDUQ web site
1998
- "Last Call at The Balcony," WDUQ's first compact disc released
- Jazz expands to seven days a week
1999
- JazzWorks receives $390,000 grant from Corporation for Public Broadcasting
- WDUQ audience exceeds 132,000 listeners per week
- WDUQ celebrates its 50th anniversary
- Second audio channel - the 24 hour jazz stream - available on the web site

2000s

2000
- WDUQ is presented with the first Mellon Jazz Community Award
2001
- WDUQ's audience is the largest of the Pittsburgh public radio stations
- A major donor program, Signature Circle, is created at WDUQ
2002
- WDUQ expands and updates the web site
2003
- Playlists for WDUQ jazz programs added to web site in response to listener requests
- WDUQ is one of the first public radio stations to carry NPR’s new afternoon news show, "Day to Day"
- More than 160,000 listeners in the tri-state region listen to WDUQ each week

Back to WDUQ History

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