WMUC
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| Broadcast area | College Park, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Branding | WMUC FM |
| Frequency | 88.1 MHz |
| First air date | WMUC (AM) ca 1948, WMUC-FM 10 Sep 1979 |
| Format | Freeform |
| ERP | 10 watts |
| HAAT | 1 meter |
| Class | D |
| Facility ID | 69019 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 38°58′59″N 76°56′38″W / 38.98306°N 76.94389°W |
| Callsign meaning | Maryland University Communications |
| Owner | University of Maryland |
| Sister stations | WMUC Digital (online) |
| Website | www.wmuc.umd.edu |
WMUC-FM (88.1 FM) is the student-run non-commercial radio station licensed to the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, broadcasting at 10 watts. It is a freeform radio station staffed entirely by UMD students and volunteers. WMUC reports to CMJ (College Music Journal).
WMUC can be heard on 88.1 FM in parts of Washington, DC, Silver Spring, College Park, Hyattsville and many of the surrounding communities. It is also streamed on the internet at wmuc.umd.edu and through the WMUC Radio app.
WMUC had its first beginning in 1942 when student-run Old Line Network began daily broadcasts. Gilbert Cullen, with the help of George Reynolds, built the first University of Maryland campus radio station. Broadcasts were limited to the campus, so the station did not require an FCC license to operate. This became the fifth student-run campus station on the east coast. However, the station shut down January 1943 when most of its technical personnel were enlisted in the armed forces. The station re-launched in January using the call letters WMUC. The first WMUC broadcast aired October 11, 1948, but was shut down three days later due to transmission issues. The station relocated from the Speech Department to Silvester Hall in spring 1950, but in the fall, relocated again to a renovated shower stall in Calvert Hall where it remained until 1953. In 1953, WMUC moved to the old Journalism building where it stayed for 20 years. Finally, the station relocated to the third floor of South Campus Dining Hall in fall 1973, where it currently resides.
WMUC received its FM license in 1979 after a two-year "FM or Bust" campaign, airing as a 10-watt FM station for the first time on September 10, 1979. It adopted the freeform format in 1982 so DJs could promote underground artists and music that is underrepresented by commercial radio. The WMUC-AM 650 remained top 40.
WMUC (AM) gained credibility in the Washington, D.C. radio broadcasting job market, providing announcers and managerial talent to many local stations. Though primarily funded by student fees, it also generated revenue through advertising of local and national concerns. In this era, WMUC "acquired its first news network affiliation, saw Anne Edwards appointed as the first female station manager and, in 1965, was selected by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System to receive the "All-American College Radio Station" Award". In the mid 70s, programming broadened to include shows aimed at black and minority students and promoting feminism. Waning listenership and increasing maintenance of the campus-only carrier-current system caused the shutdown of AM in 1999. In its place, the online service WMUC Digital was created.
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